I'm gonna start showing my work

This post marks the spot where I open up the garaged door and we just start hanging out while I do my work.

Have you ever been to the Huntington Botanical Gardens in Pasadena, California? I went recently with my boyfriend, Noah, and it’s gorgeous:

Proof that I’m not lying about my trip to the Huntington Botanical Gardens. The employee who took the photo said, “Oh, I got the perfect shot!” and then proceeded to use the 0.5 fisheye lens and framed me on the outer edge, which makes my face look like a fucking potato but whatever.

Anyway I was exiting through the gift shop when I came across the book Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon. I paged through it and within a few seconds, I could feel the book changing my life.

If you read a lot, you know the exact feeling I’m talking about. It’s rare, but every now and then you’re reading something so resonant that you can actively feel your brain clicking into place with a concept or idea or framework or whatever.

There’s nothing like it.

And often, as in the case with Steal Like an Artist, it isn’t the ideas themselves—it’s how they’re presented. Austin is a brilliant writer and how he talks about cultivating taste is beautiful.

Anyway, that’s just the beginning.

So I’m on a weekend trip with my friend Kyle in Joshua Tree:

Proof that I’m not lying about my trip to Joshua Tree. The desert is a place to heal, to recover, to reconnect with yourself and nature. And it’s also fucking hot so thank God they had an air conditioner at the Airbnb.

At some point Kyle tells me about a new book he’s reading called Show Your Work. You, as a reader, have a benefit that I didn’t have: the ability to click on the link and discover that Show Your Work is ALSO BY AUSTIN KLEON.

Recap:

1. I started reading a book by Austin Kleon.

2. Kyle started reading a book by Austin Kleon.

3. Neither of us knew that the other person was doing this.

I don’t believe in a guiding hand of the universe, but I do believe that when moments like this happen, it doesn’t matter what I believe, you just gotta pay the fuck attention.

That night I jumped ahead and started reading Show Your Work and the thesis is simple: give people a peek behind the scenes of what you’re doing. Share your process. They’ll learn—but so will you. It’s the same concept that Andy Matuschak talks about, but it didn’t hit me when I first read about it years ago.

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” -Unknown

Sometimes you just aren’t ready to listen.

So what?

So this space is going to be more personal moving forward. And more experimental. Like a lab. Like a studio. A space that’s less geared towards advice and more like we’re just hanging out—we’ll chat about what I’m interested in right now. What I’m finding annoying as fuck right now. And the projects I’m working on.

Like the two-page script I wrote that I am going to direct this summer.

I think it’ll be pretty fucking cool.

And don’t worry, I’ll still probably write as though I have the answers to the universe because that’s pretty fun to do. Just remember that I don’t have “the answers” because there aren’t “the answers.” There’s just what works for me.

And if we’re lucky, some of this shit will work for you too! Woo!

With this new concept comes a somewhat sad but real reality that “Human Person Toolkit” doesn’t quite fit the vibe of this space anymore. I want you to feel like we’re hanging out and learning from each other. I imagine that as this space grows the comments are more active and we’re all just hanging out with each other (if you feel so moved, post below what you’re working on, dealing with, etc.). The name I’m circling right now is “Jesse’s Garage.” It makes it feel carefree and approachable, like we’re just hanging out, working with my garage door open, and you can stop by anytime.

We’re going to have some fun.