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Well hey there sweet peas!
June was an absolute whirlwind— to the point that I got so caught up I completely forgot to send this newsletter on time! Classic.
Work has been full-throttle. The hours have been long, but despite it feeling easier to finish the day and curl up under my blankets, I’ve made a point to get outside as much as possible. Sunshine walks, park hangs, impromptu catch-ups, you name it, baby and I’m trying it. I’m seeing friends more regularly, and yes… I’m being an adult and doing my best to be the one who texts first. Horrific.
How’d the month shake out for y’all? Any fun travel stories yet? Sound off in the comments!
June Guest Round-up
Here’s everything we dropped on the podcast this month:
🎙 How to Survive the Internet (with Sam Murdock) - Sam, the Twitch whisperer behind Codenames Live, shared his story from programming dropout to full-time community builder. Pants-free streaming included.🤣
Takeaway: Online spaces can turn into real-life friendships—if you steward them.
🎶 Cause Ya Gotta Have Faith (with Zazu Payne) - Zazu, a biomedical engineer and self-described “friendship guru,” and I dove into his journey from self-focus to deep connection. We talked vulnerability, faith (in friends!), and finding relationship joy in social spaces you’d never expect.
Takeaway: Community can appear in unexpected places—just show up..
🙈 The Monkey Made Me Do It (with Trevor Hinton) - I reconnected with Trevor, a theatre buddy from ages ago. We unpacked vulnerability, the metaphysical vs. material, and how showing up authentically—even when angry—nurtures real friendship.
Takeaway: Let yourself be in a friendship—anger and all—and see what grows.
🎤 The Seroquel Is Kicking In (Reflections on June) - I recorded this one from bed, deep diving into the mental load of current events, dissatisfaction with work, and carving creative time in a packed schedule. Also ranted about AI taking over creativity—classic me—before signing off with weird philosophical musings about plants. It’s the rawest, unscripted content we’ve had yet.
Takeaway: Honesty over polish—embrace the messy, existential check-ins.
🧠 Actionable Moves for July
Inspired by June’s episodes? Let’s get doing:
Let Yourself Be Unfiltered: Share a messy truth this week—no editing, no filter. It’s okay to be contradictory.
Show Up Without Fixing: The next time a friend vents—even if uncomfortable—just listen. Your presence really matters.
Redefine Community: Try something new—a board game night, a trivia evening, even an online forum—and see who shows up.
Hold Space for Emotion: Whether anger or anxiety or any other traditionally “uncomfortable” emotion, when you’re checking in with a friend, show up to just hold how they feel.
📚 June Recommendations
📖 Book: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
This memoir-slash-meditation reads like a poem—raw, reflective, brimming with sorrow and small joys. A heartbreaking exploration of how we make meaning out of the random chaos that makes up our lives and deaths.
🎧 Music: White Male Privilege by Medium Build
A brutally honest, funky, and catchy critique of generational and societal divides—plus, it slaps. Thought-provoking and danceable? Aces.
For more music recommendations/discoveries, be sure to check out my June Spotify playlist, and also my still being built out July playlist
🎬 Movie: The Accountant
Ben Affleck plays an autistic numbers-savvy assassin-accountant, we all know the type. Super-commonly found tropes in us NDs. I went in with such low expectations and ended up absolutely loving it. A lesson for all of us, expect nothing and anything becomes a treat.
And that’s a wrap, sweet peas. Thanks for sticking with me through the chaos of June—and for giving me a reason to slow down and share again.
Catch you next month—maybe a bit earlier this time 😉.
Fun and safety,
James 🖤
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