Presentable #31: Staying Productive
Presentable #31: Staying Productive
Sharing my thoughts on trying to stay productive with a newborn, the album I’ve been listening to on repeat, a new tool I’m trying out, and a quote I’ve been thinking about.
Hey friends!
Welcome back to another round of updates for the newsletter. As always, I’m happy to have you here. I hope your summer is going well and if you’re traveling, I hope you’re having a great time wherever you find yourself reading today’s post.
I’m experimenting with a new format inspired by Tim Ferriss’s 5-Bullet Friday. Let me know if you like it (or not) by voting in the poll at the bottom of this post.
Staying Productive
Trying to stay productive with a newborn has been hard. And, it’s been an emotional ride. There are times I’ve felt happy about being able to do things like writing this weekly newsletter, maintaining my workouts at the gym, and spending time catching up with friends and family over FaceTime.
Other times, I’ve felt really guilty about doing all those things. Anytime I’ve left the house, I’ve struggled being away from my family, even if it’s for a short trip to Trader Joe’s.
It’s something I’m continuing to work on and trying to acknowledge whenever those feelings arise. I know I have to be “okay” with doing things that make me feel productive, help my body stay healthy, and keep my mental health in tact. I also know that I have to consider my family’s needs while continuing to care for myself.
ALD‘s Latest Vintage Drop
In last week’s post, I forgot to include Aimé Leon Dore as one of my favorite brands who also has a vintage drop, called Leon Dore. They just released their fifth collection and it was full of great objects, like this Eames chair, MoMA deck of cards, 1970’s Mattel basketball game, and Palm Beach double-breasted suit.
Album I’m Listening To On Repeat
The new album “Bunny” by Beach Fossils continues to stay on repeat. I’m really into the surf vibes and their use of different electric guitars. I also enjoyed hearing about all that went into creating this new album and learning about the lead singer’s background on a recent episode of the Blamo! podcast hosted by Jeremy Kirkland.
New Tool I’m Trying Out
My good friend
shared out his favorite macOS apps over on Threads, and the one that caught my eye was Obsidian. I originally heard about the app in the Proof of Concept newsletter—written by —who’s talked about his experience using Obsidian in issues #36 and #89.It’s basically a text editor, with a ton of customizable features and tools that programmers, designers, and other people interested in technology will appreciate. I’m curious if it will replace Notion or iA Writer, or if it will become another app in my toolset.
Quote I’m Thinking About
“Am I spending life doing what’s important to me?”
I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s important in my life. I’m alway going to try being a good person, husband, father, and friend. Writing this newsletter is important to me. Continuing to work as full-time designer is important not only to me but my family who I have to support and provide for. After all that, I’ve been asking myself “what else?”
I want to continue making things. I want to make more things. I want to make videos, take pictures, design products, and do anything that allows me to be creative.
Have you thought about what you’d like to be doing in life? Let me know in the comments below if you’re already doing it or what you would like to be doing.