I spent way too long trying to identify the exact pen from the movie Anatomy of a Fall. It’s the Pilot V Sign Pen! Not the best for lefties (a little smudgy) but fun to use nonetheless.

I went to California Adventure recently and loved the Disney Animation Academy - you and 40 other people sit in an auditorium with a pencil and paper, while an art teacher shows you how to draw a Disney character. I loved how the pencils they provided purposefully lacked erasers - encouraging us to accept that mistakes are okay!

There’s so many great moments on Beyonce’s new album Cowboy Carter, but I get chills every time the sitar comes in on American Requiem. Levi’s Jeans is also great, and of course it led to an actual increase in jeans sales according to the company’s CFO.

I finally started reading Cal Newport’s book Deep Work. As a freelancer, it can be hard to switch between clients throughout the day while still maintaining focus. This book is helping me figure out how to resist distractions and prioritize deep, quality work over “shallow” work.

Ryan Holiday imparting wisdom on why we need a physical practice. He says, “Regardless of what time, where, how far or for how long, going on a run or a ride or a swim almost always goes well. With writing, it’s the opposite.”

I’ve been enjoying the newsletter Big Desk Energy, written by beehiiv’s CEO Tyler Denk. Tyler’s transparency around beehiiv’s origin story, his helpful tips, and his ambitious goals for the company make for a fun read each week.

New music: Chappell Roan’s latest single “Good Luck Babe” has been stuck in my head, and Billie Eilish is teasing new music too. Here’s the story behind her genius marketing technique of adding all 110 million of her followers to her close friends list on Instagram.

Paul Graham’s essay on the value of keeping side projects struck a chord with me. Graham says that working on “…a project of your own is as different from ordinary work as skating is from walking. It's more fun, but also much more productive.” This newsletter is a project of my own, and I’m realizing that the only way to keep it going is to keep it fun.