#10: Reimagining the Ordinary

☀️ When You Disconnect, Things Click

Recently, I spent a full day without my phone. No screen in my palm. No pings, no taps, no “quick checks.” 

And I’ll be honest… it felt strange. I kept reaching for it without thinking, noticing just how tightly it’s woven into my reflexes. But by the end of the day, something shifted. My mind felt roomier. I actually finished thoughts instead of hopping between them. I noticed more, lingered longer, and listened better.

So, the LinkedIn gurus are right: disconnection isn’t a pause from life, it’s a way back into it. And my parents were right: the problem’s the damn phone. 

That’s the lens I’m looking through this week. Whether it’s young people dreaming of an internet-less world, design principles like the 70/30 rule encouraging visual balance, or a pop icon like Kesha launching a creativity-first startup, the undercurrent is clear:

Sometimes, we need less noise to hear our own ideas again.

That’s why this edition celebrates space, contrast, and the curious things that emerge when we stop scrolling and start noticing.

📖 3 Articles to Spark Your Curiosity

1. Almost Half of Young People Would Prefer a World Without Internet
   This UK study might surprise you. In an age of hyperconnectivity, Gen Z isn’t always convinced it’s a good thing.

2. How to Drive Innovation Through Serendipity
   Sometimes, the best ideas come from unplanned collisions. This HBR article explores how to set the stage for chance creativity.

3. The 70/30 Rule in Interior Design
   Design harmony relies on contrast. This principle encourages you to go 70% familiar, 30% unexpected - in your home, and maybe in your life.

🗞️ 3 Headlines Worth Exploring

1. Stretchy Battery Moves Like Toothpaste

   A bizarre but breakthrough invention: this gooey battery might soon power hearing aids and pacemakers.

2. Kesha’s Startup “Smash” Blends Music and Tech
   After her legal battles, Kesha returns - this time as a founder! Her startup “Smash” aims to bring LinkedIn vibes into the music industry.

3. Penguin Poop Might Save the Antarctic
   Science at its best: penguin waste plays a role in preserving permafrost. Strange, but climate-hopeful.

☀️ 3 Actions to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

1. Spend 3 hours offline, mid-day
   Not before bed, or after waking up. That’s not enough. Pick a stretch of your active day, and let your brain reboot naturally.

2. Apply the 70/30 Rule to Your Week
   Dedicate 70% of your time to what’s expected, but make 30% about new textures, new topics, new energy.

3. Have a “Serendipity Hour”
   No agenda. Let curiosity lead you: explore Wikipedia links, read one random Substack, take a walk without music.

⚡ 6 Quick Resources

🎥 To watch: Best Miniseries Based on True Stories - Ranked
Sometimes, real life writes the best plots.

🪑 To think about: What is a Third Place (and Do You Have One)?
A beautiful reminder that home and work shouldn’t be your only two spaces.

🌍 To plan: Eastern Europe’s Best Budget City Breaks
Because travel inspiration hits hardest when it’s unexpected.

🏡 To admire: Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Toy Hill House”
A design gem in Frank Lloyd Wright’s visionary Usonia neighborhood (and a lesson in intentional living).

🃏 To make you go “does this job exist?“: Casino Cheating Expert Answers Questions
Dice, card counting, and Ocean’s Eleven myths - all unpacked by an actual casino pro.

🧩 To play: Morning Brew's “Turntable” Game
For the ones who want to train their mind while testing their English vocabulary.

🎲 This week’s wonderfully random corner of the internet 

🚀 Space Elevator

From Earth to orbit, scroll your way into space (+fun facts and mind-expanding distances).

📝 Word of the Week

Serendipity (noun) - The art of making fortunate discoveries by accident.

A reminder that not all creative sparks are planned, some just need room to arrive.

🧘‍♀️ Question of the Week for Introspection

When was the last time you stumbled on something inspiring not because you searched for it, but because you gave it space to find you?

See you next Sunday! Until then, keep your eyes open, your questions big, and your sense of wonder alive.

Your curious internet friend,

Ruxandra