First, it’s an intention. Then, an action. Then a practice. Then a consistency. Then a habit. Then it’s simply who you are.

Turn down your neurotic thoughts and attune yourself to the real magic around you.

The footrace mentality is the ego's demand that our work should be *totally* original—as if such a thing were possible. - all work is influenced by other work. - all people are influenced by other people. - no piece of content is a continent unto itself.

Sharing your art vulnerably is healing.

Grind For Nothing! All the time I began a new "unconventional path", I faced the harsh reality of my traits. One always struck me the most—being an absolute freak. A kind one. I always thought I should have grown up during the 90’s, the good old days! Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains. Absolute freaks. And they were proud of it! Because it's who they were. By the time I began writing, I wasn't surprised to feel like a fish out of water. The people I began chatting with were completely different from me. And I couldn't help but feel like a silly dumb freak. Because when you start you want to be good! And seen! And supported! So I not only changed myself to fit in, but I spat on one of my beautiful traits—being a freak. WHO WANTS TO FIT IN? I wanted to be different. And it's hard to be different when all you do is try to be like everyone else. This is unconscious. Because kids remember. Remember all the times they get laughed at, looked down on. And hanging out with other freaks often doesn't help—quite the opposite. So I learnt to feel ashamed of my ambiguity, my tastes, my sense of self. Revealing myself to others became an act of expressing gratitude for seeing me rather than simply making a new experience. And you know something has to change when letting yourself loose with others feels like an act of vulnerability. THEY ARE SEEING ME. So I'd pull back. The ashamed, unconventional kid starts hiding. That’s how we end up being in a constant state of war between: "I hate you all moterf*ckers" and "I want to be myself". Since I felt like nobody was supporting me, I began exploring what all the unconventional paths have in common: The unknown. Spending time in shame and solitude may not look like a path to self-acceptance. But slowly, as I kept journaling, meditating and verbalising my absolute worst feelings, a voice in my head began whispering: "You can do it!". Writing down all my whys, possibilities, hatred and fears, helped me not only to understand where I was coming from but to accept myself again. Without needing external approvals. The beauty of writing. "It's better to sit on your butt and do nothing than to grind on something you don't care about." Writing is a great way to explore yourself. The book "The Artist's Way" it’s a proof. "A spiritual path to higher creativity". I know I'm onto something when I read spirituality and creativity in the same place. When you write "I HATE YOU ALL", "I WANT TO BE SEEN", "I LOVE MYSELF" you’re looking at each of your feelings with a magnifying glass. Seeing them together might look out of place—but aren't they all shades of ourselves? I laugh when my journal starts with "TONIGHT I GO KILL THEM" and finishes with "LOVE IS THE ANSWER". Whatever you are feeling now, I dare you to come to social media. Especially as a writer. "If you want to become fit, you must eat raw eggs at 6 a.m. everyday". "To be a good writer, you must sell products". "To become a good marketer, you must learn automation". "That's why you never make money!". "Wanna live your best life?". Uh, and follow the steps and suffer long enough! PURE DOPAMINE FOR FREAKS Feels like I'm listening to my math teacher giving homework when it’s lunchtime. But good news! Unlike math, writing is pure creativity. Which means we DON'T ACCEPT RULES. Whether some advice works or not isn't of our interest. The point is, there isn't a right or wrong way to write—or to use creativity at all. Now that we have unravelled a fact, let's move on to the next one. Creativity has no rules. if you journal, nobody tells you what to write if you are a DJ, nobody tells you what song to use if you paint on canvas, nobody tells you what to paint There are some best practices (which can also not be followed), but the entire process is purely up to you. Many are the artists who followed the "Unconventional path" and had success. From musicians to entrepreneurs. David Bowie and Naval Ravikant are two great examples. "Read what other people read, and you'll think the same way"—Naval Ravikant. A few days ago, I was looking for some inspiration (and support), because that's the thing! We feel bad. We are funny loners exploring the unknown. Writing online, travelling solo, or studying mathematics. Lol. So not only do we feel bad for doing it—our parents didn't teach us that we can be COOL BADASS artists. But we believe we're making the wrong decisions. Looking back, I don't regret any decision I've made. Neither you should. It was the right thing at that time. To me, leaving a job or my hometown always brought a sense of relief. Painful, lonely, but necessary. Besides, writing online further enhanced my confidence to show who I was to myself. And actually, I began writing these stories using those exact feelings. Inspired by a song called “Real Hippies Are Cowboys”. To give you some context of myself. Because I love creating, I hate bosses, and I want to connect with other kind, beautiful freaks. Being a goddamn columnist. Writing stories instead of products. Emotions to support rather than to gain more dollars. Lifting people rather than envying me for the life I may live. Connection is listening, care, presence, acceptance. When I support you, I also support myself. And learning about writing stories is also learning to connect with each of you. More so, the fact I love about writing is that I learn about myself, too. Your choices aren't wrong because you're walking alone. They aren’t wrong because it’s hard. Feeling lost, alone, helpless, is the first taste to then become a cute grown freak. But in fact, being “beautifully unconventional”, it's cool. Spending a day alone can be very productive and enlightening. As long as it leads where you are pointing. It's worth pursuing. Listen to your heart to follow your north star. So, be proud of each side of who you are. Because they make who you are today. A beautiful freak. Unconventional paths need unconventional people, that do unconventional actions. You don't need to be understood, you don't need to prove your worth. The only requirement is to embrace your uniqueness, scream it, love it and crush it. Learn to enjoy and taste the very things you fear the most. Embody the core of your being that says: I’m strong — beautifully strong, in fact — and I’m still here.

