Three Keys, One Lock

Tuesday Musings Vol. 2 | No. 28

Aug 20, 2024

If there's a consistent these through these musings, it's that profound creative inspiration can come from simple, unexpected places ... if you are open to look for it.

I felt that way yesterday when I got an email from Megan Jackson from One Peak Creative. Her newsletter described an exercise she does weekly called Rose Thorn Bud. The image she used, that I am sharing above, reminded me of a Tarot spread (more on that later). The exercise is simple: at the start of a week (Tuesday works really well), write down three things:

A recent success to celebrate.
A challenge you have faced.
An opportunity or potential for growth.

At The Refinery, we have a culture of celebrating wins — which can sometimes feel a little icky if we're in a challenging period. But isn't that really the BEST time to celebrate a win, even a little win? I like that this exercise doesn't stop there, and forces you to face the challenges of the moment, as well as find your solution to reaching the next step.

I'm going to give you mine for the week. Then (ahem) it's your turn.

Rose: My team is finishing delivery of a huge Digital Out-of-Home campaign for Disney.
Thorn: A trailer we're very proud of, and that our client loved, hit a snag with upper-level execs.
Bud: Make a commitment to watch and rewatch source material for more engaged collaboration.

Easy ... but maybe not as easy as I had hoped. That's because success here requires building up this kind of thinking as a discipline. So if it's not easy for you, don't give up after your first week. And seriously, share what you write with me! I promise a reply.

Finally, an advanced musing: Could this exercise be used as a Tarot spread? Let's see!

Rose: Too many irons in the fire can seem like a burden, but all of those projects each have a success, no matter how small.
Thorn: Project milestones are the perfect time to refocus on the end goal. Try a mini-post-mortem before the project ends (I know that’s not what post mortem means).
Bud: Be open to help from the outside, even if you think you've already got the answer.

love,

jpp

Cool Stuff

Nick Cave is a perennial favorite of mine. This interview with Stephen Colbert is profound and inspiring — truly incredible and worth every bit of the 23-minute run time.

Hey, blue supermoon last night — although I hear it will be blue and maybe also super through tomorrow — but if you are really looking for some magic in the sky, does it get any better than the Perseids raining down across the Milky Way over Stonehenge? One of NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Days by Josh Dury.