Marta Pyr

And yet, we often approach our work and lives as if there were—as if every day is a competition, every achievement a test of our worth rather than a step in an ongoing journey.

The reason we’re so increasingly intolerant of long articles and why we skim them, why we skip forward even in a short video that reduces a 300-page book into a three-minute animation — is that we’ve been infected with this kind of pathological impatience that makes us want to have the knowledge but not do the work of claiming it

This is a model I also use for my creative work. Last year:

• I released an essay as a limited edition zip file to express the gravity of the work in my eyes


• The piece generated more than $1,000 from collectors in a week


• More than a hundred collectors wrote long responses that were incredibly meaningful


• The essay continues to have a strong online shelf

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“We’ve never had more freedom, more choices. But in reality, most people are subtly funneled into the same streams, the same pools of ‘socially approved’ culture, cuisine and ideas.... You might think you’re choosing, but you never really are. When your ideas, interests, and even daily meals are largely inspired by whatever was already approved,... See more

Wise words from Kevin Kelly’s annual letter: “Despite our political situation, I am more optimistic than ever before. That's because I intentionally choose to be more optimistic each year. Optimism is a choice, not a personality trait.

I am aiming to be as optimistic as I possibly can because a big dose of optimism is required to make better things

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