[which is to say, I think this is true and yet I don't know what to do with it as someone who sees in 4k how this happens for myself and others. maybe it's time to try harder on keeping my promises? idk]
ya idk.. i think it is about making fewer promises / doing better at keeping them? focusing on fewer closer rels?
the entire chapter is great - dederer starts the book with all these misogynists, and then asks: what makes a female monster? the answer: to fail to nurture, to abandon your kids, to hire a babysitter so you can go off to a retreat and write (she’s a mom)
lots of truth in here! the quality of my work has dramatically increased in the last few months through effort alone. maybe there’s an upper limit to quality gains in this manner, but god does it feel good.
love your resolutions — hope we can work together to accomplish them in the writing group!
Jasmine, I got tired just reading about how much you run. I’m even more tired when I think about the hills in San Francisco. I don’t run, but I do walk… in my nice, flat subdivision. Can I ask what type of shoes you wear? I feel like I need something with more support and it seems like running shoes might be the thing, but it’s also something I need to research more. Sorry— not trying to outsource that to you. I’m just looking for brands to consider. And this question is open to anyone who has strong opinions on the topic.
As far as your actual essay, I love how open you are and everything just feels so casual. We don’t know one another, but the tone of your writing makes it feel like you’re talking to a good friend. I hope you write more.
thank you!! i wear hoka ones (popular running shoe brand) but i'm slow and new to running so i'm not sure... but i have heard amazing things about finding your nearest running store and doing a try-on. they ask about your goals & have you do a test run/walk to find the best shoe for your gait and needs.
i try my best to write like i speak, so appreciate that!
Loved this. Your writing is the perfect blend between pretty, true, and clear. Utterly readable.
If this is any indication of how you write, I think you should in fact do more of it.
Really appreciated the line "I don't play in order to hit the goals; I set goals so I can play." That's how I am. I have no lofty ambitions to be a best-selling anything. I just want to do interesting things (including writing) because... what else am I gonna do? Nothing?
I loved this. In 2023 I simply devoted more time to writing (journaling, pitching, drafting, editing). It worked—I did better writing and more "real" writing, and it's both encouraging and banal to realize that trying hard just works, it just gets things done, and that's the only real way to get better and do more.
Also found this intriguing: "Blowing the gates of inclusion open seems like another way of taking the arts less seriously than other disciplines…nobody respects skills where awards come too easy." Ultimately, we have to believe that an artistic/literary practice IS a practice, it demands fidelity and regularity and devotion…
that's inspiring/reassuring to hear tbh!! think i'm still often in the mode of just waiting for inspiration to strike, and only just beginning to internalize that this can only take me so far. ty for reading :)
Stumbled upon your post and wow, I love your writing. And coincidentally, I was referring to the Sisyphus line in my latest post. And well, I got into running because of Murakami!
"What’s the point of working so hard for what you want, if you’ll simply adjust your expectations and revert to the mean after? What if the system is designed on purpose to keep us from success?"
I've been struggling with this for a while myself and what you said about the journey really hit home -- thanks for writing this!
i don’t think all games are worth playing! (ie those that turn you into a kind of person you aren’t proud of / i try to be conscious of how the incentives around me will change me)
but overall, it becomes easier to enjoy things when i’m less laser focused on what happens at the end :)
beehiive have this neat metric, it's time until someone goes paid. I'd appreciate if you started to track that in the dashboard. Also advanced data on customer lifetime value that's more easy to track. Simple things like the average duration of a paid subscriber. And why is the click rate of an article without a decimal point? Ahhrg
jasmine having to listen to me explain how awesome running is while she’s silently putting more miles in
😭 no i’m sitting there feeling insufficient and very inspired obv
> behind every completed oeuvre is a trail of broken promises to people you love
❗️
[which is to say, I think this is true and yet I don't know what to do with it as someone who sees in 4k how this happens for myself and others. maybe it's time to try harder on keeping my promises? idk]
ya idk.. i think it is about making fewer promises / doing better at keeping them? focusing on fewer closer rels?
