The Sine Waves of Creativity

Constantia Prima

This is a weekly newsletter about the art and science of building and investing in tech companies. To receive Investing 101 in your inbox each week, subscribe here:

---

This week marks the 126th week in a row I've written something on Substack. And I'm the first person to say they're not all winners. But when I started writing at the beginning of 2022, I knew that I would fail if I was too focused on the quality of writing, or the response online. So I set only one goal. Don't miss a week. And thus far I haven't.

But I'll tell you what, it can be an exhausting experience. Each week I wonder more and more what I'll write about. It's not that I don't have stuff that I WANT to write about. Its more a function of capacity.

My pattern is consistent, albeit wanting. Every week, I help put together the Contrary Research newsletter, which often ends up taking up my Friday night / Saturday morning. I wake up every Saturday at 4:30 AM. I usually spend 4:30 to 6 finishing the research newsletter. Then I spend something like 6 AM to 8 or 9 AM writing my blog. Sometimes a little longer if the kids don’t have stuff going on. Whatever I have once I need to get going for the day? That's what I send out.

This week was no different. I was sort of dreading figuring out what I was going to write. I wandered through a massive list of topics I’ve wanted to cover.

And while I was wandering I found a topic I'd had on my list for quite a while. I started to dig into some of the links and videos I'd saved. And I realized that this was actually a topic I happened to write about once a year, every year, right around this time of year! And it really was something I'd been thinking a lot about the last few weeks. It was fascinating to see that my brain had these patterns.

And I realized two things: (1) creativity comes in these sine waves where its more important for you to capture them when they come than it is to try and create them out of nothing, and (2) the topic was too big for me to cover this week. So I reflected on that reality. Had some mental appreciation for the opportunity I have to write and think out loud. And then I laid out the outline for the post I want to write, and I'll write it next week.

As for this week, I just wanted to reflect on my own creative process. And acknowledge how quickly we can go from feeling like we have nothing to say to having too much to say that you don't have time to say it.

But I'm grateful to have something to say even if I don't always have the time, words, or skill to say it well.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a lawn to mow, a baseball game for my boys, a birthday party to chaperone, and some work to sneak in during nap time.

---

Thanks for reading! Subscribe here to receive Investing 101 in your inbox each week: