If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it's not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That's why it's your path.
The past five years have been transformative as I transitioned from a full-time employee to an independent contractor and solo founder.
During a podcast interview with Pieter Levels, we highlighted the disparity in representation among male and female indiepreneur. In light of this imbalance, we emphasised the importance of having a role model or referencing other people’s stories on our journey of making and building. As a female indiepreneur, I recognise the scarcity of female-led stories in this space and wish to share my experiences and insights to inspire and support others on their own path of creating.
Unlike many tech-savvy indiepreneurs, I was trained in marketing and communications. My journey began as a part-time journalist in New Zealand, where I later accepted a full-time role as a social media specialist with a large corporation. I then transitioned to the finance industry, focusing on content creation, public relations, and community management.
Being a non-native English speaker living in an English-speaking country, I pushed myself to put in extreme working hours (12-14 hours a day) to prove myself and navigate the corporate world. This led to financial rewards and peer validation, which further fueled my desire for external recognition. However, this drive for validation ultimately led to a cycle of addiction, in which I constantly strive for external validation without being aware of it.
After two years of a workaholic lifestyle, my body gave me a warning in the form of severe eczema. My doctor warned me that if I didn't stop working constantly and take rest, it could be fatal.
I was frightened and quit my job immediately. I took a gap year, travelling around the U.S. and China, and used my savings to indulge in material pleasures. However, these temporary comforts did not bring me any long-term fulfilment. After six months of travelling and trying to enjoy life without any real work, I ran out of money and fell into depression. While staying with my parents, my former manager contacted me with a job offer at a prestigious bank. I accepted it immediately and saw it as a lifeline in my struggles. But returning to a corporate environment did not save me. I was grateful for the opportunity, but it ultimately led to further struggles, as I turned to alcohol and partying to find happiness and began to have panic attacks.
It was then that I discovered the works of Tim Ferriss (The 4-Hour Workweek) and James Altucher (Podcast), which inspired me to tap into my creativity and start my side hustles.
I discovered my true passion for writing and art at a young age, but societal expectations led me to push these interests aside. Despite my love for creative pursuits such as singing, drawing, writing, dancing, and calligraphy (I even went as far as publishing my first novel in primary school), I felt pressure to pursue a more conventional career path. At the age of 30, I finally understood that the traditional career path I had followed was not fulfilling and that my true passion lies in my artistic pursuits. This realisation was difficult, but it ultimately led me to embrace my true calling and follow my bliss.
Once I recognised the importance of embracing my creative side, I began to channel my energy into building a newsletter and podcast in 2018. This replaced my previous habits of partying and drinking. Through my writing, I shared my experiences as a Chinese international student living abroad and offered career advice based on my experiences. As I dedicated myself to doing what I truly loved, the results were clear: my followers and subscribers grew steadily over time.
Encouraged by these early successes, I started a content consultancy business to help founders and independent workers. Many of my business-owner friends and networks noticed how I used original content to gain exposure and build an engaged community. They often asked me for tips on how to do the same, and I realised that this could be a viable way to make a living. Eventually, I earned enough money from my startup and side hustles to leave my corporate job.
In 2019, I moved from New Zealand to the United Kingdom to begin a new phase in my life. My plan was to secure clients in London, work during the week, and spend my weekends watching Premier League matches or travelling around Europe. However, half a year into my new life, the pandemic changed everything.
I was stranded in a foreign country, alone, and without a stable source of income. I lacked financial or emotional support during the pandemic and felt anxious and worried. The only positive aspect was that my side hustle grew quickly as more people stayed home and had more time to read my newsletter and listen to my podcast. Despite the challenges, the lockdown turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It gave me time to reflect on myself: I started keeping morning journals, walked 10,000 steps daily, learned new skills like coding and design and published a Chinese memoir and an English novel during the pandemic. After residing in England for over two years, my desire for adventure prompted me to set out on the road again and explore new destinations. Portugal stood out as an ideal choice, as it is widely considered a popular destination for digital nomads, where I met many like-minded creators and builders.
