conversational creativity

Imagine how many beautiful things were left uncreated because the person who had the spark of an idea just decided not to act on it

It’s not that I know how to do this. It’s that my soul is guiding me through this.

—life mantra

conversations are coordination games but with social capital. if neither person is willing to risk any status loss by showing their cards, you end up in an awkward small talk deadlock that's most always worse for both parties

Conversation isn’t the exchange of finished ideas but the collective creation of understanding that neither party could have reached alone.

i cannot overstate how big the difference is between

a - learning a map, then venturing into the territory, and

b - venturing through the territory, then finding out there are maps

One thing I know about writing is that you do not have to be in the mood to do it. Being in the mood to write, like being in the mood to make love, is a luxury that isn’t necessary in a long-term relationship. Just as the first caress can lead to a change of heart, the first sentence, however tentative and awkward, can lead to a desire to go just a

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