hi lil bees!! I’m writing to you at 10:57PM EST on Saturday, April 13th. Stranger things season 3 episode 3 is playing in the background, my burrito is nicely settled into my happy stomach, and I have a slide deck open.

Because… I’m doing my first speaking event at a university soon! Send your guesses my way 😄 

It’s funny how old ideas resurface at just the right time. The concept from The Inner Game of Tennis, about peak concentration arising from “relaxed intensity,” has been on my mind a lot lately. Aka not trying too hard to the point of tensing up.

And it’s not because I told myself to feel this way, I just did. Preparing for this has been the highlight of my weekend, because making this deck felt like play. My bread and butter.

Yes, I’ve done a lot of research and writing around the psychology of money in the last few years, but there’s a deep intuition I’ve had around this topic that spans my entire life.

The most exciting part? I finally get to share these insights with complete strangers, and frankly, with the very students I've been hoping to reach.

I’m nervous, but I’m also feeling really confident and excited for this moment. It’s not like presentations I’ve done in the past where I’ve felt severe imposter syndrome and was at the edge of my seat anyone asked me a question to dive deeper.

In this case, I'm talking to students about literally diving deeper into their relationships with money, so I'm genuinely thrilled to hear their questions.

If you want a sneak peek at my deck, I’m calling on five folks to provide some feedback for how I can really make this talk as effective as possible!

closing thoughts

These days, much of what I see about “greatness” glorifies relentless obsession: lost sleep, lost friendships, and all-consuming drive.

I’ve experienced all of this, not just now but throughout every phase of life. And probably something I’ll continue to feel in later parts of my life. But I also know this type of lifestyle is not sustainable for an entire lifetime.

Something I’m not berating myself about is taking moments of pause to refuel my creativity. I’ve written about the benefits of leading a slower(?) life. But I find it difficult to take my own advice sometimes 😅 Because I pride myself on discipline and achievement.

In the last year, I’ve worked almost constantly, from 7am-9pm. I have this sense of urgency to put something out there, get a pat on the back, and then move the goalpost to the next thing.

It’s weird because while I’ve pursued creative endeavors my whole life, I’ve always done it without a scrutinizing magnifying glass. Because art was always my safe space from perfectionism, a place where the process mattered more than flawless execution, and the inherent joy of creation was the ultimate reward.

No wonder my rallies with my tennis friends is where I performed the best, or my shower singing always felt better than being on stage.

It made me think of Timothée Chalamet's recent speech at the Oscars, where he openly stated his ambition to be one of the greats. There's a refreshing honesty in that aspiration, a directness that contrasts with the often-glamorized image of the relentlessly toiling artist.

I recognize achieving that kind of lasting impact, becoming a "great," likely isn't a sprint fueled by constant exhaustion. It feels more like a marathon that requires strategic pauses and the ability to listen to one's own rhythm. These moments of rest are part of that long-term strategy for creative sustainability, a way to keep showing up for myself and others around me.

So I decided to buy The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, a book dedicated to unblocking your creativity in a 12-week self-guided course. I’ve heard it can be woo-woo at times, but I’ve heard great things. I’ll keep you all updated on how it is 🙂 

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With 💛 & until the next 🐝,

Sneha