Lost in the Sawdust

Letter Zero 16

Dear friend,

I’ve always wanted one of those beautiful Samurai swords to hang on my wall. It’s one of those dumb ideas I can’t shake. It reminds me a conversation I had with my friend Chadd years ago...

"Steel sharpens steel," I said, struggling to find the silver lining of a recent setback. 

Chadd wasn't buying it. 

He replied, "It really doesn't matter how sharp your blade is if you're blinded by all the sawdust in the air." 

He has a knack for taking a truism and flipping it in on itself, exposing it as an empty platitude, then refilling the void with ideas that can recalibrate your brain.

Most self-improvement takes the form of blade sharpening. You see a dull edge, take a class, and add a bullet point to your resume. You polish that blade, perfect it, and imagine yourself as a Samurai. Then you step out into the woodworking shop where a sword is not just embarrassingly impractical, it is dangerous. You trip on your sword, a confused warrior lost in the sawdust.

On the other hand, you can develop a system that adapts as circumstances change. That’s the practical definition of creativity. Sure, you won’t be able to display that pristine, beautiful blade on your wall, but when the sawdust is flying, you will thrive. You can confidently step into the maelstrom with gloves, goggles, glue, inexhaustible energy, and a toolbox full of ugly tools that get the job done.

I’ll write again next Sunday. Stay creative.

Your friend, 
Adrian