creativity > productivity

this collection culminated with this essay, published in Every

from the Sana 2025 AI Summit

the best productivity tool i’ve ever used is intrinsic motivation

It’s a little depressing that these days we mainly use computers to consume fast and react fast. Task management turns us into more productive human machines. Rather conveniently for managers, human machines have higher predictability and lower inherent value – they’re easy to automate, replace, and erase.

Productivity is important, but it’s just... See more

pketh • Productivity vs Insight, Tools for Reflection, and Other Questions Answered

“The things that are going to be valuable are the things you can’t teach or copy.”

This sounds almost obvious, and echoes Mr. Beast’s point, but it stands in direct opposition to the way the system is currently set up. Humans spend the first twenty-two years of our lives, and sometimes more, being taught and learning how to copy.

Packy McCormick • Differentiation

I used to write about "creative productivity" - until, slowly, I realized that trying to be "productive" while making creative work is like trying to train a wild, mysterious jungle cat. it is not a dog. it will not obey you. the cat will do whatever it wants - when it wants. however, even wild animals have rhythms, routines, and safe spaces.

You may think that if your studio is tidy, it will free you up to be more efficient, and therefore, you will produce more. Maybe that will help you in the execution stage of your work if you’re, say, a printmaker pulling prints, but it won’t help you come up with an interesting design for the next print. It’s always a mistake to equate productivity

OH:

a lot of ambitious people focus 100% on being more productive doing something and 0% on what the something is

From Lily Chambers:

I genuinely do not care if AI tools make me more productive.

I am tired of seeing, "increased productivity" as a selling point. I do not want to be valued for my productivity. I do not want "more" of anything related to work.

I like doing things meticulously. I like using my hands. I like manipulating data that an LLM could