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Quantity is the goddamn engine that drives quality.

Michelangelo wasn’t born with the gift of perfect carving…

No. He learned to do that. He cut, he hacked, he made sloppy, half baked messes until…

…until he started making something worth looking at.

I love answering questions about the craft of writing and pretty much everything in the creative world and yet the best thing you can do to improve is to keep cranking out work.

I write a massive quantity of these types of emails. Sometimes they’re straight to the point or veer off on tangents or have a direct response cut to the bone style or even just random musings and ideas that come out of nowhere.

But the aim is also to be light hearted, not too serious, entertaining and at the minimum, give you something to ponder about.

And I get it.

Sometimes we end up sitting there, staring at a blank page, or canvas, or whatever, and we wait for the perfect idea. The perfect sentence. The perfect anything. Well, guess what?

Perfect is a myth. Perfect is a lie. Perfect is the reason you haven’t written, painted, coded, or created anything in weeks.

And the self help guru folk and coaches don’t want to tell you things like:

You don’t get good by thinking. You get good by doing.

You don’t improve by planning. You improve by shipping. Get that thing shipped out to the world and then repeat.

You don’t learn by theorising. You learn by failing fast and over and over and over again…

The more you create, the better you’ll get.

It’s math. It’s numbers. It’s volume.

Think about it like this from a gym analogy:

Every word you write is a punch you throw.

Every brushstroke is a rep in the gym.

Every line of code is a step on the treadmill.

You don’t get stronger by sitting on the couch thinking about lifting weights. You get stronger by lifting. And yeah, sure, some of what you make will be garbage. Most of it, even. But here’s the thing…

Garbage is fertile ground.

You can’t grow a garden without getting your hands dirty. You can’t make a masterpiece without first making a mess.

So stop waiting for the perfect idea. Stop chasing the perfect sentence. Stop worrying about what people will think.

Just… create.

So go.

Make something.

Make a lot of things.

Make so many things that you start to forget what’s good and what’s bad.

And then…

Then you’ll find your voice.

Then you’ll find your style.

Then you’ll start making things that matter.

But only if you start.

Stephen Walker

https://stphnwlkr.com/theleague

P.S. If you’re still not convinced, here’s a bonus “secret”

The only difference between you and the people you admire is volume.

They’ve just made more stuff than you have.

So go.

Catch up.

If you’re not diggin’ these tasty little emails anymore you can hit the unsubscribe button right here >>> unsubscribe

Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom

but I’m considered a genius cause I always look at the smarter folks and apply what they share in my life.

It doesn’t always work out. Sometimes it backfires like shit and well, you gotta roll with what happens.

Well. I was asked today by a long time subscriber of my shenanigans:

“How do you keep going when things just feel stuck?”

Now I’m no guru or life coach or whatever but the dudes miles smarter than me have always said something along the lines of; “No matter what happens to you in life. It’s your fault. Good, bad or whatever. The only person you should blame is yourself.”

It’s not the type of message that does well. Especially with the way the internet has been shaped over the last few years.

If you start talking about putting all the blame on yourself and accepting everything as your own responsibility, especially if you’ve got a penis between your legs. You’ll get the whole “That’s such toxic masculinity!!!” crowd pouncing on you and trying to drag you under whatever metaphorical bus will make them happy.

It’s a bitter pill to swallow but it works and to a varying degree, especially if you’re reading this right now…

You have the privilege to do so. Does it sound arrogant? Of course it does, but it’s true.

You and I have the ability to open our phones and have access to almost everything we need to live a life of comfort and our own success. (Putting the work in is a whole different kettle of fish)

So if you’re feeling stuck or even if things are kicking ass. It’s all your fault.

You can either mope around and be mad or you can be grateful that you have the opportunity to be awesome.

Adopting this frame of mind is also one way to overcome some of the harder things in life that the world will inevitably throw your way.

We just need to keep on going.

We’re the only ones who are able to put our own oxygen masks on after all…

Stephen Walker

https://stphnwlkr.com/theleague

If you’re not diggin’ these tasty little emails anymore you can hit the unsubscribe button right here >>> unsubscribe

Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom

“Originality is not something you invent so much as it is an utterance through you by your origins.” – Toko-pa Turner

I’m reading a beautiful book right now called The Dreaming Way, by Toko-pa Turner.

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And I’m reading it old school:

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Not by asking ChatGPT to summarize it, extract the bones and feed them to me in a single, raw gulp.

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But slowly. Deliberately. One word at a time.

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Retracing sentences, paragraphs, pages, and sometimes entire chapters.