If you fail, wipe it from your conscious mind. That way, your shame will increase exponentially and you'll never learn a thing!

Over any extended period of time, being an artist requires enthusiasm more than discipline.

Connection feels like a hug when we need it most but nobody is there. Is listen, care. Is someone who tells us to “wake up” when we need a friendly shake to move on. Connection is vulnerability. Is finding out the deepest side of us, one step at a time, together.

You don’t need to “keep up momentum”, “stay in favour of the algorithm”, race to stay relevant or be at war with procrastinating. TRUST the wavy rhythm of your creative journey. Stillness is not procrastination. You are momentum.

Life is like a ball of beauty that will make you wanna just cry.

Most of our suffering comes from avoidance.

Believe I'm going down. "I promised myself, I'll enjoy each of my days. With my child's carelessness of being alive and my adult sense of greatness I'm creating. I promise I do my very best." - we all have to deal with crappy jobs. - we all have to deal with unhealthy people. - we all have to deal with our enemies somehow. Every. Single. Day. In my case, these thoughts are often followed by: “Fuck that", or, "I hate this". And I don't wanna look at the bright side. It just sucks. Looking at the bright side is more like watching a light from far away pretend it's here. Rolling in despair it's more fulfilling. And it's okay to do it—I find it healthy. Because when I feel like drowning, I remember I can do something about it. How many times I have saved myself? Countless. And most often, was the sense of losing touch with my life, "Hey! Do something!", that saved me. Seeing life passing by, and you, alone, have to uplift yourself, I know, is not an easy task. So, fuck it, let's drown a little while. I grew up listening punk-rock 24/7, ready to SHOUT to the toxicity around me all my anger. Growing up, though, I built something. My other side, my "monk side". Ready to come and whisper: "It's all good, or, don't worry". But then I couldn't either scream or breathe. What the hell can I do then without looking like a madman? Using pen and paper. You know, in our digital era, we are lucky my friend. We have so many options—arguably too many! But thanks to that, we can change. - we can have a side project - we can distance ourselves from what is toxic. We can use our challenges, instead of being used. Those, are the hard pill we need to swallow to wake up. To realise we have to change. And our "monk-side" of the brain (I promise we all have one), reminds us it's possible. And our child's ambitions are the chance to take action—instead of bury our feelings. So, from journaling my stories to scream, and frankly, feel less alone, I began writing them. For people like me and you. And I am changing. From being hopeless and angry to empowered, confident and peaceful. And it feels good. We all have to feel a little wreck less to change. So, embrace this day like an OPPORTUNITY. What can you do today, now, to improve? How does a healthy, well-balanced life look like to you? Write it down (it really helps), and go crush it. You can still journal about all the things you wish to do but can't. Insult your boss, kill your flatmate, or scream on the street. Whatever. Let those feelings out. So, use today to recall your divine power. Feel more. Act more. Relax more. Trust more. You got this. Your punk-rock monk. Peace.

Focused on process, our creative life retains a sense of adventure. Focused on product, the same creative life can feel foolish.

Sometimes I get deeply melancholic. Not sharing my feelings seems to waste a beautiful life story. If instead I take the courage to share it, I find it comforting one could feel the same sensations. That’s the beauty of writing. It’s a risk. It’s deep connection. youtube.com/watch?v=bd0K76H7…

Short paragraphs suck. They're often efforted, uncreative & repetitive. "As a writer, I want to create good goddamn stories". So, thanks to my favourite column (Ask Polly), I've found ANECDOTES. After feeling dumb for a few minutes to not knowing about them, I researched: "Anecdotes are short stories about real-life events. They're often used to illustrate a point, add humour or provide insights to a situation." The beauty of being a beginner! 😁 If (like me), you want to focus on long-form content: - incorporate anecdotes to add depth & value to your readers - batch those short paragraphs so you can focus on your stories So from today, remember to enjoy each step of your path AND to use anecdotes + batch the short—so you can focus on what you enjoy most. Be a badass storyteller. Peace! ✊

The only reason why you want to change: You want to feel different. At this stage, the mind often tries to take control telling you: "You can't do this", then you think you are stuck. "I don't deserve it", then you believe is the wrong direction. Listen to your heart. The emotions are your guidance, not a judge.

Be kind to yourself. Train your inner voice to be compassionate. It’s amazing how much growth occurs when you treat yourself like a friend.

Deciding who you are sometimes is deciding who you’ll never be again.