“So you plant your own garden and embellish your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring flowers to you.” — Jorge Luis Borges
The holiday season is a time for giving—giving to others, showing love, and being generous. But what about being generous to yourself?
As creatives, we pour so much of our time, energy, and care into others—our work, our audience, and our relationships—that it’s easy to forget we also need to nurture our own growth.
Intentional, creative learning is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. It recharges your spirit, sharpens your skills, and helps you show up for your work—and your life—with clarity and confidence.
In this issue, you’ll find three resources I recommend to gift to yourself or another creative in your life.
Start the new year more creatively with this simple gift guide.
Flow Forward: Key Resources for Creative Growth
Build Your Creative Foundations with the Stanford d.school Collection
The Stanford d.school book series is a treasure trove of creative wisdom. Starting with Creative Acts for Curious People and culminating in the anticipated Assembling Tomorrow, this 12-book collection offers actionable insights and creative approaches straight from the minds of celebrated educators. Whether you’re a designer or just someone seeking to think more creatively, this series is the perfect resource to nurture and grow your creative skills.
Explore the full collection here: Complete Collection of Stanford d.school Books
Discover the Poetry of Science with The Universe in Verse
Maria Popova’s The Universe in Verse bridges the worlds of science and poetry to reveal the beauty of discovery and the wonder of the natural world.
In 15 short essays, Popova explores topics like dark matter, the resilience of trees, and the intelligence of octopuses, while celebrating the human stories of under recognized scientists—many of them women. Each essay pairs with a poem by legends like Emily Dickinson, Maya Angelou, and Tracy K. Smith, accompanied by stunning illustrations from Ofra Amit.
It’s a feast for the eyes, mind, and heart. Dive in here: The Universe in Verse Book
Refresh Your Creativity with Playing with Sketches
We often forget the power of putting pen to paper to support our thinking.
Whitney Sherman’s Playing with Sketches offers a hands-on approach to reconnecting with drawing principles, not to just create cool stuff, but to also leverage visual thinking for creative growth.
Featuring contributions from over 25 artists and designers, this book provides exercises to help you explore new tools, build an image archive, and even break a few creative rules along the way. It’s the perfect way to refresh both your hand and your mind.
Start playing here: Playing with Sketches.
Note: This book is out of print, but you can email the author directly for a copy (highly recommended!) or find it on AbeBooks.
Practice Creative Learning
- Reflect on your creative generosity. Ask yourself: Where do I give my time and energy to others? How can I balance that by showing generosity to myself? Write down one way you’ll prioritize your own growth this week.
- Set aside 30 minutes this week to explore something new. Pick up a book, take a short online class, or dive into a resource that inspires curiosity—something for you and your growth.
- Start a “Learning Wishlist.” Make a quick list of 3 skills, ideas, or topics you’d love to explore in the next year. Keep it somewhere visible as a reminder to invest in yourself.
Embrace Growth with the Antifragile Creative Community
Giving yourself the gift of learning is a powerful step toward personal and professional fulfillment.
The Antifragile Creative Community is here to support you on this journey. It’s a space where creative professionals and knowledge workers come together to nurture their growth, balance creative generosity with self-care, and thrive amid change.
For just $39/month or $390/year, you’ll gain access to:
- The “Project Management for Creatives” course
- The “Intention by Design” course
- The upcoming “Master Your Weekly Review” course
- Monthly workshops on creativity, productivity, knowledge management, and mindfulness
- The Antifragile Resource Library—a growing collection of Notion templates, tools, and creative resources.
- A supportive community of fellow creatives working together to build more fulfilling, balanced lives
- Early access to additional future courses focused on knowledge management, design thinking, creative marketing, community design, and leveraging generative AI for creativity.
This season, gift yourself growth, learning, and connection.
Join the Antifragile Creative Community and make 2025 the most creative, most productive, and most fulfilling year yet.
Creative learning is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.
It replenishes your creative energy, deepens your skills, and helps you show up for your work and life with confidence.
Spend some time this holiday season focused on your creative growth with the resources above or any that you’ve been meaning to explore but put off.
Start the new year with a stronger foundation—and a spark of momentum.
What’s one thing you’d like to learn this season? Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear from you!
Flux & Flow will be taking a week off but will return for the new year.
Have a wonderful holiday, and I’ll see you in 2025!
Jeff
Share the Gift of Learning
If you enjoyed this newsletter, consider sharing it with a friend or colleague who could use a little inspiration this season.
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