This episode is short and direct — and it's built around a simple idea I've come to believe deeply: the most important creative tools are free.

Most creators assume they're stuck because they don't have the right gear, the right resources, or the right opportunity. But after decades of making work, interviewing hundreds of top creators, and studying the lives of artists across disciplines, I've noticed a different pattern.

What actually holds people back isn't a lack of tools — it's a lack of the right conditions.

Creativity doesn't break down because you don't have enough. It breaks down because you don't give yourself what the work requires.
Here's the core idea:

The foundations of great creative work aren't things you buy — they're things you practice.

Experience. Space. Reflection. Discipline. Rest. These aren't nice-to-haves. They're the infrastructure that makes creative work possible. And most of them don't cost a thing — but they do require intention.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is creators waiting. Waiting for inspiration. Waiting for clarity. Waiting for permission. But creative momentum doesn't come from waiting — it comes from engaging. From living. From making room to think. From showing up on a schedule. From giving yourself a break when the work gets hard.

This episode is about stepping back and asking a better question: not "What do I need to buy?" but "What am I not giving myself?"

In today's episode I cover:

• Why creative work depends on conditions, not inspiration
• The invisible tools behind consistent creative output
• How to support your creativity without adding more noise

If you've been feeling stuck, this isn't a call to do more. It's an invitation to focus on what actually matters — and to remember that the most powerful tools you have have been with you all along.

Until next time, give yourself the tools that matter — and give yourself a little grace along the way.

This episode is short and direct: most creators don't struggle because they lack talent — they struggle because they quit at 95%. They get the work to "pretty good," ship it, and move on. And for a lot of things in life, that's fine. The 80–20 rule works. But when it comes to your core creative craft — the thing you want to be known for — good enough is the trap.
The last 5% is where the details live. It's uncomfortable, slow, and often invisible. Which is exactly why most people stop before they get there.
Here's the core idea:
80–20 works for most things — but mastery lives in the final 5%. If you keep shipping at 95%, you're training yourself to miss the point.
When I worked with Apple to help create the foundation for Today at Apple, the first draft came together fast. In less than a week, we were 95% there. But Apple doesn't hire creators for "pretty good." Pushing through that final 5% took nearly ten times as long — and it set the standard for creative education across hundreds of stores worldwide.
Two common mistakes I see:

• Misusing the 80–20 rule: applying it to the work that defines you.
• Confusing shipping with finishing: stopping because it's hard, not because it's done.

This isn't about perfectionism. It's about discernment — knowing when the work actually matters and being willing to go all the way when it does.
In today's episode I cover:

• Why the last 5% takes as much effort as the first 95%
• How mastery separates pros from amateurs
• A simple way to decide when to go all in

Most people quit too early on the wrong things. When it matters, don't ship at 95%.

This episode is short and honest: if you don't love the work you're making, don't ship it — or better yet, figure out how to love the work before you ship it. I know that sounds blunt, but the market — and more importantly, your audience — can smell half-hearted work a mile away. You can't fake the stuff that matters. Loving the work isn't about perfection. It's about clarity, curiosity, and being willing to do the uncomfortable thing: choose a direction, commit to it, and then grind the craft until you actually love the result. That's the difference between noise and meaning.

Here's the core idea:
If you're not excited to promote what you made, you probably didn't make what you love. Shipping is great — but shipping love is better.

Two common traps I see:

• Approval chasing: You try to design for everyone and end up designing for no one.
• Activity without affection: You're busy making lots of stuff, but it never lights you up. That work will struggle to find real fans.

So what do you do about it? Make the work you can't not make — and build a tiny system to ship it.

In today's episode I cover:

• Why loving what you make makes promotion natural instead of gross
• Three practical moves to fall back in love with your craft: pick one obsessive idea, do the research that excites you, and iterate publicly
• How to find the small group (10–50 people) who will sustain you — and why that's all you really need

A quick playbook to ship work you love:

• Choose one thing: narrow the focus until you feel a pull, not a push.
• Make it daily: small consistent steps beat sporadic heroics.
• Share early: get feedback from the right 10 people, not the loud crowd.
• Listen, then iterate: love grows when you respond to the craft (not the vanity metrics).

If you want to make a living doing what lights you up, stop designing for a mythical "everyone." Build for the people who get it — and love the work enough to tell others.
Thanks for listening. Tag me with what you're shipping next — I read as many replies as I can. And remember: ship less stuff, but love the stuff you ship.