I used to “feel bad” about using AI. As a creative, it felt like AI was a cheap way of outsourcing my talent to something that knew nothing about my personality, goals, or mission. It seemed like nothing AI could do would actually live up to the standards I had for my personal work. When…
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been an “ideas guy.” In grade school, I’d doodle skateboard designs and come up with skateboard brand names I wanted to create some day. Later on in life, I leaned further into this creativity and always enjoyed the idea of what was possible. The places I’d travel,…
Well, I think it’s about time that I address the elephant in the room. For over two years now, I’ve been writing and sharing my journey through this newsletter, The Stoke Seminar. And somehow, I’ve never once addressed what it all means. Today, that changes. And I think it’s coming at a very appropriate time….
Most people wake up every morning and flow through life in a rather casual manner. We stick to the morning routine. We do what’s comfortable. We live like we did yesterday and the day before. In fact, we might even complain about minor inconveniences. Another day at the office. Another day punching the clock. Another…
Most people are terrified of failure. We’ve been conditioned into thinking that failure is the worst possible outcome and to avoid it all costs. If we fail a class in school, we’re looked down upon. If we fail at a sport, there’s always another one to try. We’re taught that failure is for… losers. And…
As soon as you wake up, there are dozens of distractions fighting for your attention. Time-sensitive emails. Unread texts. Missed calls. Long to-do lists. There’s an instant pressure to check your phone, tend to your morning hygiene, and get some food in your system. Oh, and you need your morning coffee before even thinking about…
I have tens of thousands of unshared images collecting (digital) dust. I have terabytes of footage that have never seen the light of day (or the flicker of a screen). I’m notorious for capturing life – only to never share anything I create. There’s something about the personal expectation I have, and the finished product…
For the past few months I’ve been using two simple notebooks to organize my life, thoughts, tasks, and creativity. Despite the dozens of productivity apps out there, I find this setup to be the most effective yet. If you’re feeling distracted when using your phone or computer – I can’t recommend this simple setup enough….
For years (from roughly 2018-2022), I never shared any of my work. When creating new projects, the feeling of “incompleteness” loomed over everything I did. If it wasn’t perfect – it wasn’t worth sharing. And nothing ever passed that test. During that time period, I thought I was doing myself a favor. I wanted to…