How to strengthen your creative muscles — and more tips for your week
🗳️ The Democratic National Convention begins today in Chicago, which (mostly because it’s so geographically central) has hosted more major political conventions than any other city in the U.S.
Issue #144: how to tell what your company really cares about, the creativity muscle, and what to do in Paris
By Harris Sockel
Here are three pieces of wisdom to take with you throughout the week.
- A koan that applies equally to individuals and organizations: If you want to know what you truly care about, look at what you’ve done over the last week, month, or quarter. As AWS design lead Pavel Samsonov writes: “Orgs lie to themselves with roadmaps all the time, but the track record of what was actually shipped always tells the truth.”
- A lesson on writing from Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief: Don’t think of creativity as a mysterious asset to dole out sparingly. Instead, creativity is more of a muscle that you strengthen over time by simply making things, even if they don’t meet your expectations.
- In Yiddish, trepverter means “staircase words,” or the retort you think of too late (i.e. at the bottom of a staircase). If you’re ever unsure how to reply to someone, especially if they’ve asked you a vaguely threatening question — Are you planning on having another? How old are you? Isn’t that expensive? — simply repeat their question back to them. “Speaking the inappropriate, outlandish or unwelcome words in your own voice allows you to reclaim power” if your staircase words escape you, explains voice teacher Kate Brennan.
🍾 Also today: If you’re thinking of visiting Paris…
Counterintuitively, Paris was 25% less crowded during the Olympics than it usually is at this time of year. Tourists who would’ve normally booked a visit didn’t, which led hotel prices to drop — and, judging by the photos I’ve seen on Medium, an odd peacefulness fell over the city. Honestly, it makes me want to visit.
Lifelong Parisian Sophie Aguado, one of my colleagues, shares a complete guide to the City of Light. What I love about hearing a local’s travel recommendations is they’re honest in ways you wouldn’t expect: Aguado issues some decisive burns (Don’t go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower! Too windy! Also, the Louvre’s food court is awful!) and surfaces hidden gems — like La Slow Galerie, a print shop featuring extremely cute illustrations by local artists.
Quiz: Zoom In
Below is a zoomed-in version of an image related to one of the stories linked above. If you know what it is, email us: tips@medium.com. First to guess correctly will win a free Medium membership.
Congrats to Friday’s winner, Holly, for correctly spotting the zoomed-in potato chip.
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Edited and produced by Scott Lamb & Carly Rose Gillis
Questions, feedback, or story suggestions? Email us: tips@medium.com