the entire chapter is great - dederer starts the book with all these misogynists, and then asks: what makes a female monster? the answer: to fail to nurture, to abandon your kids, to hire a babysitter so you can go off to a retreat and write (she’s a mom)
lots of truth in here! the quality of my work has dramatically increased in the last few months through effort alone. maybe there’s an upper limit to quality gains in this manner, but god does it feel good.
love your resolutions — hope we can work together to accomplish them in the writing group!
lfg 😎
Jasmine, I got tired just reading about how much you run. I’m even more tired when I think about the hills in San Francisco. I don’t run, but I do walk… in my nice, flat subdivision. Can I ask what type of shoes you wear? I feel like I need something with more support and it seems like running shoes might be the thing, but it’s also something I need to research more. Sorry— not trying to outsource that to you. I’m just looking for brands to consider. And this question is open to anyone who has strong opinions on the topic.
As far as your actual essay, I love how open you are and everything just feels so casual. We don’t know one another, but the tone of your writing makes it feel like you’re talking to a good friend. I hope you write more.
thank you!! i wear hoka ones (popular running shoe brand) but i'm slow and new to running so i'm not sure... but i have heard amazing things about finding your nearest running store and doing a try-on. they ask about your goals & have you do a test run/walk to find the best shoe for your gait and needs.
i try my best to write like i speak, so appreciate that!
Loved this. Your writing is the perfect blend between pretty, true, and clear. Utterly readable.
If this is any indication of how you write, I think you should in fact do more of it.
Really appreciated the line "I don't play in order to hit the goals; I set goals so I can play." That's how I am. I have no lofty ambitions to be a best-selling anything. I just want to do interesting things (including writing) because... what else am I gonna do? Nothing?
ahh thank you, so kind & glad it resonated!!
I love this one Jasmine - packed with inspiration and good book recs for me to add to my Goodreads...
Good luck with the half marathon it's my goal to run one in Feb too :)
thank u!!! and good luck w the race :)
she’s back <3 loved this and omg a half marathon! so excited for you
🥲❤️🔥
I loved this. In 2023 I simply devoted more time to writing (journaling, pitching, drafting, editing). It worked—I did better writing and more "real" writing, and it's both encouraging and banal to realize that trying hard just works, it just gets things done, and that's the only real way to get better and do more.
Also found this intriguing: "Blowing the gates of inclusion open seems like another way of taking the arts less seriously than other disciplines…nobody respects skills where awards come too easy." Ultimately, we have to believe that an artistic/literary practice IS a practice, it demands fidelity and regularity and devotion…
that's inspiring/reassuring to hear tbh!! think i'm still often in the mode of just waiting for inspiration to strike, and only just beginning to internalize that this can only take me so far. ty for reading :)
(excited to dive into your writing too)
FYI the Becca rothfeld debate link at the bottom is broken. (You linked to your Readwise I think haha.) Here’s the link I think https://yalereview.org/article/becca-rothfeld-debate
ah shoot you are right. fixing!
Stumbled upon your post and wow, I love your writing. And coincidentally, I was referring to the Sisyphus line in my latest post. And well, I got into running because of Murakami!
read the recent post, how lovely!! :) thanks for reading
I hope you write more too. Loved this Jasmine! 😍
💖 ty for reading
"What’s the point of working so hard for what you want, if you’ll simply adjust your expectations and revert to the mean after? What if the system is designed on purpose to keep us from success?"
I've been struggling with this for a while myself and what you said about the journey really hit home -- thanks for writing this!
i don’t think all games are worth playing! (ie those that turn you into a kind of person you aren’t proud of / i try to be conscious of how the incentives around me will change me)
but overall, it becomes easier to enjoy things when i’m less laser focused on what happens at the end :)
Thanks Jasmine. Lovin’ your work. Don’t beat yourself up quite so much. And you are right about sheer effort and time. Nga mihi nui. Bernard.
🙏 thanks!! trying my best haha
this is so so gorgeously written, happy new year 💗
💓
Bro the numb in China series looks so cool
it issss
beehiive have this neat metric, it's time until someone goes paid. I'd appreciate if you started to track that in the dashboard. Also advanced data on customer lifetime value that's more easy to track. Simple things like the average duration of a paid subscriber. And why is the click rate of an article without a decimal point? Ahhrg