Rob Tourtelot
@rtourtelot
Rob Tourtelot
Writing doesn’t just change the way we understand our lives or the world. It changes us. Sometimes, it saves us.
Dear Scared to Feel Too Much: Sometimes, Writing Saves Us
The legendary designer Paula Scher said, “I still [a little over 5 decades into her career] make things that are pretty awful. It’s part of the process. You have periods of tremendous productivity and other periods where you’re fallow. The fallow periods are really important because that’s where you’re figuring something it out. You have to work th... See more
Billy Oppenheimer • SIX at 6: Swiss Cheese, in the Heights, Wylie Dufresne, STORY, Owning Your Style, and the Fallow Periods
To initiate this step of creation, it is always good to move into a state of wonder, contemplation, possibility, reflection, or speculation by asking yourself some important questions. Open-ended inquiries are the most provocative approach to producing a fluent stream of consciousness: • What would it be like to … ? • What is a better way to be … ?
... See moreJoe Dispenza • Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One
I think in a lot of these Eastern systems, the delusion is that we’re trapped inside this little machine that thinks it’s central, and permanent, and all-important and is always thinking it’s about its little victory narrative. But when you step out of it for a second, you see that it’s just a temporary construction of neurology, or karma, or whate... See more
Transcript: Ezra Klein Interviews George Saunders (Published 2021)
“There is no knowing for a fact. The only dependable things are humility and looking.”
― Richard Powers, The Overstory
― Richard Powers, The Overstory
The Overstory Quotes by Richard Powers
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Being open with your insecurities paradoxically makes you more confident and charismatic around others. The pain of honest confrontation is what generates the greatest trust and respect in your relationships. Suffering through your fears and anxieties is what allows you to build courage and perseverance.
Mark Manson • The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life (Mark Manson Collection Book 1)
From there, I have a few go-to questions that I have found create reliably engaging discourse:
• What's your connection to [insert current place or event]?
• What are you most excited about currently?
• What's lighting you up outside of work?
• What’s your favorite book you’ve read recently?
Note: Always avoid "What do you do?" as a question. It's
... See moreBut I've learned that it doesn't matter what state others are in; it matters what state I'm in. Just as when two people are pulling taut a piece of string, it only takes one person to let go for the tension to end.