Transparent Tuesdays

Issue 35

You guys,

My friend sent me a home video of us from 7th grade. We were reenacting an SNL skit and I took my comedic role very seriously. 

Whether it was an SNL skit or a lip sync with choreography, this was how I spent every weekend of my middle school years. 

My parents let me “make movies” all the time. They even bought me a video camera. But they were never excited about the things I was excited about. They never made me feel like my interests were more than just a silly pastime. 

I don’t blame them. They wanted me to be financially independent. And it wasn’t obvious that my interests could turn into a lucrative job. 

But what if my parents had been super excited about my interests?

I was thinking about this and how to instill creativity in my son when this exchange happened on Twitter:

Ana Lorena Fabrega @anafabrega11

I admire kids’ obsessive nature. Think about how long they can spend learning a TikTok dance, mastering a video game, or building a LEGO structure. When they’re into it, they’re unstoppable.

Charlie Bleecker @BleeckerCharlie

@anafabrega11 Imagine if parents were just as excited for their kids' obsessions. Would that further instill creativity?

David Perell @david_perell

@BleeckerCharlie @anafabrega11 That’s how my Dad was. Whenever I’d get obsessed with something, he’d go all-in with me. It didn’t matter what it was. Sometimes, it felt like he was more into the things I was interested than I was, which pushed me to learn as much as possible.

We need to go all-in with George’s interests. This seems like a good place to start. 

And by the way, yes, it wasn’t obvious I could turn my lip sync obsession into a career. But many TikTok stars have proven it’s possible. Addison Rae earns over $5 million each year. 

Her actual lip syncing capabilities are subpar.

…Or maybe I’m just jealous.

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Essay of the Week

Before I met my husband, I fell very quickly in love with a guy who turned out to be a psychopath. 

People joke when they label an ex as a psycho but when you actually cross paths with one it’s not funny. It wrecked me. 

I’ve written personal essays before but this one gets REAL personal. If I didn’t write under a pseudonym I’d tell Mom and Dad to skip this one. 

[Read the post here.]

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Merry Merry!

It’s that time of year to bake cookies! I don’t brag about much but I make the best chocolate chip cookies. I’m like Judy the Elf in The Santa Clause. It took her 1,200 years to perfect her hot chocolate recipe. 

Okay, it’s only taken me nine years.

I hate when recipes aren’t clear so I’ve made the instructions as clear as possible. Let me know if you make a batch. They take a while so set aside half a day, turn up the Christmas tunes, and enjoy!

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Until next week,

Charlie