Transparent Tuesdays
Issue 65: featuring Nate Kadlac
You guys,
I’m still thinking about how Mom “jokingly” told me I’m a horrible parent because Sam and I plan to hire a nanny for five days a week come August.
She would never say that to my sister Alexis, who recently had a baby. And that’s because Alexis is a teacher.
As much as I tell Mom how important writing is to me, she will never consider it a real job because there’s no salary, no benefits, and no one I report to.
Over the weekend I spoke with my friend Nate Kadlac. He brought to my attention the generational gap between us and our parents when it comes to ambition.
Neither of us grew up with parents who chased their dreams. I’m not even sure my parents had dreams. It could be that my mom’s dream was to have a house full of kids and be a full-time mom. She certainly wasn’t passionate or excited about her job in accounting.
Or maybe she did have dreams but they felt so impossible, so far away, that she had to let go of them too early.
Either way, it’s sad our parents didn’t feel like they could have it all.
Now that Nate and his wife Alie have an 8-week-old daughter, he’s being intentional about how he plans to instill creativity and ambition in her:
“I want to create a creative household but I also want to show her that you don’t have to be a starving artist. I want to show her that she can do whatever she wants and succeed at it. Being able to paint or do web design or draw or play music or dance, I want all those options to be open. Not just saying, ‘You can do this’ but actually participating and doing it myself. You have to do it through action.”
Part of the reason my mom’s words stung so much were because they made me question how I’m managing my time working and my time spent with George. But Nate reminded me that the best thing I can do for him is show him.
By passionately pursuing my dreams, I’m setting the example for George. So rather than be upset by Mom’s comment, I can appreciate that her parenting experience looks very different from mine.
Essay of the Week
Just wrapped Cohort 1 of the Writing Studio with Michael Dean. Over the course of five weeks we worked on three essays.
It pushed me outside my comfort zone because we shared every iteration - from ideas, to outlines, to drafts - with Michael and the studio of 11 students.
The first essay I’m sharing is about my toxic relationship with my brother Jim. I’d like to say there’s a happy ending, but it’s more like one of those indie movies where the credits start rolling and you’re like, “What the F?! That is not an ending!”
It’s a Video!
In the second part of my conversation with Nate, we talked about his 2-day online course, Approachable Design. If you feel like you have no clue about design and have no idea where to begin, this course is for you.
Check out this 8-minute video to learn more and hear how the course empowered me with the confidence to make design choices moving forward.
Today is the last day to sign up for the next cohort of Approachable Design that starts this Saturday, June 26. Sign up here. And while you’re at it, check out Nate’s newsletter, Plan Your Next. It’s one I look forward to every week.
Sneak Peek
I recently had a photo shoot for some new website photos. Here is one “pseudonymous” shot. Coming soon!!
---
Until next week,
Charlie