2023 marks the fifth year of my content creation career. Here are the results at a glance:
Reflecting on my journey, I may not have reached the financial success of some of my peers, but I am content with my progress and appreciate the journey. Three important lessons I have learned include: 1. When in doubt, listen to your body. It's smarter than you.
In my annual letter to readers in 2021, I suggested an interview on Whole-Body Intelligence (shout out to my online mentor Tom Morgan’s recommendation). As Philip Shepherd, an expert in embodiment and author, states:
"In many cultures, the centre of thinking is experienced in the body, which has a borderless affinity with the world around it. It is attuning to the world in every moment". Thanks to my body's 'friendly' reminder, I realised I had to quit my corporate job and pursue my path as a content creator.
Another famous example is George Soros and his back pain. His back hurt when his portfolio was positioned poorly because "bodily sensation is a key indicator of unconscious dissonance; of when your intellect is missing something important from the outside world".
While the importance of mental health among founders is often discussed, the significance of body intelligence is less addressed. As creators and innovators, we rely on our decision-making abilities to provide valuable services and products to those in need. In a world filled with noise and abundant information, it is crucial to tune into our physical sensations (or gut feeling) and develop the ability to understand and act on them.
2. Have a self-faith, be laser-focused & persistent
I had the pleasure of interviewing David Senra, the host of my favourite podcast, Founders. In the interview, he highlighted three key traits found in the biographies of over 200 founders: self-belief, perseverance, and focus.
There is no such thing as smooth sailing in life. For someone who moves countries and changes careers every couple of years, I could speak non-stop about all my difficulties and setbacks. However, I understand I couldn't become who I am today without everything I experienced and everyone I’ve met. Therefore, I maintain a strong sense of self-faith, trusting in the journey and knowing that as long as I continue to pursue my passions, such as writing, creative projects, and connecting with others, I will be able to navigate life with a peaceful mind, good health and positive relationships. As Naval suggests, find something that feels like play to you but looks like work to others. Willpower alone may not take you far, but your inner drive and motivations will guide your journey. The Chinese word for luck — 运气 (yun qi) — translates to conveying one's energy or spirit. As someone who has studied Eastern philosophy from a young age, I believe that luck comes to those who know how to harness their energy and spirit effectively. This requires laser focus and consistent, dedicated effort to utilise that focused energy towards your work. 3. The only journey is the one within. Cultivate your own path
Trusting our intuition and pursuing our passions can often be met with resistance from our logical left brain, which craves certainty. Society often leads us to believe that following a conventional path will lead to fulfilment, but what truly brings satisfaction varies for each individual.
We can become trapped in the desire to mimic others and are easily distracted by the lifestyles and paths of others, particularly on social media. In order to truly feel secure, we must let go of the life we think we should have and embrace the one that is truly meant for us. As Joseph Campbell said, “If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it’s not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That’s why it’s your path.”
As the number of entrepreneurs and independent workers increases, more and more individuals are choosing to leave traditional paths and pursue their true passions. The key challenge is whether we dare to pursue our interests, venture into the unknown, and create our own unique path.
I’m on this road and hope to see you around :)
Are you ready for the opportunity of a lifetime?
