Sweating the right details

Offline Recess is a newsletter that invites you to pause from digital distractions and rediscover the joy of finding inspiration on your own terms, away from the algorithm.

A quick summary: It’s Sunday and today we’re exploring:

• How TV and film are setting me up for the week

• A short list of things that stuck offline

• A solid reminder

I did not have anyone edit this so if you see a typo, be relieved that I’m a human and not a robot.

Intersections

things that are connecting during my recess

I’m watching Severance, and this week’s episode completely blew my mind in the best way. I was listing all the reasons I loved it, and one of the biggest was this: EXCELLENT AT JOB. The acting? Phenomenal. Which means the direction? Incredible. And it was all wrapped in a beautifully haunting world. It made me want to be better at my craft.

I have big goals for my business, but I’m not an absent owner. I’m deeply involved in our work. A lot of business owners dream of detaching from the day-to-day, and I get it! But for me, the craft and artistry behind what we do is something I care about too much to watch from the outside. My team is so talented, and I’m grateful to be in it—not just overseeing it.

It reminded me of a New York Times piece on Teddy Blanks, the designer behind some of our favorite modern film title sequences. Most recently? Wicked! Nosferatu! Barbie! Someone in the article described Teddy’s approach to his work like this:

“He sweats every detail.”

Heading into this week, I feel freshly inspired. Instead of pushing myself to the point of creative exhaustion every day, I’m aiming for space and time to sweat the right details—not every detail. Michael Cunningham once said, “Always stop writing for the day when you feel you have more to write, so you’re eager to get back to it.”

That’s the energy I’m bringing into this week.

Sticky offline things

things that stood out over the week

• I watched the show Laid on Peacock. What a quirky show! It reminded me a bit of Search Party (one of my favorite shows — John Early and Cole Escola are elite in my book)

• This album — My 21st Century Symphony. (Live at the Royal Albert Hall) by RAYE on Spotify

• I’m back to my summer of 2020 ways — reading multiple non-fiction books at a time in the morning.

  • The Small and The Mighty

  • Co-Intelligence

  • Nexus

Good point!

a quote that stuck with me

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