Mindset and Methods
Notes on Creative Inspiration, Practical Task Management Tips, Another Screen Studio Alternative, and Thoughts on the New AI Image Generation Model
Hey guys, here's some of the things that stood out from my previous week:
On Writing
"Art cannot be seized head on. It must be stalked. It is elusive–Grace Hartigan"
A few days ago I read an article on Substack's main blog that offered advice for writers. It caught my attention because it addressed something that's often in my mind–how creativity or inspiration happens, where it comes from, and how we can continue to create in the midst of a busy life. The author discusses this from the perspective of finding the right balance of pressure when doing creative things: too little and nothing happens, too much and everything feels forced. This resonated with me.
Years back I read something that has been very helpful to me. For creating it is highly beneficial to learn how to switch between different modes. It's key, in some parts of the creative process, to move from a child-like state of curiosity, play, and experimentation to a more analytical, editor-like perspective. Learning to shift between these two mindsets is a valuable skill that can greatly impact the results. It can allow the creation of work that feels alive rather than mechanical. This article I read reminded me of this, and it also touches on how some of the best ideas appear when we least expect them. So it's not only about being in that "playful" state of mind but also about holding ideas in the back of our mind and identifying related inspiration when it seems to come out of nowhere.
Thinking about it. The whole idea about Building A Second Brain and Personal Knowledge Management was obviously the natural next step for me :)
Some other highlights:
"Writing needs some pressure for it to happen, but too much pressure smothers it on the page."
"The best kind of creative growth sneaks up on you, or happens behind the scenes while you're busy doing something else."
On Task Management
I've had a busy week. I'm juggling several projects, finalizing an online class for Skillshare, trying to come up with ideas for an upcoming YT video, and still trying to make time to contribute to Superwhisper's documentation. I was out walking on the park one evening and noticed I'd saved an email from Tiago Forte's newsletter from 2023. These GTD-related ideas arrived at the perfect time.
I tried to find these online to link you guys to this content but couldn't find anything, so I'm quoting directly from his newsletter. For more tips, check out Tiago's YT channel.
- I have to write down a task as soon as I notice it. I'm not allowed to "keep it in mind."
- Every task needs to have a “physical next action” (i.e. it can’t be “thinking about,” “deciding,” or “considering”).
- If it takes less than two minutes, I'll do the task right away instead of adding it to my to-do list (the “2-Minute Rule”).
- I don't create tasks to “read” or “watch” things (those are saved in Reader, my read-later app).
- I can only mark tasks as “high priority” if I can take action on them and I’m not waiting on someone else to do something first.
- All tasks need to have all critical pieces of information required to do them such as a phone number, email address, or link.
- Mornings are reserved for deep work. I'm only allowed to work on light, easy tasks in the afternoon when my energy is lower anyway.
On Video Editing
I few days ago I discovered Pimosa, an app with lots of tools for images, videos, and audio. I have mainly been looking for something quick for video editing, nothing else. Sometimes I need to cut something quickly and don't want to open FCPX for that. After trying Pimosa for a day, I gave up. I didn't like the user experience. Many tools didn't work as I expected, there's no CMD Z (undo) so it's frustrating to make mistakes, and it lacks good keyboard shortcut integration. I sent some feedback to the developer but never heard back. Anyhow, it might work for some people (has great reviews), just not for me.
While looking for alternatives, I found LosslessCut, a free app that may not look as pretty as Pimosa but has everything I needed. It lets you trim videos, rotate them, and even remove segments from the middle while keeping everything lossless, so there's no quality loss and it's super fast to export. It's completely free and has great keyboard shortcut support. I'm keeping it in my toolkit for when I need it. Highly recommended!
On Screen Recordings
This past week, I found another alternative to Screen Studio. It's funny–just a few months ago, I thought nothing like Screen Studio existed. Now I'm seeing many alternatives pop up online that offer easy editing with smooth zoom animations in the same style. I'll keep you guys updated on this, but here's the list I've collected so far:
I want to find some time to give all of these a try and compare them with one another. I still think Screen Studio takes the lead, but who knows, maybe not for long.
On Image Generation
If you've been online lately, you've probably heard about OpenAI's new image generation model.I don't have a Plus subscription, but I'm excited for it to reach their API so I can try it out. The results I've seen online have been super impressive. Another thing is that up until now a lot of the image generation models have had strong limitations on regards to copyrighted content but that seems to have loosened up. I'm not exactly sure of all the implications around this.
Even before this model appeared, I know many photographers and graphic designers were already concerned about their jobs. Now that it can create amazing images with great text integration, those worries seem more justified. I'm relieved I'm not a graphic designer.
In any case. I believe good, original ideas remain valuable. In creative fields, the value isn't just in the final product but in the concept. True human touch and and creativity still matter, perhaps now more than ever. I think it's really cool what many talented people will be able to do now. There's already some really cool and useful stuff.
But man, I'm not excited about the increasing flood of generic content online.
On Cinema
Severance (2025). A few weeks ago, I heard about this TV series and got curious. When I found out the second season was airing, my wife and I quickly caught up. We watched both seasons in about a week and a half, finishing right as the season ended. Here's a very good behind-the-scenes (wish spoilers) that talks about the editing and cinema-language behind it. Super good! Synopsis: Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. When a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs.
Anne at 13,000 Ft. (2021). This simple film blends drama and comedy with natural, realistic acting. It's a super simple story, more like a portrait of this character that doesn't quite fit with the world around her. The performances are excellent and the camera work creates a sense of tension that runs throughout the entire movie. Really good film. Synopsis: Anne hasn't been the same since the jump. While skydiving for her best friend Sarah's bachelorette party, the 27-year-old felt focused, free, above it all. Back on the ground, the pressures of her daily life threaten to overwhelm her.
Last Summer (2023). A taboo-kind of film but I watched because of the director being the same as Fat Girl (that I loved). Now, this film is uncomfortable, and stressful, but it also touches on some very raw aspects of the human condition and relationships. Definitely not for everyone, but I thought it was great and loved the ending. Synopsis: One summer, a French teenager who has been living with his mother in the city moves in with his estranged father’s family in the countryside, where he clashes with his stepmother.
If you liked this you may also enjoy some content I have up on my YT Channel! I don’t hang around social media a lot, but when I do I’m on IG or Twitter. You can also check out some of my online classes, listen to my music, or in case you haven’t already, subscribe to my weekly newsletter. Thank you for reading!
Tiago es tremendo. That bit about getting a read/watch later app really saved me when I was drowning on "consume" tasks.
Creo que se esta mudando a Mexico pronto. Seria cool que le escribieras y se inventaran un collab!