Becoming, Not Rushing

☀️ The Joy of Just Starting

There’s something quietly beautiful about being in between comfort zones and new challenges - that soft, uncertain space where growth happens.

Not quite at the beginning, not quite at the finish line. Just… in that early stage where things are forming, messy, full of hope and momentum.

Right now, I’m in that place with two projects: Lifetoon, which is inching toward launch, and Curiosity Saved the Cat, which is slowly becoming a ritual (we’re 30 curious people here already - the size of a classroom!). This is only the second edition, but it feels like something real is unfolding.

In the past, I used to rush through this part. Racing toward KPIs, sprinting toward launch, eager to prove something finished. But now I’m trying something else: actually enjoying the beginning. Appreciating the in-between. Letting the process be the point.

Because maybe the reason we burn out or lose joy in our work isn’t the work itself. Maybe it’s how quickly we try to skip through the part that feels slow, uncertain, or unimpressive from the outside.

So this week’s theme is a gentle reminder: the in-between isn’t empty. It’s becoming.

And that, too, is worth celebrating.
Let’s keep our curiosity alive - wherever we are on the path.

📖 3 Articles to Spark Your Curiosity

1. The Ultimate Productivity Hack is Saying No. Saying yes is easy. Saying no? That’s where focus, clarity, and real progress live. A powerful reminder that boundaries aren’t limitations - they’re direction.

2. Was Apple’s “1984” Really the Greatest Ad of All Time? We love to romanticize iconic campaigns - but what happens when we take a closer, more critical look? This piece questions the legacy of “1984” and asks: was it brand genius or just good timing?

3. Save Your Brain: A Digital Survival Guide. Our brains weren’t built for 100 tabs and constant notifications. This quick read offers research-backed, humane strategies for navigating the digital chaos without burnout.

🗞️ 3 Headlines From This Week

1. A village saved its phone booth by making more calls. In a small UK town, residents launched a grassroots campaign to keep their red phone box alive - by simply using it more. A charming reminder that even outdated things can still be lifelines.

2. Coca-Cola’s new vending machine runs on hydrogen - no outlet needed. The future of fizzy drinks is here: clean, portable, and surprisingly off-grid. This hydrogen-powered vending machine might be a small step, but it’s a curious one.

3. What happens if you do one kind thing a day? Rewind and be kind: this article explores what shifts when we actively practice small acts of kindness, every day. (Spoiler: it doesn’t just help others.)

☀️ 3 Actions to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

1. Leave a Post-it note somewhere public: Write a small message - kind, weird, or just a random thought - and leave it on a mirror, a bench, or a bathroom wall. You never know who might need it.

2. Swap your go-to drink: Coffee loyalist? Try tea. Tea loyalist? Maybe a chai or even hot chocolate. It’s a small switch, but it wakes up your senses in a subtle way. 

3. Write a letter to your future self. Capture who you are right now - the questions you’re asking, what you’re excited about, what you’re still figuring out.

   • You can even schedule it to be emailed back to you on futureme.org. It’s like a little time capsule from curious-you-now to future-you-then.

⚡ 6 Quick Resources

🎥 To watch: The Art of the Renaissance Beyond Florence - This mini art journey with Rick Steves takes you through the spread of Renaissance creativity across Spain, Portugal, Germany, and Belgium. Engravings, altarpieces, Bosch’s strange visions… it’s a beautifully curious ride through Europe’s artistic revolution.

🎧 To listen: What You Miss When You Focus on the Average - A TED Talk by Sharon Zicherman that breaks down why averages can mislead us, especially in life-defining moments, and offers a smarter way to assess risk, choices, and possibility.

📖 To read: The Benefits of Boredom - Boredom isn’t a bug, but a feature. This short read explores how moments of nothingness can actually boost creativity, clarity, and emotional resilience.

🛠️ To explore: The curious history of the London Tube Map - A deep dive into one of the most iconic (and oddly controversial) design systems.

📚 To learn: OpenAI Academy - Free lessons and walkthroughs on prompts, use cases, and tools you can start applying today.

🎨 To plan: 10 reasons to visit Spain in 2025 - From new hiking trails to cultural moments worth booking a flight for.

🎲 This week’s wonderfully random corner of the internet 

📦 The Useless Web – theuselessweb.com
Ever felt the urge to click a big pink button that leads you to… well, somewhere absolutely random and ridiculous? This is it.

From screaming goats to endless potato-throwing simulations, it's the internet in its purest form: pointless, joyful, and full of delightful surprises.

🌀 Warning: May cause giggles, raised eyebrows, and unexpected five-minute breaks.

📝 Word of the Week

Liminal (adj.) - Occupying a space at or on both sides of a boundary or threshold.

It’s that in-between moment - not where you were, not yet where you’re going. It can feel uncertain, but it’s often where growth quietly begins.

🧘‍♀️ Question of the Week for Introspection

What “in-between” season am I in right now?

And what would it look like to honour the pause, instead of rushing through it?

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

Your curious internet friend,

Ruxandra