Introducing the O'Shaughnessy Fellowship from O'Shaughnessy Ventures - a one-year program for driven individuals who want to create something amazing! Whether it's a piece of art, music, a startup, software, deep scientific research, journalism, a documentary, or even a sculpture, the sky's the limit for your project. And with $100,000 in funding and access to our network of successful founders, investors, and experts, we'll support you every step as you bring your project to life. Take advantage of this fantastic opportunity and create your own path - apply now for the O'Shaughnessy Fellowship! Rick Rubin
知名音乐制作人Rick Rubin可谓是近30年来美国音乐界神一般存在的人物,他不仅将非主流的嘻哈变成了主流文化,同时,经他之手制作的摇滚、金属和乡村音乐专辑,也成了颁奖礼上的常客。
本周,Rick Rubin的名字不断在推特上出现,他先是接受了Tim Ferriss和Andrew Huberman这两大顶流播客的采访,他的一段30秒视频采访和新出的书籍《The Creative Art》得到了诸多大V的百万级别的转发。 在这段视频里,Rick Rubin表示自己极少弹奏乐器,也不懂音版,一切关于音乐的技术性工作(甚至音乐本身)他都一无所知。他唯一拿手的是明确地知道自己喜欢和讨厌什么,别人找他制作专辑就是看中了他对自己音乐品味的信心,并有能力表达自己的情感。Rick Rubin可以进入音乐人和艺术家的大脑,激发他们最有创造力的地方,帮助他们找到自己独特的声音,制作出最好的作品。 听完他的采访我简直要热泪盈眶,实在是有太多太多的共鸣和鼓励存在。他用朴实的大白话说出了创作者存在的本质,那就是发现别人忽视的东西,并可以用不同的媒介形式表达出来。技术可以帮助我们实现创作的目标,但却无法接替我们注意到那些能激起我们内心波澜的东西。创作者需要大量摄取信息,然后在此基础上提炼出所关心事物的规律,以及弄清楚自己为什么会对特定的事物和瞬间产生情绪波动。 Rick Rubin说灵感是可以人为制造的,他建议人们多去博物馆和艺术馆欣赏美丽的艺术,阅读伟大的小说和诗歌,观看经典电影,倾听优质音乐,用五感来关注周围的世界,下一个伟大的想法可能就隐藏在你的视线当中。 Rick Rubin强调了创作需要自私,你不能以他人为中心进行艺术创作,不能用自己的品味去猜测他人的喜好。创作者一定要从事自己感兴趣的事情,如果在创作过程中有丝毫取悦「观众」的心理,那么这条创作道路可能就是一条死胡同。 Kevin Kelly
凯文·凯利最近发表了一篇他认为宇宙中存在外星生命的理论。
他写道,生命在整个宇宙中是广泛存在的。它们可能仅是单细胞或由元素组成的生物,并一直延续这样的状态。 大部分拥有生命的星球似乎从未超越单细胞的层次。尽管有些星球上的生命是由外部来源播种的,但大部分生命是独立产生的。 孵化生命的元素在各个星球上都很常见。大部分生命是基于DNA或类似DNA分子的双螺旋结构。多细胞生命的产生是相对罕见的,因为进化为高级生物需要在特殊条件下维持数十亿年的环境。 但是,在无边无际的宇宙中,即使是「相对罕见」的事件也会诞生数以千亿计的例子。高级文明虽然相对罕见,但其数量却可能不计其数。 DNA是大多数生命的起点。随着生命的进化,它遵循有限的路径,直到它可以做出自己的决定。在那之后,生命的进化可以朝着许多不同的方向发展。自然进化的生命通常在各个星系都是一样的,但由人设计的生命通常是不同的。 一个先进文明访问其他星球的主要目的是为了探索其他文明可能拥有的技术和知识。