The Creator economy is booming! They are about 50 million creators that exist and the number is going up. The size of the creator economy is estimated to be more than $104 billion. It is amazing to see Entrepreneurs from all over the world, of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds create entire businesses with content as the front end. The general business model is to create engaging content that add values to consumers and then monetize it through various means including the platform where the content is hosted (e.g. Youtube), affiliate marketing (promoting products from Amazon etc.) and direct advertisement partnerships with other businesses. The created content is front and center of this business model and is either hosted or promoted throug different social media channels. If one is to get started - they would want to create visual (images/infographics), written (blogs, articles, ebooks), audio (podcasts) or video (Youtube videos/ Online courses) content and then promote it thou...
Daniel Day Lewis is one of my favorite movie stars. The authenticity he brings to the characters he plays makes it hard for me to fathom that he is “creating” - it feels more as if he is channeling someone. His acting skills are not the only reason I find him inspiring. He has finally retired now but during his acting years, he was on and off making movies taking long breaks of retirement. It is rumored that the actor interned with a Florentine master craftsman and learnt how to make bespoke shoes during one of his retirements. For his last movie, The Phantom Thread, he played a designer and learnt how to cut, drape, and sew - and even recreated a Belanciaga dress on his own. Daniel is an exceptional mind and a curious soul, but being able to delve into your curiosities like he is able to is a privilege. For most of us mortals, life seems to get in the way. Perhaps your version of living your best life fulfilling your desires and following your passions does not involve shoemakin...
Deepwork a term coined by Cal Newport is referenced multiple times by Lex Fridman in his podcast. In fact, one of the youtube videos where Lex Fridman is explaining his daily routine, it is clear that Deepwork is central to his day. I admire Lex Fridman for his philosophical outlook on life, the knowledge that he conveys to the world through his podcast and his love centered worldview. So I picked up Cal Newport’s Deepwork and took some notes to share with friends and family. Cal Newport is a seminal and authentic thinker — his philosophy towards work and learning is laid out in the series of books he has produced. TL;DR The idea: Deepwork is valuable Deepwork is rare Deepwork is meaningful The rules Work Deeply Embrace Boredom Quit Social Media Drain the shallows In the first part of the book Cal lays out the foundations of why working deeply is becoming more and more important in today’s world. Most people today are bombarded by information and distractions making the abil...