Hey there,

Wowzers, this has been a heck of a week. So much I could share, but I’ll just keep this one short and direct.

This newsletter has 3 parts:

• Unleashing my creativity in Cleveland 🏠

• Upgrading my brain while driving 🧠

• Bringing back analog 📝

So let's get into it!

Unconstrained Creativity

This week in Cleveland, I embraced creativity without constraints. This was the first time in several years that I have let loose. Just exploring my thoughts and ideas.

The hours feel like minutes when you let your curiosity and interest lead the way

If you want to lose track of time and slip into a whole other world, then just let your creativity run wild.

Listening To Myself For 2.5 Hours

On my 2.5-hour drive from Gowanda to Cleveland, I revisited all 36 newsletters written over the past year, totaling around 43,000 words.

(For the curious: I listened to all of them, one after another, using my iPhone’s text to speech feature).

Once I was done listening to all of my newsletters, it felt like I had received a software upgrade on my brain. There were so many ideas that I hadn’t thought about for a while, and it was great to get an instant refresher.

For days afterwards, I still had those words flying around inside my mind and it provided plenty of references and anecdotes during conversations.

This really reinforces my belief that you should always write, create, and produce material around the things that interest you. Not only is it nourishing in the moment, but it is even better when you revisit your own work later on.

Plus - it made me immensely proud to “hear“ all of the hard work that I’ve put into my newsletter.

An Analog Renaissance

Analog is due for a comeback.

If you are like me, then you can feel the pace of technology (AI) rapidly accelerating and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Perhaps the way to take back power is to start building analog into our lives (once again).

Using pen and paper, rather than scrolling on a phone, feels like a peaceful walk in a forest instead of a chaotic rollercoaster.

This simple, old-fashioned approach filters out the digital noise and brings a sense of authenticity and mindfulness.

Perhaps it's time to explore an analog renaissance, where we reconnect with timeless methods to center ourselves in an increasingly digitalized world.

• Bring back scrapbooks

• Bring back passing notes

• Bring back journaling

• Bring back sketching

Is it time for an analog renaissance?

Today’s letter is a reminder to tap into your creativity, glean insights by reflecting on what you’ve created, and a reminder to embrace old tools so you can find balance in this chaotic, digital world.

Think of what you might discover by exploring your imagination, revisiting your own words, and going back to analog basics?

Until next week, keep exploring, reflecting, and finding joy in the things that are within arms reach.

Stay vibrant,

-Cliff