May 21, 2020
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Creative Block
It’s been a few weeks since my last post. It was my girlfriend’s birthday, we celebrated Mother’s Day, and I spent a lot of lazy time recovering from my foot injury. But the biggest reason I haven’t written is that I couldn’t think of anything to write about. So I decided to write about that. Putting it simply; I didn’t have much to say. This certainly wasn’t some sort of writer’s block. I don’t think I’ve written enough to consider myself a writer. I also didn’t have the motivation to update the website, edit old GoPro videos, or work on anything else in particular.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t get some moments of clarity followed by focused work in whatever is energizing me at the time. This comes in the form of my cooking, photography, music (making Spotify playlists), and writing. So where does this come from?
Culinary creations for my GF’s bday
Throughout my childhood and my education, creativity has eluded me. I never could understand how people came up with inventions or original ideas not contained in a book. My 11th-hour science fair project in middle school consisted of the top of a soda bottle taped to an orange juice carton to facilitate an easier pour. I called it the ‘Orange Juice Carton 2000’. And from what I remember, I got 2nd or 3rd place! I didn’t enjoy art class. I made sure to follow the instructions of the teacher just enough to be middle of the pack. English class was a nightmare when we dealt with anything related to poetry or creative writing.
Is creativity something that is innate? Or can it be taught and practiced? I certainly wasn’t taught how to be creative. I’m not sure I had an original thought for the first 25 years of my life. Most of my ideas are harmless plagiarisms or practical applications of things I’ve come across. I was taught linear algebra. Something which I can’t even imagine being used in everyday life (And I love math!). But creativity is something I’ve struggled with my entire adult life. I have no doubt it would’ve improved my performance in the workplace. I also think it’s an important aspect of keeping a healthy relationship. It’s even hard to write a simple twitter post. Maybe it’s a knock on the American public education system but a lot of it is just how I’m wired.
But more recently, my creative juices have been trickling (not flowing). I’m genuinely surprised I’m writing #7 of this newsletter. My curiosity has led to deeper questions and diving deep to find answers. I’ve woken up at 4 am and hopped on the keyboard to essentially word vomit. And then trying to make sense of it all afterward. I have these moments while meditating, under the influence of various substances, and while sleeping/dreaming. There is probably a connection between the states of our minds in each of these situations. Have these thoughts been somewhere deep down in the recesses of my brain? Or are they more spontaneous and organic based on the present moment? One mediation practice states that we have no control over the thoughts that come to our awareness.
Even though I can’t explain how or why I have the urge to create, these small creative outlets, albeit short-lived and sporadic, truly energize me. It’s fun learning something new and learning about myself at the same time. I’m working on ways to organize my thoughts and ideas so I can better express myself through these outlets. I hope you’re enjoying them so far.
Note: I didn’t dive into the Google wormhole of creative thought.
Daily Sanity Break 🧘🏻♂️
I’ve been using the Ten Percent Happier app for over 3 years. During the pandemic, they have weekday live meditations free on their site and on Youtube. Even though I can’t participate live, as part of my meditation practice, I wake up a bit earlier and watch the previous day’s recording. They have some amazing teachers every day that discuss lots of practical applications of meditation, especially during this environment. For me, it’s another way to connect and a bit of a reality check. It’s a great way to start the day by bringing ease, clarity, gratitude, and compassion to the world.
How can you not enjoy anecdotes like this:
Additionally, every Friday, they highlight a worthy cause. These are organizations, charities, or groups that have been hit the hardest during this pandemic. And to the surprise of all, my economic stimulus check arrived in the mail…here…in Taiwan. I had originally thought it was a lost cause blamed on the ineptitude of the US Government. I’m putting some of it to good use giving to these causes below:
Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund
The Navajo Nation, surrounded by Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, has the highest coronavirus infection rate in the U.S. after New York and New Jersey. This organization is the group is distributing hand sanitizer and delivering food to the most vulnerable members of the community, as well as sewing and distributing masks.
Family Promise
Family Promise and its partners are on the front lines continuing to provide life-saving interventions such as shelter, food, supplies, and emergency care for thousands of low-income families nationwide.
New Yorkers For Children
New Yorkers For Children is a non-profit responsible for improving outcomes of youth in the child welfare system with a focus on foster care and those who have aged out of care. NYFC is distributing emergency grants to help with rent, utility bills, groceries, cleaning supplies and so much more.
Heart to Heart International
This organization has sent volunteer medical providers to New York and across the U.S. to relieve staff shortages at hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. HHI is distributing hygiene kits to local shelters, healthcare facilities, school districts, faith-based programs, food pantries, and, public safety organizations.
If you want to check out all the app has to offer, you can use this link to get free access for 3 months.
Vegetable English Round 2 🥬
Taiwan’s President, Tsai Ing-wen was just inaugurated for her second term. For you mandarin noobs (me included), her name translates phonetically to ‘vegetable English’. I’m certainly not a political commentator and usually don’t like getting down in the weeds on these topics. But I will note a few things:
The 2020 election garnered a 74.9% voter turnout, which is unimaginable from the perspective of an American. This includes a record number of people returning to the country just to vote, as there isn’t an absentee voting process.
Tsai won a record 8.17 million votes, representing 57.1% of the popular vote. This was a landslide victory.
Tsai reiterated in her inaugural speech that she will not accept the “One Country, Two Systems” policy insisted by China. But she will continue to maintain collaborative and mutually beneficial relations across the strait.
Taiwan is currently in a sort of diplomatic limbo with only 15 formal diplomatic allies. But as Taiwan has received plenty of worldwide attention for its success containing COVID-19 domestically, many nations have come to support Taiwan for their inclusion in global organizations like the WHO.
This appears to be a bipartisan issue in the US. Even though the US doesn’t officially recognize Taiwan as an independent nation, there is plenty of support in many ways.
I don’t know if this is good or bad. We can only hope for the best.
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend” - Sun Tzu
Here’s a quick update on what’s going on here in Taiwan with the virus. We haven’t had a local transmission in over a month. People are starting to feel more relaxed when out in bars and restaurants. There are still strict rules for wearing masks and protective measures in trains and public transportation. The government has started to discuss opening the borders and what that will look like.
Links and Articles (these are a bit old but still relevant):
1. Chase adding grocery bonus category to many of their annual fee cards
You are now able to get extra points for spend at grocery stores and online deliveries. Notable cards include the Sapphire Reserve (5x) and Preferred (3x), Marriott Bonvoy (6x), and Southwest personal cards (3x).
2. American Airlines extending the validity of companion tickets
If you earned a companion ticket through Citibank or Barclays, the expiration date has been extended. If your current expiration date is between 3/31/2020 and 5/31/2021, it will be extended through 06/30/21.
3. Amex offering $200 travel credit for select cardmembers
If you renew your card between April 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, the credit will be valid between August 2020 and December 2021. and can be used for eligible travel purchases through the American Express Travel Portal.
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Fucking great examination of your own creative impulses. I loved it. Might be helpful to check out the book Impro by Keith Johnstone. Relates to a lot of the things you were exploring.