Leo's Letter #35 // Adventure Time

Figuring things out on the other side of the country and preparing for what's next

Dec 28, 2020

Hey, it’s great to have you.

I’m back in suburban NJ - what a trip!

Now it’s time to wrap up some things to hit the ground running in the new year. I’m eager to put some plans into action.

Hope you are enjoying these last peaceful days of 2020.

In This Letter:

This is an issue of Leo’s Letter, where we share actionable ideas on content, commerce, and culture.

Essay - 5am in LA

I don’t have any profound realizations from waking up at 5am these past few weeks living in LA while working Eastern time.

But I do have lots of learnings from my first extended period working remotely while traveling, which made me realize: travel is not the only way to encounter new experiences nor the cure to problems.

1: You don’t need to be in a new space to have new experiences.

Serendipity comes when you put yourself in the position for it to happen. This means defining exactly what you want, seeking it out for yourself, and making your goals public so that opportunities come to you.

Content creation helps so much here in finding opportunities online. You can only talk to so many people individually about what you’re up to; with the internet, this expands to a global audience.

Attend an online event, host one yourself, or just read a book – they’ll take you places.

2: Travel is not a cure to your problems

While this may seem common knowledge, here’s an example that brings this home: think of when you put off a task by organizing your room, cleaning your house, or reading a book. Travel is similar.

Travel is NOT an excuse to avoid tackling what you need to do. Even if you’re spending your energy planning out where to go, getting to your destination, and seeing everything, where did you actually go? Did your mind travel as much as your body?

Sure, one can argue that sometimes all that’s needed is a change in environment, but it’s not that simple.

Read the full essay, including how LA is like during COVID, by clicking the link in the title.

Mapping the Creator Economy

Map and database of companies in the creator economy space created by Hugo Amsellem.

Hugo does a great job at breaking the companies down into six buckets, from creating content to managing a business.

The City with No Heart

Aaron Swartz describes the characters he meets and the places he sees visiting LA.

He cites all of the spots that stick out on the western part of Los Angeles - Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, stating "That is how I will remember LA: this beautiful strip of sunset."

But the city has so much more, especially in the ethnic enclaves including Westlake, Irvine, and the 626.

Until Next Time

Thanks for reading! Have any thoughts to share? Comment on the post!

Find me at leolu.info or on Twitter.

Bring a friend along for the ride: