Hey there —

Some people get up from a nap refreshed and ready to take on the world.

For others, it’s a disorienting experience. There’s drool on the pillow, it’s pitch black outside, and you have no idea if you’ve been out for five minutes or five hours. Above all, you’re still exhausted.

What gives?

Let’s explain with Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s story. A few years ago, Dalton-Smith was on the brink of burnout, exhausted by the mental baggage of being an ICU and ER physician.

The mainstream research told her the antidote to her depletion was to sleep. But when her nine-hour sleep schedule still left her weary, it dawned on her that she might be missing a bigger picture.

For the next ten years, Dalton-Smith researched rest, eventually discovering we have seven areas of fatigue, each with its own characteristics and solutions.

She realized that although sleep is essential to our wellbeing, society’s “sleep = rest” mantra meant we’d been missing out on other types of rest we desperately needed. This confusion, Dalton-Smith explains, created “a culture of high-achieving, high-producing, chronically burnt-out individuals.”

In her book Sacred Rest, she explains that rest spans seven areas:

🏃 1. Physical Rest - Recharging your body through sleeping, napping, yoga, or stretching.

🧠 2. Mental Rest - Giving your brain time to slow down and process information by writing, walking, or reflecting.

🧘 3. Spiritual Rest - Feeling as though you belong and are contributing to a greater good by engaging in meaningful activities such as prayer, meditation, or community involvement.

💬 4. Emotional Rest - Expressing yourself freely (no white lies, downplaying, or saving face) to feel the relief from releasing emotional baggage.

💥 5. Sensory Rest - Recovering from sensory overload caused by our devices and environment by intentionally disconnecting, going into nature, or closing our eyes.

🫂 6. Social Rest - Being around people who energize and excite you.

🎨 7. Creative Rest - Letting yourself appreciate and be inspired by beauty.

Through her research, Dalton-Smith discovered she needed emotional rest. She had no one to chat to about the heaviness of working in the ER, leading to an emotional burden that left her perpetually exhausted.

So the next time you’re feeling blah, remember a nap might not be your remedy — but a stroll, heart-to-heart with a friend, or jamming out to your favorite album might. This quiz can help you find what rest you actually need.

Here’s to a year of rest, relaxation, and restoration. 🍵

Your stuff is actually worse now  

by Izzie Ramirez

Do you find yourself constantly replacing faulty items (like that umbrella that turned inside out after one breeze)?

These goods aren’t breaking because you have bad luck. They’re breaking because companies are producing items at lightning speed to meet consumer demands, often compromising quality and durability.

In this article, reporter Izzie Ramirez discusses the repercussions of this cycle and shows us how we can demand a more sustainable future.

Read the article →

Spiky point of view: Let’s get a little controversial

by Wes Kao

In 2012, U.S. scientific research showed we absorb about 34 GB of information in a day — enough to overload a laptop within a week. Today, that figure is probably much higher.

With so much digital noise, how can you make your content stand out from the crowd?

Wes Kao, a marketing expert, says the solution is to develop a “spiky point of view,” 🌵 which is your unique perspective on your area of expertise. It’s difficult to replicate, making it a great competitive advantage (basically, it’s a creator’s superpower).

Kao’s tactical article will show you how to unleash your spiky superpower.

Read more →

All Things AI  

by Rick Waalders

Whether AI helps you write, code, or reimagine yourself as a cyborg, it’s hard to keep up with all the AI tools coming out.

Luckily, designer Rick Waalders created All Things AI, a database that claims to be the complete resource of AI tools and services out there. The site lets you sort through different types of AI and even has a glossary of AI terms.

If you’re looking to stay ahead of the AI tidal wave, consider this database your textbook. 📚

Check it out →

Meet Gertjan! Gertjan is a former DJ turned freelance videographer with a passion for creating moving and still images. He offers up creative insights, photography tips, and camera reviews over on his YouTube channel. If you’re interested in photography, you’re sure to find some inspiration, but you don’t have to be a shutterbug to enjoy exploring the vibrant cityscapes Gertjan shares through the lens (😉) of his street photography videos. 📷

Introduce yourself! Who are you?

Hi there, I’m Gertjan Van Vooren, 29 years old and living in the city Ghent in Belgium. I live here with my girlfriend and our dog, called Bob. We used to live in the countryside, but the city had more possibilities to grow my business, and meet up with more fellow creatives. I’m a freelance videographer. My job mainly consists of editing and shooting videos for other companies. Besides that, I have lots of hobbies: surfing, producing housemusic, and of course, making YouTube videos!

Why do you create? Who is your content for?

I create because I needed a creative outlet where I call the shots. Because of my job, I have to deal with a lot of feedback by my clients. I can’t really create 100% what I want to, and after a while it felt like I needed a place where I can show what I’m capable of. I see YouTube as a platform where I can try new techniques and practice my storytelling. There’s no one that tells me what to do, and it feels very liberating. My content is mainly for creatives. More specifically: photographers. I don’t consider myself a ‘professional’ photographer, but more a hobbyist. I take my viewers on a journey, where I walk the streets and take photos with different cameras. I also review different cameras, lenses, and show how I edit everything. Absolutely love it!

The biggest lesson you’ve learned since you began creating content?

It takes a lot of work, and a lot of patience to ‘make it’ on YouTube. I started my channel back in 2019, and expected immediate results, so I quit. After signing up for Slow Growth, I realised it takes so much more to build your following. In 2021 I restarted, and watched the numbers go up! In 1 year, I got to 1K subs, which is absolutely mind-blowing to me. I now try to make each video as good as I can. There’s just no substitute for hard work, and it’s even more rewarding to watch your video get more views if you have put in the effort.

One thing you wish you knew before you started?

This is going to sound weird, but I genuinely thought every creator talks fluidly like they do in their videos. This is what held me back to create my own YouTube videos. I’m a bit of an introvert, and talking without the ‘euhs’ and pauses is very difficult for me. Scripting really helps me out, and after a year, I feel more confident in front of the camera. I’m not afraid anymore to stare into the black void of the lens while talking!

In one to two sentences, what’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring creators or self-development nerds?

Shia LaBeouf was right: Just do it!

Would you rather have a completely automated home or a self-driving car?

I hate driving, so a self-driving car might make my life a lot easier!

Written by Alice Lemée

Edited by Matt D'Avella & Kerstin Sheppard