I’m so bad at texting

And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.
— Haruki Murakami

You’ve probably already seen the title—but just in case you missed it: I’m really bad at texting. (And yes, it bothers me.)

What I mean is, I barely manage to stay in touch with friends or family through SMS or WhatsApp. If you had to place me on a scale from "once a day" to "once a year," I’m definitely closer to the latter. There’s this strange pattern: after seeing someone in person or catching up on the phone, we’ll keep the conversation going by text for a bit. I always think, Nice! Let’s keep this up! But inevitably, things fade out… and the next exchange happens six months later.

Now, I’ve been living far away these past few years, so you could argue it’s normal to struggle with regular communication. Fewer shared experiences, fewer spontaneous reasons to message. But then I look at my girlfriend—she’s managed to keep long text threads going with some of her closest friends. So yeah… maybe it’s more of a me thing—but I'm sure I'm not alone.

I think I understand where it comes from though.

A few years ago, I got into the whole self-help bubble: deleted all social media from my phone, started seeing phones as evil little distraction machines. And honestly, I still kind of believe that (😈). But I also realize I took it a bit too far—I was putting texting with friends into the same “distraction” bucket as doom-scrolling.

And those behaviors stuck with me over the years. So even though I want to change them now, the habits I’ve built feel too deeply wired. For example:

• Text conversations feel like a burden. Sometimes I avoid sending a message just so I won’t get pulled into a back-and-forth.

• If I see someone’s online, I’ll send my message and immediately vanish like a ninja.

• I’ll actively avoid apps like Messenger, afraid of the unread messages piling up—convinced they’ll take forever to answer (even though they always take less than five minutes).

• It feels like a never-ending to-do list—where the boxes keep unchecking themselves.

I wish I could just call people spontaneously. But that almost never works (except with my mum). Everyone’s busy, schedules are packed, and maybe it’s a generational thing—but impromptu calls seem less and less welcome. The irony? You have to text people first… to ask if you can call.

I don’t really have a solution. Right now, I just keep telling myself I’ll do better, but I never quite follow through. So if you have ideas, tips, or feel the same—reply to this email, I’d genuinely love to hear from you 🫶

— James

PS: I didn’t really talk about the why here—why I even want to get better at texting. The truth is, while I’d much prefer a world where impromptu calls or visits are the norm, we seem to be moving in the opposite direction. And since I’m a social animal like everyone else, I don’t want to end up on the sidelines. If texting is how people stay connected now, then I guess I’ve got to find a way to make peace with it.

Tools & Websites

• ShareAmi is a wonderful French initiative that pairs young people with seniors, allowing the older generation to teach French to the younger—aiming to give purpose to elderly people and bridge the gap between generations.

• Easlo Guide is a curated selection of objects for true minimalists—black and white, through and through, just like his signature Notion template style.

• I've shared many websites in this newsletter—but this one really blew me away. I really have no idea what Igloo is or does—except that they're in the crypto space—but their website is a true gem of design ↓

MAKER OF THE WEEK

Joan Cornellà is a Spanish cartoonist and illustrator known for his dark, surreal humor and unsettling comic strips. His work features brightly colored, 1950s-style illustrations populated by smiling, plastic-looking characters. At first glance, his art appears cheerful and innocent—but a closer look reveals deeply disturbing and absurd scenes.

These smiles are truly terrifying.

James’ Library

…Aesthetic Corner…

Brass Chunky

The Brass Chunky is a mechanical pencil made by Chris from the woodworking YouTube channel Foureyes Furniture. It’s definitely pricey ($80), but I really love the look of it. As Chris puts it: you don’t need it… but maybe… just maybe you want one.

PS: It also led me to discover that there’s—of course there is—a subreddit for mechanical pencils.

The Colors of Motion

The Colors of Motion is a series of prints where each line represents the average color of a single movie frame. By stacking the frames from top to bottom, we get a timeline of the use of color throughout the film.

A super creative project by Charlie Clark—and seriously, such a cool idea.

Sustainable Living

Evergreen is a refreshingly unconventional apartment complex in Melbourne’s inner north, designed by Clare Cousins Architects under the Nightingale Housing model. The 27 homes offer spacious, thoughtfully designed apartments surrounded by leafy balconies, textured concrete, and deep-green steel frames that echo the nearby parklands.

More than just a place to live, Evergreen feels like a small vertical village, with shared rooftop gardens, communal spaces, and the kind of natural warmth most new builds forget to include.

But maybe the best part? The people. From dog-friendly rooftops to accidental laundry conversations, Evergreen shows that sustainability isn't just about materials—it’s about social sustainability, too. Residents know each other’s names, throw rooftop parties, and genuinely enjoy where they live. In a housing market full of compromises, Evergreen feels like a small miracle: well-designed, community-focused, and full of life.

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.

• Webflow — the engine behind all my websites, letting me design, build, and launch seamlessly without code.

• Make — the tool that runs my business on autopilot, handling all recurring and time-consuming tasks

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