NEWSLETTER 05: Rediscovering the Internet, Creativity, and the Grind

321 with some links on this Sunday evening.

The Internet Has Been Robbed

The internet used to feel like an endless treasure hunt. Remember Web Rings and StumbleUpon? Back then, it wasn’t all about algorithms or ads but about discovery. Last week, I stumbled upon George R.R. Martin’s LiveJournal blog. Yes, LiveJournal —a relic from the internet’s golden age. It reminded me of when the web was wild, weird, and full of surprises.

Now, it’s all streamlined into the same soulless feed. But here’s the thing—I’m determined to force it to serve *me*. I dig through the noise to find art, comics, action figures, philosophy, and tools for creating. It’s work, sure, but it’s worth it. Why? Because owning your mind matters. Being in public education, I see firsthand how systems try to dumb us down to the lowest common denominator. A middle schooler once asked me if Chicago was in North America, and I wondered where we were headed.

Here’s my point: You are in charge of your education.
Everything— the web, school, the system —is a tool, not a lifestyle. Use it. Don’t let it use you.

3 Things to Take Into Mind

 **1. Start Where You Are**
C.S. Lewis once said:

You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.

It’s never too late to pivot.

2. Louie CK’s Insight on Dreams vs. Doubts

This part of LOUIS CK’s newsletter

https://louisck.com/

  really got to me, and I think you should read it:

What made Adrienne’s performance at The Garden all the more compelling is the fact that she absolutely did not want to be there. I called her only a few days before the show and said, “Adrienne. I want you to open for me at The Garden." “Fuck you," she replied. “Adrienne. You’re going to be great,” I said. “You always are.”

“Louie!” She spat into her phone, her voice shaking “I don’t want this! I’m serious. Please don’t do this!” It was then that I realized I was making contact with a part of Adrienne, the juncture between her dreams and her doubts, the way-down-deep of who she really is and can’t help being.  Of course, she could have simply said no. But she really did want this opportunity. More than anything. Like every person who is born to do comedy, as Adrienne is, the need to do it and to connect your broken voice to the world presents as an ache inside. But so much of her life, her history, the reality of who makes it in comedy today and who doesn’t, was gusting, like a stiff wind, in the face of her desire. 

It is a terrible thing to have a dream and to believe that you are not worthy of it. It sets up a conflict, which inhabits Adrienne, and happens to be what makes her so funny and worth watching for the rest of us. Anyway, reluctant as she was, Adrienne did the show. And she knocked it out of the arena. 

Catch Adrienne Iapalucci: The Dark Queen on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/title/81900915

3. James Clear on Creativity
James Clear breaks down the creative process into five steps: -
Discover: Read. Observe. Notice. -
Collect: Record what strikes you. -
Generate: Brainstorm. -
Combine: Connect unrelated ideas. -
Refine: Edit relentlessly.
 This isn’t just advice; it’s a blueprint for making something extraordinary. Creativity is a process, not magic.

 2 Things I’m Obsessed With

1. Audiobook Narrators Shouldn’t Do Voices
Audiobooks are great fun when you have the time, but I always thought I was the only one who hated it when the narrator did voices for the characters. It sounded…retarded. It was as if I was being told a bedtime story. Still, I was listening to the novel about Doctor Moreaus's family inheriting his island, and I didn’t want to hear about a little girl sexual’s sexual awakening from some dude.
I thought I was alone in hating when narrators "act out" voices in audiobooks, but this article nails it.

2. Glitches in Reality
If you ever feel paranoid about the universe, welcome to the club.
The "Glitch in the Matrix" subreddit contains eerie stories that make you question reality. Lately, I’ve wondered if I’m losing my mind or if the reality we’re programmed to trust is running out of RAM. I fell into a rabbit hole of stories about everyday objects—lighters, remotes, sketchbooks—that vanish, only to reappear in places you’ve searched a million times. It’s not grand enough to scream “paranormal,” but it’s eerie. These small, insignificant things shouldn’t feel so uncanny, yet they do. The absurdity of it all nags at you, leaving you questioning whether it’s forgetfulness, a glitch in the matrix, or something stranger altogether. I've found myself reciting "Tony Tony, come around, something lost must be found" more than once now.

1 Thing I’m Proud Of

FWACATA #2 is Live!
The second issue of FWACATA is out on GlobalComix, and people are digging it. My dream is to make comics full-time. I’m not there yet, but every bit of support gets me closer. I'm soon to be on Drivethrucomics, too.    

This week, I’m diving into sketches for Manslaughter (still happening!) and prepping FWACATA #3.

Plus, my sketch cards are hitting eBay! Who'd a thunk?

Be tired for the right reasons. Squeeze the juice out of life. And if you’re reading this, thank you for keeping me going. Let’s do something extraordinary together.

BE GOOD, Juan