July Brain Food: Respite from the Hustle
Sixteen days without a single work email, Slack ping, spreadsheet or conversation about conversion rates. My last two weeks have been fully unplugged from the world and 100% plugged into life. I put the hustle down, picked up a juicy book, turned off Instagram and text messages, and allowed myself to just live.
July’s Brain Food is dedicated to all of you hustlers out there who forget to (or feel guilty about) taking a break from the world.
The work will still be there when you get back BUT, your brain will feel clear. The cobwebs will be gone. You will feel more engaged, creative and able to handle hard things.
So, to celebrate that break you just scheduled in your calendar, make your favorite summer cocktail, unfurl your blanket in the park, let the sun penetrate your skin and give yourself a few minutes to delight in being present your life. 48 hours of unplugging is an order!
What’s Your “Song of Summer” 2024?
Pop is having a serious moment. Before you haters roll your eyes, note that the current lineup is not your run-of-the-mill teeny-bop songs generated by AI. No, these are tunes with soul, bite, flair and, dare I say… originality? Whether you are on team Sabrina, dance in the kitchen to Chappell Roan or prefer your pop with some techno flair a la Peggy Gou, there’s a little something for every road trip, park party, or patio night.
Meet the Brilliant Parisian Exiles
Paris during the early 20th century was a destination for independent American women who craved freedom and liberation from the restrictions imposed by “polite society”. On my “where to next list” is the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., which has curated a new exhibit of portraits to illuminate the histories of 60 convention-defying women including Berenice Abbott, Josephine Baker, Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein and more.
The exhibit and its corresponding book by the same name examine “the impact of race, class and sexuality on their experiences in” Paris. Can’t make it to D.C.? Buy the book and explore their world.
Slow The News Down
Print is back as more people choose to put their phones down in exchange for a slower pace of consuming information. I recently discovered Delayed Gratification, a Slow Journalism quarterly publication that provides more in-depth independent journalism to help you make sense of our rapidly changing world. The features are smart, well-researched and provide a unique lens towards the topics of the day.
The Myth of Making It
In 2021, Journalist and former Teen Vogue editor Samhita Mukhopadhyay wrote a seminal piece for The Cut: The Girlboss is Dead, Long Live the Girlboss, with a stinging capture of the downfall of the “hustle era” for professional women. Her new book The Myth of Making It, is a deeper dive into the conversation about the myth of success and a call to redefine and reimagine the world of work as we know it.
A New Face to Watch in the Olympics
You already know household names like Simone Biles and Sha’Carri Richardson, but there are lots of exceptionally talented women in less visible sports to watch in the upcoming Olympic games. Enter Janja Garnbret, who, in her 20s, is already considered the most successful woman competition climber of all time. She has won three European Championships, 10 World Cups, an Olympic gold medal and 8 World Championships. She returns to the Olympics this year to defend her gold medal status.
