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Hi All!
Here is the current issue of my weekly “Sunday Share,” a list of what I have been engaging with, excited by or otherwise found intriguing.
What I’m watching —
Better Call Saul
I don’t watch TV as such, so it takes some insistent jostling from friends and relatives to persuade me to buy or rent a show. Madmen was a case in point. Hugely up my street and I adored every minute, but it wasn’t until the show was well-finished that I watched its entirety. Then came Breaking Bad. Equally astounding…
And now I am immersed in the brilliant shenanigans of Better Call Saul. I just love the nuanced complexity of the character development and am amazed over and over again by the creativity and skill of the writing. I oscillate in mood while watching between grim despair, chuckling appreciation and agape shock. Not going to say more or give anything away, other than to recommend it to you without reservation…
What I’m reading —
How to Draw Without Talent by Danny Gregory
How could I not want to immediately buy and read a book with such a great title?
I envy two other kinds of artists greatly: musicians and cartoonists/illustrators. I envy musicians because of their ability to create immediate beauty and pleasure for both their fellow musicians and their audience. It’s love making in sound. Believe me, I’ve tried: saxophone (inspired by John Coltrane), drums including the djembe and even the didgeridoo. The results were not pretty or pleasing, damn it…
And God, I wish I had a dollar for every time I have imagined myself drawing some maniacally cutting/witty cartoon or painting a brilliant illustration. But no in-born talent I have had myself believe… The closest I have come is to work with artists who can help translate some of those imaginings for me into brilliant art. You will see that with the work Judit Tondora did in my upcoming The Illustrated Wild Boy…
Danny Gregory’s great book — and by extension his online Sketch Book Skool — puts the lie to those like me who have avoided creating in an artform by hiding behind the “No Talent” umbrella. It’s also a kind of coda for how to build any skill in life the way it always does need to be built: piece by little piece and with dedicated persistence.
What I am putting into my body —
Dynamine
If you have been reading my Sunday Share for a while you will have noticed that I am an avid consumer of nootropics. In fact, I have been for oh, at least the last thirty years. You can scoff at me if you like for the insecurity that has me scurrying to load up on cognitive enhancers whenever I am called to be creative — but I’ll take that ridicule while I enjoy the neural fireworks and language-play those nootropics reward me with.
And just when I think the researchers must have exhausted the trove of possible cognition boosters, I discover a new one to experiment with. Now it’s Dynamine, which is being touted for stronger workouts along with enhance focus. I have been using it intermittently now for a couple of weeks and feel that, yes, Dynamine lives up to the buzz.
YMMV, but here’s a summary of potential benefits:
Dynamine has made big splashes as a key component of pre workout stacks for elite athletes and weightlifters. It can help you power through grueling workouts with more focus and energy and it lasts up to 3 hours long, which is great for long training sessions or competitions. Unlike most pre workout products, it doesn’t cause jitters or stimulant elevations in blood pressure. It doesn’t have the dreaded crash of caffeine, sugar and other supplements, thus making it a good option for any time of day.
Many people report elevated feelings of happiness and contentment while supplementing with Dynamine. It activates dopamine receptors (D1 and D2) in the brain. Dopamine is known as the “feel good hormone” and influences feelings of satisfaction, drive, motivation and number of other sensations and positive emotions. Dynamine starts working very quickly after oral ingestion and is generally taken just before physical activity or when you need a cognitive boost or more mental focus.
Thoughts, comments, wishes, suggestions? Hit me up by email at johnrducane@gmail.com