When all prose is perfect
How do you set yourself a part?
I’ve been thinking a lot of about differentiation.
This is a problem we all face as writers and creators. In a world full of infinite content, why will someone bother to listen to me?
Prints is a new section in Indie Thinkers I’m introducing today.
The idea is simple.
I spend an obscene amount of time staring at screens, but I love to read essays online. From Noah Smith, to Emily Sundberg, to Paul Graham, and everything in between. There’s an incredible amount of brilliant writing on the interwebs.
I started printing out essays I bookmark throughout the week, mark them up, and capture atomic thoughts about why something resonated, how it relates to something I’ve experienced personally, and what you can take away from the piece.
Will also share screenshots of some of my favorite quotes.
I’m kicking things of with “This whole thing just came out” from Harrison Moore.
It’s a call to action.
Reject the pursuit of perfection of every single thing you share with the world.
In the artificial age, raw “anything” is rare and desperately needed.
There’s a place for essays to be polished as if they were products.
We need not abandon works of art.
But we need to balance that work with a peak behind the curtain.
The unfiltered, messy, vulnerable stream of consciousness.
Rough drafts can be just as or even more beautiful than their final equivalents.
You might need to take on new topics that your curious about but have been hesitant to tackle. Maybe you don’t know enough about economics, civics, or sociology.
Adopt a student mindset.
That’s all I’ve got for today.
What should I print next?
Let me know in the comments below.
holy shit Daniel! this is fantastic—your notes in the margins. I'm touched! thanks you man!