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- how media shape your identity
You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day. Unless you're too busy, then you should sit for an hour.
— unknown [old Zen saying]
It's already week 26 of 2025—which means we've hit the halfway point of the year. Wasn’t New Year’s Eve just yesterday?
If you had set goals, intentions, or resolutions back in January, now’s a good time to check in. Are they still relevant? Are they still exciting? I don’t really do New Year’s resolutions anymore, but when I used to, I noticed something: most of them became irrelevant within a few months—sometimes weeks, even days. Either I changed my mind, or the goal was just a reflection of how I felt in that particular moment.
Whether you're into goal-setting or prefer to avoid it altogether, reaching the halfway mark is a great opportunity for a fresh start. It’s a natural checkpoint—a temporal landmark—to pause, reflect, reset, and, if needed, change direction.
We often get so caught up in our day-to-day routines that we lose sight of why we're doing what we're doing. If the original intention has shifted, maybe the routine should too.
Of course, breaking habits isn’t easy. The topic’s been discussed endlessly, and there are countless tips out there. But here’s one thing that’s worked really well for me:
Adjust your media diet to support the new routine you want to build.
Want to spend more time outdoors? Start listening to nature or adventure podcasts. Fill your media feed with stories and voices that support the life you want to create. It’s a small step, but it plants the right seeds in your mind—and those seeds influence your actions more than you might think.
The content we consume shapes our thoughts, our moods, and our decisions. Brick by brick, block by block, it changes our identity. So better use it to our advantage.
— James
 | This newsletter takes a few hours to craft each week. → $3.99/month = ongoing good karma Either way, thank you for reading 🧡 |
Tools & Websites
IQAir is a map of Air Quality Index all over the world. You can use it to check the air quality in your own city, during wildfires, or browse the list of worst-ranking cities.
Subscription Day is a small but so useful app built by an indie hacker to keep track of your recurring expenses and subscriptions. It lives in your Mac menu bar and also provides statistics.
Capsules is a concept website (the capsules don't really exist) for futuristic-looking home pods in the Californian desert. Stunning website ↓
MAKER OF THE WEEK
I was recommended to check Neal Agarwal's work after posting about the Life & Earth supercontinents website on Twitter. Most makers I've shared here were artists—and Neal doesn't stray from this pattern—though he's more of a web developer kind of artist.
If you visit his website, you'll discover a treasure trove of mini games, creative data visualizations, and fun ways to learn about various topics. I'll let you explore it yourself, and below you'll find screenshots of some of his projects ↓
 Space Elevator  Spend Bill Gate’s Money |  Internet Roadtrip  Absurd trolley problems |
James’ Library
Article | First, the video by itself is a pure work of art. Then this commentary by Ethan Ludwin-Peery makes it even more hilarious. Watch & read without moderation. THE KISS Start with something unexpected. In the first two seconds, we know something interesting is going on because the two main lads give each other a kiss. This sets the tone for the whole video, and contextualizes everything that comes after. None of what is about to happen is at all malicious. These lads clearly love each other. This isn’t drama, it’s farce and tragedy. |
Book  | I just started it a few days ago but it's already a breath of fresh air in this increasingly digitized world. Mark Boyle sets out to live one year without technology—no electricity, hot water, or digital devices. He also forgoes motorized transport, watches, clocks, processed/packaged food, and modern farming tools powered by fossil fuels. They say that if you feel you don’t have fifteen minutes to meditate each day, then you need to do an hour. I’m sure it would do me no harm at all, but I’ve never been much of a man for sitting cross-legged, focusing on my breath. Instead, I prefer to whittle. Whittling is a form of practical meditation, which pre-dates the Buddhist and Hindu civilisations. It’s as simple as it gets. To make a tablespoon you take a branch – I prefer green birch, but holly, beech, maple and cherry can work well. Avoid softwoods. Saw it to length, axe it in half, draw out the shape of the spoon you’re aiming for, and start whittling it away with a small carving knife. |
…Aesthetic Corner…
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Nuwa Pen is the first pen in the world—that I know of—that lets you write on paper and also digitizes what you write. I've been dreaming of this type of device for years—preferring to write on paper but afraid of losing my notes and not being able to search them. Quite a feat!
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I get motion sickness whenever I'm a passenger in a car or on any boat—even large ferries. My brother recently told me about these motion-sickness glasses, which seem to work quite well according to reviews. Made by a French company, they contain liquid that creates an artificial horizon line to help orient your brain. I'll report back after trying them myself 😎
Sustainable Living
Marc and Ann wanted to renovate their 1990s farmhouse in Pajottenland. They hired hé! architectuur to create OMLOOP ! a home where they could grow old and reconnect with nature. The original house had lost its connection to the surrounding landscape. The couple wanted a warm, open space with a clay stove at its center and room for family gatherings.
The architects took a fresh approach to the traditional farmhouse design, which is common in the region but often energy-inefficient. They made the home more compact and more open to the outdoors. Old bedrooms were turned into a bright winter garden with a thick earth wall that helps keep the temperature stable. The former office and hallway became a large living area, and the garage was converted into the new entrance. Throughout the house, traditional room layouts were redesigned for modern living.
Sustainability was a key goal of the renovation. A clay stove replaced the old oil boiler as the main heat source. Natural materials like earth and clay plaster help control temperature and humidity, reducing the need for mechanical systems. The new layout includes a bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor, making it suitable for aging in place. This thoughtful renovation combines eco-friendly design with personal meaning, transforming an ordinary house into a durable, future-proof home.
Friends of James
Beehiiv — the powerhouse behind all my newsletters, helping me craft, design, grow my audience, and monetize effortlessly
Notion — my go-to tool for the last 6+ years, where I store all my notes, manage tasks, and essentially run both my life and businesses
Screen Studio — the secret sauce behind my slick screen recordings; turns raw captures into polished, high-quality videos in minutes
Make — the tool that runs my business on autopilot, handling all recurring and time-consuming tasks
Lookaway — my gentle productivity companion that nudges me to take smart, screen-time breaks—keeping eye strain, headaches, and digital fatigue at bay
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