Blog
Essays and comics on creativity, self-awareness, and playful productivity. Subscribe to my email newsletter or RSS feed for more.
⭐️ Peeling the Onion
Discovering ourselves through writing, one layer at a time. If what I’m writing now is just the outer layers, what lies hidden beneath?
⭐️ The Polymath Playbook
You've likely heard the saying: 'A jack of all trades is a master of none.' But the extended version tells a different tale: 'A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.' Society forces us to be specialists, but there is great power in embracing multiple pur...Repetition as Ritual
When we give ourselves permission to revisit the books and experiences we love, we unlock the power of ritual.Finding The Words
Last weekend, I attended a meditation retreat. After an hour of sitting, a loud thump broke the silence. A man had just collapsed onto the floor. At first I thought he just fell asleep. Then he began...The Feeling
I’m working on a fable about a fish. I’ve probably rewritten it ten times by now. At first I felt frustrated by this endless cycle of iteration. But then I remembered: This is how it goes. This is th...
Finish It
Procrastination is often perfectionism in disguise. And perfectionism is a misguided attempt to secure an impossible guarantee. Liberate yourself by letting it go.Keeping the Creative Faith
The power of a creative lies in their sustained belief that something is worth making, even if they can’t predict its outcome.
Reviving My Childhood Artist
How I learned to love drawing again by embracing playfulness. Ultimately, it was the practice of sharing, not studying, that kept me drawing.
Bumps Are the Road
What if we looked at life not as a mission to avoid the bumps, but a challenge to embrace them? In the end, we may look back and realize those weren’t bumps on the road—the bumps are the road.Creative Leftovers
Stop while the going is good. Leave a note on what comes next. Your future self will thank you.
Don't Wait for Motivation, Act for Momentum
Waiting for motivation is a losing game. Start with a tiny task, then ride its momentum.Where Does It Lead?
Forget about about failure. Instead ask yourself, “What if I succeed?” What if you succeeded on the path you dream about? Is that really the life you want?
Rewards of Routine
Chaos is alluring, but routine is rewarding. As much as I like the idea of being loose with my schedule, too much freedom leaves me feeling overwhelmed and uninspired. Routine allows me to channel my ...
Write It While It's Hot
Ideas are like candles. We must make the most of their light while it lasts. If you abandon an idea too early, it leaves the idea in a vulnerable state. What you return to might be unrecognizable.
Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time
Sometimes we feel exhausted after just ten minutes of work. Other times, we get immersed in work for hours. Instead of planning our lives with time, we must learn to notice and manage our energy.Showing Up
We talk ourselves out of creating, because we think it's too intimidating. But if we ask ourselves to take just one step, the mountain becomes manageable. A small step becomes a giant leap.
Low Stakes, Strong Takes
Crippled by fear of public scrutiny, writers avoid what they really want to say. But there’s a middle ground to be found: Lower the stakes with semi-public sharing, and liberate your strong takes.
How to Ask for Feedback
Great feedback is a gift, but most feedback isn't great. By clarifying our needs when asking for feedback, we can dramatically improve the effectiveness of the feedback we get, and protect our peace.A Plea to Publish
Share your words. Sing your song. In a world of information overload, we need your signal to survive the noise.
Listen to Yourself
We process external signals immediately, but fail to notice the internal signals that come from within. Our intuition can guide us to better understand how we experience the world, and more importantl...
Save Your Breath
If you spend all your energy thinking about doing, you’ll have no energy left to actually do anything.
Magic of Boredom
Building a Tiny Tool Changed My Life
Status Police
Your life is yours to live. Don’t let others live it for you.
Versioning Myself
After a phase of burnout, I took a sabbatical. It led to an awakening of sorts, both intellectually and spiritually. Friends called me ‘Salman 2.0’. I wondered: What will 'Salman 3.0' be like?
Friends Over Followers
I just reached 2,000 followers on Twitter, and I felt nothing. There’s a strange emptiness in reaching a milestone you expected to matter, only to find that it doesn’t. Eventually, I realized: The suc...
Stop Waiting for the Ripe Idea
With every moment that passes, the ready ones grow stale.
Missing the Trees for the Forest
When we notice a bird, behold it, remember it… we give it meaning.
Last Minute Circus
The chaotic thrill of procrastination
The Body Knows When It's Alone
My body becomes my ally in the battle against loneliness.
Bout with Burnout
After struggling with burnout and taking a sabbatical, I learned to embrace my inner questions.
The Burden of Expectation
We are human — imperfect by nature. Yet we still expect perfection from our creations.
A Life Cut Short
The skies were orange. The air was ashy. Late at night, this poem came to me.
Once a New Yorker
New York is a city that thrives on density. In the wake of a global pandemic, its greatest strength has become its noose. COVID has set its foundation on fire. I'm grieving for New York's present. I'm...
The Art of Persuasion
How to use Aristotle's three appeals of persuasion to ensure our message is clear, well-grounded, and resonates with our audience.
Embracing Uncertainty
As I struggled to cope with life during a pandemic, I sought to restore stability in my life. But some things are just out of our control. I share some of the most impactful learnings I've had around ...
The Power of Feedback
Feedback has the power to inspire and energize us. But it can also lead us astray. We must handle feedback with care, and learn to look to our own instincts for guidance.
Why Bother?
Lessons from Liz Gilbert on the power of sharing your creativity, and the fruits of learning in public.
The Resonance of Writing
What makes a book resonate? Beyond the typical factors (genre, author, etc.), I believe a major factor that is often ignored is timing. You need to be in a place in your life where you are ready to ...
Lights in the Tunnel
Finding the silver lining in the horror of this pandemic.
Return of the GIF
How the GIF became the technological comeback kid.
Principles
I just left my full-time job, and will be spending the majority of my time on creative projects. In this post, I share the five key principles that motivated my decision, and why I'm doubling down on ...
Overcoming Negativity
When a negative thought penetrates our mind, it can linger for days, weeks or more. Why does negativity hold so much power? How can we overcome it?
Altering Your Reality
So many hours of our lives are wasted worrying about what other people think. Even with the power of meditation, I still got caught in these worry cycles. Finally, I found answers in a book called 'Th...
American Traffic Crisis: The Cost of Cars
What do guns and cars have in common? They're both privileges that are available to each and every American who can afford one. They’re also tools of murder. Every year, for the past three years, more...
The Mountain of Transition
I’ve worn a lot of different hats over the years — engineer, manager, teacher, founder, coach, and others in between. Switching roles can be overwhelming, challenging, and even depressing at times. Bu...