这些技术和知识可能是他们暂时还不能发明或者不知道的。 星际旅行本质上不是通过物理空间的旅行,而是通过探索不同思想和可能性的旅行。我们访问其他星球的目的是为了了解其他可能的思想,看看他们是否想到了我们当下文明无法企及的技术。 每天,成千上万的星际文明的探测器会访问我们的星球,探索我们的技术水平。这些探测器会短暂地出现,完成对我们技术水平的检查后便会离开。目前地球上还没有什么值得他们关注的东西,没有什么是在其他数百万星球上找不到的。 最后,能够进行有意义的星际旅行的生命与技术之间并没有太大的差别。 Cory Muscara
推特上的一位作家Cory Muscara连续6个月每天冥想15个小时后,写了一份他学到的36件事情的清单,简单翻译下:
1. 寻找真我是爱的体现,表达自我是反叛的表现。 2. 成长的标志是可以忍受更多的不适,同时减少对废话的容忍。 3. 你是谁并不是你的错,但却是你的责任。 4. 拖延代表着拒绝或无法与消极的情绪为伍。 5. 在躁动中产生的欲望更符合你的自我,在静心状态下产生的欲望更符合你的灵魂。 6. 放手前的那一刻,往往是我们抓得最紧的时候。 7. 你不是通过寻找安全感来找到立足点,而是通过在不确定的环境中放轻松找到立足点。 8. 你最讨厌别人的地方,通常是你最讨厌自己的地方。 9. 最大的生活秘诀是成为自己最好的朋友。当你这样做时,一切都会变得更容易。 10. 你与自己越和解,越不需要外界带给你的舒适感。 11. 当你开始爱自己时,会发生一件有趣的事情:你不再需要所有你认为需要的东西来获得快乐。 12. 如果不训练大脑去欣赏当下的美好,你就会不断地放眼于未来去寻找更好的东西,即使现在的一切已经很好了。 13. 相信未来的时刻比现在所处的时刻更值得关注,这就是我们为什么会不断地错过生活。 14. 没有什么条件可以带来持久的幸福。持久的幸福并不来于设立条件,而在于学会随波逐流。 15. 花更多的时间培养一颗不执着于物质的心,而不是花费更多的时间积累物质财富。 16. 有时我们需要与世界脱节,以便重新和自己取得联系。 17. 真正的自信看起来更像谦逊。你不再需要宣传自己的价值,因为你的价值无需他人验证。 18. 高疼痛容忍度是一把双刃剑。它是自我控制的关键,也会导致我们凌驾于失调的痛苦之上。 19. 消极的想法不会显现出消极的生活,但无意识的消极思想却会导致昏暗的人生。 20. 要想感受更多的快乐,首先要向痛苦张开怀抱。 21. 强迫自己开悟是行不通的,与自己交好才是进阶的方式。 22. 巅峰体验当然很有趣,但你归根结底还是要回到现实生活中。学会欣赏平凡的时刻才是充实地过好一生的关键。 23. 冥想不是为了让你感觉很好,而是培养良好的意识去感受你的感受,最终你会感觉很好。 24. 如果你能够观察自己的想法,则意味着你是谁比你的想法更重要。 25. 练习定并不是要把定置于动之上,而是训练你可在动静中转换的能力。 26. 问题的关键不在于我们会分心,而是我们被分心的事情搞得心烦意乱,甚至不知道自己在分心。 27. 我们经历的每一个时刻都有三个层次:你的经历,你对经历的认知,以及你对该经历的叙述。最后一条值得我们注意。 28. 生活总是发生在短短的一瞬间,这就是你应该承担的一切。 29. 你的思想不会走神,它总会朝着它认为最有趣的东西前进。如果你想更好地集中精力,那就对你眼前的事物保持好奇心吧。 30. 无论你是否留心注意,生活都在前行继续,这就是为什么时间的流逝总让人忧虑。 31. 你无法强迫自己不去执着,你只能向大脑展示执着带给你的痛苦。当大脑清楚地意识到执着的痛苦,它就会放手。 32. 冥想很容易变成精神压制,不要集中注意力来避免不舒服的事情。 33. 我们能体验到的最深形式的平和生活便是活在诚信之中。你可以对其他人撒谎,但你不能对你的心撒谎。 34. 不要让头脑中的噪音盖过来自内心的低语。 35. 僧侣们喜欢在打坐时放屁,放手的智慧以多种形式表现出来。 36. 你不可能通过走捷径获得生命中的智慧,踏实工作吧。 延伸阅读: 万物静观皆自得 | 10天内观冥想(Vipassana)体验 我在新西兰体验「超越冥想」 禅宗冥想 巴厘岛7日瑜伽冥想疗养体验
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