A gentle close to the week

And the words I’m repeating most / Issue 1,133

Oh, hi friends!

How can you close down today with a sense of completion?

What’s one thing — task, belief, chore — that would feel really, really good to finish?

Or leave behind?

Or move through?

That can be your only goal today, if you’d like. 

A sense of completion. 

That’s the aim.

It doesn’t have to be scary!

It just has to be done.

Here Are Three Interesting and Helpful Quotes

Hal Prince to Andrew Lloyd Webber:

“Never be afraid of composing good and brave new work, Andrew, and never be afraid of failure.”

Sara Lieberman on 10 years of freelancing (and what she’s been paid):

“Despite how uncomfortable it feels to want more, or different, I also know it’s completely normal to seek a shift and aim for growth. After all, actors become directors all the time. Musicians become composers. Footballers become coaches. Cooks become judges on reality TV series.”

Air screenwriter Alex Convery on finding the story for his passion project:

“It’s like, ‘Active protagonist, clear stakes, a lot of people telling your protagonist they’re crazy and this could never work.’” 

I’ve apparently been under a musical-theater rock for a few years but Maggie Rogers is a very famous singer? Grammy nominated? Hundreds of millions of streams? (Where have I been, truly?)

Anyway, I only recently saw this video of her presenting a song to Pharrell Williams during a masterclass at NYU.

She’s nervous and can barely look at him. 

And when it’s over, he’s just blown away.

(Btw, she had been in a songwriting drought for two years.)

These moments of discovery and recognition are rarely captured on film.

It reminds me of so many things: to be prepared, to lead with your best work, and to stare down fear (even when it arrives in the form of Pharrell).

Happy Friday! Be brave today.