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Stopping, thinking, considering what I’m reading.

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Feeling through the words to the deeper energy they carry, and allowing that energy to saturate my mind until the message becomes an experienced reality.

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​Books like this don’t come along often.

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Once or twice a year, maybe. Sometimes less.

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And when they do come along, they leave bookmarks in the timeline of our lives:

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Noting the shifting of a paradigm, when we leave an old version of our worldview behind and step into a greater one.

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​These books don’t simply offer knowledge, they offer an experience that transcends knowledge.

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An experience that, if we let it, can transform us permanently.

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To speed-read a book like this would be like blending a Michelin Star meal into a smoothie to swallow it faster. Sacrilege.

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But this is a possibility AI has opened, for us:

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Rapid ingestion of information unlike anything humanity has ever known, where limitless knowledge can be mainlined into our mind with the click of a few buttons…

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​…Inspiring us to move faster and consume more while thinking little and experiencing less.

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It’s not bad and it’s not good, it’s a tool that unlocks potential, and potential swings both ways.

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What you use it for and how you use it makes all the difference.

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But if you want my advice:

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​Be careful what you use it for.

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While AI can accelerate our learning, innovation and advancement, it often does so by stripping the soul from our experience.

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So, when you come across something truly beautiful:

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A book, a piece of art, a video, a talk that inspires you…

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Slow down.

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And then, slow down further.

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Take it in — all the way in.

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Give it time to work its way through your mind, into your heart and spirit where it can come alive.

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When it’s finished, you won’t be the same.

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Reverted zig to version v0.13.0 to facilitate recompilation.

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info(gtk): GTK version build=4.14.2 runtime=4.14.2
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info(config): default shell source=env value=/usr/bin/zsh
warning(gtk): configuration error: cli:1:version: invalid field
warning(gtk): CLI errors detected, exiting

I love Twitter. Every time I open the app or the site. I see someone crying about Elon Musk and Tesla and they are telling people to stick it to “them” by destroying those weird ass looking cars.

And if you’re reading this and you’re one of those “If I could key a Tesla I would!” weirdos. This message is for you…

You’re not a revolutionary. You’re a vandal with a saviour complex. But guess what? There’s a better way to fight the good fight.

A way that doesn’t involve committing misdemeanors or making Chad from accounting cry over his scratched Model 3.

It’s called sending daily emails…

Why Daily Emails Are the Activism You’ve Been Missing

They’re Legal (duh)

Unlike keying a Tesla, sending emails won’t get you arrested. Unless you’re spamming people with dick pics. Don’t do that.

They’re Fun and Effective

Want to fight fascism? Start a newsletter. Want to combat climate change? Write an email series. Want to stick it to Elon Musk? Build an audience and tell them why he sucks.

They’re Actually Helpful

Keying a Tesla just pisses people off. Sending emails? That can inspire, educate, and mobilise. It’s activism without the collateral damage.

They’re Not Dumb

Let’s face it. Keying a Tesla is the intellectual equivalent of eating glue. Sending emails? That’s strategic. That’s smart. That’s how you actually make a difference.

How to Get Started with Daily Emails (and Stop Being a Dumbass)

Pick a Cause

What do you care about? Climate change? Social justice? Exposing Elon Musk’s questionable life choices? Choose your battle.

Build Your List

Start with your friends, your family, and that one guy from high school who still owes you $20. Grow it from there.

Write Like You Give a Damn

No fluff. No filler. Just raw, unfiltered truth. Tell stories. Make people laugh. Make them think. Make them act.

Hit Send (That’s the hard part)

Every. Single. Day. Consistency is key. You want to change the world? Show up.

What You’re Doing Now:

Keying Teslas.

Being a petty vandal.

Accomplishing exactly nothing.

What You Could Be Doing:

Building an audience.

Spreading your message.

Actually making a difference.

If you’re serious about fighting the good fight, it’s time to put the keys down and pick up your keyboard.

You’re an artist after all.

Stephen Walker

https://stphnwlkr.com/theleague

P.S. If you’re still thinking about keying a Tesla, just… don’t. Send an email instead. Your future self will thank you.

