The embrace of agency 💪
Hey friends,
​Thinking In Stories wrapped up two weeks ago, and I had such a wonderful time with the cohort. This course has now been taken by well over 100 students across 20+ countries, and I’m so thankful for the wonderful people that the program has attracted. It’s yet another example of how the work you create acts as a beacon for your values, which makes the process of finding your people so seamless.
Now that the course is over, I’ve shifted my attention back toward creating stories of my own. I’m working on a big one on the nature of inspiration, which is currently over 4,000 words and consists of 30 drawings. I will likely publish it in January, which is when inspiration tends to be at its zenith for many folks.
But for today, I have a short reflection on embodying the identity you aspire to be.
Humans are unique creatures because we can take inventory of our present capabilities and forecast a future vision. While this ability is a great superpower, it also introduces doubt and anxiety into the landscape. This is because we often believe that we have to satisfy certain requirements to attain something, which makes us feel like we’re never enough.
So in this reflection, I’m going to bridge the gap by describing what it means to the very thing you want to . This statement will require some unpacking, so when you’re ready, let’s dive right in:
​The Embrace of Agency​
A Book I’ve Been Enjoying
​The Light by Scarlett Lam and Mindy Lee — As a father, I’ve quickly grown to love children’s books. Of the many books I read to my daughter, I’ve noticed that the best ones do two things well:
(1) They condense wisdom into succinct, rhythmic prose, and
(2) They contain beautiful illustrations that welcome nostalgia.
This book does both, and the wisdom it delivers is through the message of being enough. What’s interesting is that we all know children are deserving of love, but we often find it hard to direct that same sentiment to ourselves.
The Light isn’t just a reminder to our loved ones that they are enough, but that we are as well. If you’re looking for a beautifully illustrated children’s book for the holidays, this is the one to get.
An Illustrated Insight
This drawing from The Arc of the Practical Creator is one I often think about when it comes to any worthwhile journey.
A big part of any creative endeavor is knowing that there is no finish line. While there may be intermittent stops, there is no ultimate destination that signals its completion.
This is because anything worthwhile requires humility, which is nothing more than the recognition that there’s always more to learn.
A Thought I’ve Been Pondering
I read a lot, but I also don’t take these words too seriously. No matter how much wisdom you gain from the pages of your favorite author, if you haven’t experienced the visceral events that led to that wisdom yourself, then it’s just knowledge. Sure, you can leverage the hard-earned wisdom of others to help you, but understanding only happens when you earn that wisdom in the tumultuous arena of real life.
A Brief Parting Question
I’d love to get an idea of where you’re from, and what your holiday plans are.
Where are you located, and what are your plans for the holiday season?
I’m based in Los Angeles, but I’ll be heading over to Toronto next week to spend the holidays with family =). Since it’ll be pretty cold outside, we’ll likely do a bunch of indoor activities and spend time eating all kinds of food. What about you?
As always, hit reply to share any thoughts, to respond to the parting question, or to simply say hello. I love hearing from you.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to share this email with anyone who might enjoy it. Have a great rest of your week!
-Lawrence Yeo
P.S. Thanks to Lauren Szymkowiak for adding your support on Patreon! It means so much. If you’d like to support More To That and get access to exclusive AMAs, offline posts, and other reflections, join as a patron today.
More To That
Illustrated stories on the human condition.
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