Hi friend, This weekâs Dispatch is a bit of a departure from my usual focus on digital culture. But donât worryânext week, Iâll be back with my annual Spooky Season watch list, a rant about Emily in Paris, updates on the latest AI models, and some news on some exciting upcoming projects! When my family immigrated to Canada in December 1989, we felt incredibly grateful for the opportunitiesâhealthcare, education, safety. Like many newcomers, we viewed Canada as a land of possibility, but the...
16 days ago â˘Â 4 min read
Hi hi, Greetings from Australia, where Iâm currently juggling some client work and prepping for a speaking engagement. But honestly, my mind keeps wandering back to this recent project I wrapped up on AI and Retailâan exploration thatâs left me both fascinated and a little uneasy. Iâve been thinking a lot about how AI, TikTok, and fashion are colliding in ways that feel both revolutionary and deeply unsettling. Itâs a story about more than just clothes; itâs about algorithms, influencer...
about 1 month ago â˘Â 7 min read
Hey you, Weâre living in a time defined by overlapping crisesâfloods, wars, climate change, AIâwhere the constant state of stress doesnât just weigh on our collective psyche but seeps into our personal lives, affecting how we connect with others. In this âperma-crisis,â (gag) mental health struggles like anxiety, depression, and PTSD can feel like wrecking balls in our relationships. Supportive friendships are crucial, but what happens when these very conditions cause us to retreat or lash...
about 1 month ago â˘Â 8 min read
Hi hi, Right on cue, Iâve entered the creativity phase of my holidays. This morning, instead of heading to the pool, I found myself drawn to the living room, settling in with Pixel by my side and my laptop open, words flowing effortlessly. Thereâs something intoxicating, even liberating, about creating outside of professional obligations. Itâs a reminder of how essential rest and distance from work areânot just for our well-being, but for our creative vitality as well. For the first time in...
about 2 months ago â˘Â 7 min read
Hi hi, These days, it seems like everyone has an opinion about people who choose not to have kids. "Miserable cat ladies," as we've been recently called by JD Vance, "undeserving of participating in the democratic process." I prefer "delighted Dog Lady" personally. This hate isn't new, of course. The vitriol against childfree women has been simmering for years, occasionally boiling over into mainstream discourse. But lately, it feels like the lid has blown off completely. There's so much to...
about 2 months ago â˘Â 8 min read
Hi hi, As I settle into my annual month-long summer break, I find myself reflecting on my own rhythm of rest and creativity that has become essential to my work as a professional creative. This isn't just time off; it's a deliberate cycle of renewal, divided into three distinct phases that are crucial for sustaining my creative output and personal well-being. The first phase is what I fondly call "cocooning" â a term I much prefer to the judgmental "rotting" often used to describe this period...
2 months ago â˘Â 7 min read
Hi friend, I'm back on the farm, counting down the days before my annual summer holiday. Yes, I just returned from Turkey, but let's be real: that was less vacation and more of a much-needed mental health intervention. Sometimes, a change of scenery is all you need for clarity, grounding, and closure. Now I'm in the home stretch, wrapping up two mammoth client projects and gearing up for a final speaking gig in Palo Alto. Then it's curtains for Q2. (I know, I knowâwho closes their quarter in...
3 months ago â˘Â 10 min read
Hi Friend, In âHustle and Float,â I explored a fundamental tension in our modern work lives: the systems of continuous, non-stop productivity that weâve built are often at odds with the natural rhythms of our creative process. Weâve constructed a world that demands constant output, yet our most innovative ideas and profound insights tend to emerge during periods of rest and reflection. This disconnect is exacerbated by our culture of instant gratification. Weâve become accustomed to immediate...
3 months ago â˘Â 6 min read
Hi friend, Lately there's a palpable thickness to the air, as if reality itself is holding its breath. You can almost hear the cosmic gears grinding, ready to click into a new configuration. The present moment feels stretched taut like a rubber band about to snap, launching us into an irrevocably altered future. It's a tangible feeling that I've experienced only a handful of times in my life: the eve of the 2016 and 2020 American elections, waiting for my mom's test results before her...
3 months ago â˘Â 6 min read