If you’re not diggin’ these tasty little emails anymore you can hit the unsubscribe button right here >>> unsubscribe

Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom

The Backsliding Series: Part 1
​(remixed from November, 2023)

“Leaps forward are often preceded by desperate, regressive steps backward.” – Don Beck & Christopher Cohen, Spiral Dynamics

The big trick in the game of inner development is mastering the part of you that doesn’t want to develop.
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This is critical, so stick with me:
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Have you ever noticed that whenever you make a big leap forwards…

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When you break through to a new level of performance
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When you sink into a consistent rhythm of discipline
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When more of your natural personality begins to open up
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When the work you've been doing actually starts to show real-world results
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…Basically, when what you’ve wanted for so long finally begins to happen…
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​…There’s almost always a strange, insidious little urge to backslide?​
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To take your foot off the gas and either slow down, stop, or fall into reverse?
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(really, hit reply and let me know if you’ve noticed this)
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Maybe you take a day or two off…
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Eat some not-so-healthy food…
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Tumble down the social media / video game / television rabbit hole…
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Slack on your habits…
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​…And generally just muck up the good work you’ve been doing.​
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Because hey, you’ve been doing good work.
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You’ve earned a bit of a muck-around.
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But then your day or two off turns into a week or two, and that big leap forwards shrinks to nothing more than a small step.
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It feels a bit like spending a cash windfall at the casino:
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It’s sort of fun (but also kind of hollow), and you leave wondering why on earth you let yourself lose all that capital.
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And so it goes:
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Grind, grind, grind, big leap forwards, backslide, regret, start grinding again…
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​Never quite making the continuous forward progress you know is needed to bring your vision to life.​
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Yeah, it sucks.
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But there’s also a very good reason for it.
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This weird little urge to backslide serves a critical purpose.
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And understanding that purpose is the key to finally making your temporary transformations become permanent.
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More on that tomorrow…
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  ​P.S. In related news, here’s:
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  ​Why You’re Working Hard But Getting Nowhere​

The Backsliding Series was first published in November, 2023.
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It was a huge hit, but many of our subscribers never got a chance to read it. So this week, we’re remixing and revisiting it with fresh eyes. Enjoy 🙂

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​Unsubscribe | Update your profile | 5-420 Erb St. W, Suite 433, Waterloo, ON N2L6K6

I’m on a live call with someone I respect in the coaching world.

Now I’m no coach at all, but having a coach in my corner changed my life.

The one thing I love about this live is the fact that the is exposing the whole coaching industry for what it is.

Complexity and the never ending circle of getting course after course without even starting is slowly getting dismantled. The thing is. You don’t need course after course or unlimited credentials to change your life or circumstances.

So when you sit down and look around. Every industry is slowly collapsing and going back to a simplistic model.

I’ve said it for years and now it’s all coming true.

The fancy shit is dying and simplicity is becoming the next cool thing.

And I’ve preached it for years…

Find a thing you love to do or an industry that has a problem.

Find the solution.

Create a 1 page website that offers some help or an entry level price for that solution.

Collect their email and then email them cool shit around that too with an offer here and there.

That is it and I can see every single market and industry shifting from the bloated complexity to simple and easy.

So whether you’re a coach, consultant or an artist of any sort. You need to dig deep and figure out how to offer your thing as simply as possible. Deliver it and give them a great experience.

That is all. Definitely not super sexy. It’s fairly boring on paper.

Now get to it.

Stephen Walker

https://stphnwlkr.com/theleague

If you’re not diggin’ these tasty little emails anymore you can hit the unsubscribe button right here >>> unsubscribe

Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom

Platforms are killing themselves.

Which is great news for us old fashioned creatives.

I’m sure you all remember how cool MySpace was.

We could make our page our own. Code it all pretty and even have our favourite tunes playing when someone viewed our page.

And even though Tom did what anyone in that position would have done, which was sold it on for a massive payday and then live out his days pursuing his art which is photography.

But the downside to selling MySpace was that the investors who took it over decide we want to modernise it and add new features which nobody asked for and that’s when they started alienating their audiences.

Things became clunky and slow and the control you had was slowly carved away from you.

We moved on to other platforms like Facebook and Twitter as they started to crop up and they gave us what we were looking for. The freedom to do what we want and again, make that place our own.

Although as you can tell. The bigger and more popular those places got. The tighter the restrictions became and so we moved on to other platforms that gave us that some thing.

It’s a never ending cycle of freedom followed by restriction and you can see it happening again…

More features. More bloat. New platforms come out of the woodwork. Existing platforms start to copy one another and then they inevitably dial it back yet again. So you’re stuck chasing that same feeling again.

But you know what has stayed pretty much the same since the 1990s?

Email. Good old fashioned plain text email. There’s nothing super sexy about it. But if done right, you can make it stay fresh for decades.

And so this is just another reason start building your list and emailing your friends, fans and customers interesting stuff every day.

If you stay consistent and show up even when you don’t want to. They’ll stick around forever.

