How to Be

“Well, I’m gonna get a lot of hell for saying this. I just want to put it out there. I know, I am. This is going to be a something that I might regret saying, but...I think one of the best things to cure self-doubt is just to go to really bad stuff. I’m talking about plays you hear about that are terrible–go to them. There’s shows on television... See more

Then I had another thought: Physics disgusts me a little bit now, but I used to enjoy doing physics. Why did I enjoy it? I used to play with it. I used to do whatever I felt like doing - it didn't have to do with whether it was important for the development of nuclear physics, but whether it was interesting and amusing for me to play with. When I

... See more

I think for years I was looking at my feet, I couldn’t look people straight in the eye, I was uncomfortable, I mean uncomfortable all the time, whereas today I enjoy being uncomfortable. It amuses me to understand that, yes, I have many doubts, that is what makes me alive, in fact. It allows me to move forward, I really like it.

I am an artist first and foremost. No matter how I spend my time, no matter how i make money, no matter what responsibilities or identities I take on .. I am an artist because I have the mind and soul of an artist. I am a creative force of nature, I am an innovator, I am brave and smart and loving and experimental in my approach to life. I was put... See more

Everyone wants to know how to be liked. But I think we all know, actually, how to be liked, it’s just that it’s hard. It takes attention and openness, and the confidence to present your character like it’s a fun mask you’re wearing rather than a lesson you’re desperate to teach someone. If you have that, it’s simple: when people put energy into... See more

1. Write what you're learning.

2. Have at least a tiny website that shows something neat.

3. Do things publicly. Have Twitter, Github, etc. Comment publicly, ideally with your real name. This forces you to be nicer, too.

4. Help other people.

Don’t be lame, don’t be corny. The craft has to be there. I feel like I’m just such a craft snob. I just don’t respect people that don’t... I mean, whatever, it’s your thing if you don’t care about it, but it’s like, if you know about it, you know it when you see it. Also, every masterpiece has incorporated so much craft into it, and there’s no way... See more

Therefore, what does it mean to live erotically in a world designed to suppress the erotic? It means making decisions that align with your aliveness, even if they offend your ego, your upbringing, your pay check. It means walking away from a job that kills your soul. Reading poetry instead of productivity manuals. Saying “yes” to a conversation... See more