“Thinking In Metaphors, Learning Through Stories”.
Creative Sparks: #19
I’m enjoying Anjali Sachdeva’s short story collection All the Names They Used for God.
It blends science fiction, fantasy and even imaginative post-political scenarios into a potpourri of poignant scenes that makes me question the world around me.
Why have I not considered delving into the short story format before? Any other short story authors to recommend?
Onto this week’s standout reads for me…
1. The Books That Saved My Life in Prison By Chris Wilson
How apt that Medium is featuring a collection of stories around the library. All their stories are worth reading, but this one stood out to me as the perfect metaphor to why we need books in our lives.
Books gave Chris a reason to live again, despite his harrowing circumstances. Books gave him hope to thrive in prison.
“Our physical worlds are small. But there’s a way out, y’all. It’s called a library, and it’s available to everyone. No child is too poor. No winter day is too cold. No cell is locked too tight. No matter who you are and where you are, your library is the door to a bigger and better world. Open it.”
2. Turns Out You Can’t “Hack” Everything. Sometimes, You Need To Just Live Through It. By J. Westenberg 🌈
Oh boy, I’m guilty of this one.
In his typical no-nonsense manner, Jon Westenberg poses a hard-hitting question to us. Why, do we find a need to look for shortcuts for everything? Why don’t we want to put in the effort anymore?
We want it now, we want it good and we don’t want to go through the pain for meaningful rewards.
This applies especially for books.
I’ve tried using book summary services like Blinkist but find my experience rings hollow against immersing myself within a book’s pages. You engage with the text, retain more information and its an overall more fulfilling experience.
“Can you imagine how it would feel to be someone who thought that actually reading a book was too much work? Can you imagine being somebody who thought that the greatest invention of humankind, the written word, was either obsolete or unworthy of their time?”
Sometimes it pays to go the long route.
3. For Autistic Boys, the Subway Is Actually Soothing By The New York Times
I wrote about an earlier story where music was a commuter’s armor against anxiety-inducing subway rides. But this is a whole different perspective on the subject.
What a delightful photo essay on how the rumble and grind of the subway on a pre-determined schedule can give several autistic children joy.
I am reminded of this phrase: “one man’s poison is another man’s cure”.
4. Inside the booming business of background music by The Guardian.
I didn’t know selecting background music could become a full-fledged business. This article goes into the nuts-and-bolts of what goes on behind the scenes.
Did you also know that music has such a remarkable effect on you while you’re in a store?
“Music, even when you are barely aware of it, can be surprisingly powerful. Over recent decades, researchers have found that it can affect how much time we think has passed while waiting in a queue, how co-operative shoppers are with sales staff, and even how sweet or bitter food tastes. One study found that shoppers’ preference for French or German wine shifted according to which of the respective countries’ traditional music was playing from a nearby set of speakers.”
Read this article for more on what goes on in the selection of the background music tracks of your favourite restaurant. It’s not just a clump of tracks carelessly thrown together.
Background music should be thoughtful, deliberate and accurately represent your brand.
5. Social media is a symptom, not a tactic by Seth Godin
Short read but makes you think about the role of social media in growing your brand. Where does social media sit in this whole puzzle of giving value to your audience versus focusing on what really matters — your craft?
And worth noting: The Mona Lisa has a huge social media presence. Her picture is everywhere. But she doesn’t tweet. She’s big on social media because she’s an icon, but she’s not an icon because she’s big on social media.
6. Japan’s unusual way to view the world
Wabi-sabi — seeing beauty in imperfection and the passage of time.
“By retaining the imperfect, repairing the broken and learning to find beauty in flaws — rather than in spite of them — Japan’s ability to cope with the natural disasters it so often faces is strengthened. When my bowl from Hagi arrived in the post months later, its uneven edges were no longer a defect, but instead a welcome reminder that life is not perfect, and nor should I try to make it so.”
A handy counterpoint to perceive the world against our preference for the new and shiny over aged, older things.
On that note, want to do some introspective, armchair travelling? This BBC series Why We Are What We Are does a fantastic job at unpacking and investigating the characteristics of a country.
7. Why I Choose To Have Fewer Friends by Michelle Varghese
“Not everyone is your friend”.
And it’s okay to grow apart from friends you knew when you were 13.
Michelle speaks vital truth for people still navigating the topsy-turvy paths of adulthood.
This spoke to me today. Thank you.
Each week, I share 7 articles, videos or books I’m reading and write out my thoughts on them. Want to get them as they’re released? Follow the publication!