Platforms come, change and go but email lasts forever.

So get building and get writing, cause it’ll make you a better creative overall…

Stephen Walker

https://stphnwlkr.com/theleague

If you’re not diggin’ these tasty little emails anymore you can hit the unsubscribe button right here >>> unsubscribe

Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom

It’s no secret that I love email and respect the dudes who pioneered the way we do things today.

So I’m giving a little love to Matt Furey

He is without a doubt. The Grand Poobah of email marketing.

I got his email training years ago and decided to revise it again and just as I was digging through it he also dropped a banger of an email into my inbox like some weird woo-woo-email-synchronicity.

He doesn’t email as much as he did in the late 90s and early 2000s but he’s still around.

But this was what he sent me today and I would highly recommend getting on his list if you’re wanting to learn some great fitness, health and marketing nuggets from the man himself.

Here goes:

Subject: Gold Moon Rising

Yesterday gold hit a new all-time high, and early this morning the moon was bloody orange.



Coincidence?



YESSS-UH!



Anyway, I was out and about at 2 AM, taking in the sights above as my feet were planted on terra firma.



As I gazed upward I noted the cool spring Florida breeze. Owls hooted, deer grazed, rabbits and armadillos prowled and dogs howled as I observed this moment.



I thought about all the people who will not see or experience such wonders because they have an inflexible routine.



Emerson wrote, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."



He was partly correct.



Being consistent with a daily routine works, at least, it works until you need a breakthrough. That's when you can benefit from changing things up a bit - or in some cases, a LOT.



A friend of mine, John, once said, "Consistency kills," in reference to how he became a champion collegiate track star. I looked at his big gut and smiled, "Indeed, it does. You haven't worked out in years."



He laughed.



A few days later John told me that he changed up his routine. He was back on track. He was going to get lean 'n mean again.



I asked him what he was doing. He told me he was gradually working up to the same routine he followed in college.



"That was 30 years and 75 pounds ago," I said. "That was before your knees went gimpy and your back and belly began to bulge."



"Well what do you suggest then, Mister Furey?"



"You can call me Master Furey, or Guru Furey, if you want an answer," I joked.



"Alright, Master Furey, what shall I do?"



"Well, being you need to rehab your knees and improve the health of your back and hips, I encourage you to practice Dao Zou every night, and the later the better. This practice will begin to unwind your mind and body. It will remove the knots and strengthen the weak links."



"Isn't Dao Zou that backwards walking regimen you created?" John asked.



"It's more than backwards, my friend. Anyone can turn around and move backwards, but that's low level training. It's more about HOW you move and how you breathe in reverse. There are a lot of different patterns I cover."



"Well, give me some suggestions. I'm all ears."



I proceeded to show John several different walking patterns and he followed my lead as best he could. Within a few minutes he was amazed, especially after he tapped various pressure points and energy centers while moving in reverse.



"This is unbelievable," he said. "I can really feel this in my glutes and my hips. Any my energy is off the charts."



"You ain't seen nuthin' yet. Wait till you go to sleep and you start having incredibly vivid dreams, and wait till you start recalling things from long, long ago, that you couldn't possibly remember.



I then showed John how the backwards routine in Dao Zou eventually leads to running and, if you dare, swimming (and writing) in reverse



"Ya know, back in the day when men weren't filled with estrogen, a fighter by the name of Gene Tunney knocked the holy hell out of Jack Dempsey in the heavyweight division, winning himself a world title. Tunney was in the most phenomenal shape of any heavyweight fighter ever seen before. And do you want to know what his secret was?"



"I think you just showed it to me."



"Part of it," I replied. "Just a part of it."



I told John to get started with the easy stuff I showed him, then added, "If you are consistent with it for a month, I'll show you more."



"I'm on it," John smiled. "Consistency kills, remember."



"Indeed. And so does inconsistency."



Don't be a fool stuck in the same ole - same ole routine. Change it up here and there. A bit of inconsistency leads to breakthroughs unimagined in daylight hours.



Matt Furey



P.S. If you're chomping at the bit for a change of pace, mentally and physically, go get my Dao Zou course NOW. It will shift your life into overdrive!

As you can see. Matt has such a fun style of writing too. I'm always loving what he puts out.

Stephen Walker

P.S. There's been some activity outside now that it's warming up...

If you’re not diggin’ these tasty little emails anymore you can hit the unsubscribe button right here >>> unsubscribe

Stephen Walker
Unit 146317
PO Box 7169
Poole
BH15 9EL
United Kingdom