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- so what’s your aesthetics
It is a joy to be hidden, and a disaster not to be found.
— Donald Winnicott
Ever since I stumbled into the world of Notion, I’ve been immersed in the idea of aesthetics. I never fully understood what it meant, but I always had a sense of it.
In the Notion world, aesthetics often show up as beautifully themed dashboards: some minimalist, others drenched in girly-pinky vibes, or styled with a Japanese anime flair. They’re fun to look at, but most of the time, they’re not that functional—which is probably why consultants tend to cringe at them.
Still, what aesthetics really refer to is a vibe. A feeling. It’s intangible and deeply personal.
I recently saw someone share this definition on Reddit:
Aesthetics considers why people consider certain things beautiful and not others, as well as how objects of beauty and art can affect our moods and our beliefs
That line stuck with me—can affect our moods and our beliefs. There’s definitely something emotional about it.
These days, I find myself thinking about aesthetics more in the context of architecture, furniture, and goods. To me, aesthetics means something crafted with care. It’s about crafting something to its highest form, infused with the unique signature of its maker.
Maybe I’m way off—but it’s a weird word anyway. In French, we’d say l’esthétique. It carries a similar meaning, but it’s not a word people throw around much.
Still, I love it. I love that anyone can take the word and shape it to their own meaning.
So—what’s your version of aesthetics?
— 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
App Stacks is a repertory of stories behind the cool apps we use every day. It’s a great concept—not just tools and stacks, but the people and ideas that shaped them.
Dashlane is what I use to store all my passwords. I only need to remember one master password—Dashlane takes care of the rest, generating strong, unique ones for all my apps and tools.
Telepathic Instruments is a brand I’ve shared here before—they’re the team behind Orchid, a gorgeous new portable synth. Back then, they didn’t have a website. Now they do, and it’s a pure delight of aesthetism ↓
MAKER OF THE WEEK
David Mascha is a visual artist and designer based in Vienna. He creates bold, colorful work using shapes, patterns, and type. His style mixes digital art with a clean, geometric look, and he’s worked with big names like Apple and Adobe. Starting out in street art, he now works on everything from posters to digital art and NFTs.
 © David Mascha | Self  © David Mascha | B |  © David Mascha | Chromatic Circle  © David Mascha | Chromatic Waves Series |
James’ Library
Book  | The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan is a book that explores the relationship between humans and plants through four specific examples: the apple (sweetness), the tulip (beauty), marijuana (intoxication), and the potato (control). Pollan flips the script by suggesting that plants have evolved to appeal to human desires in order to thrive and spread—essentially, they've shaped us as much as we've shaped them. More than any other single trait, it is the apple’s genetic variability—its ineluctable wildness—that accounts for its ability to make itself at home in places as different from one another as New England and New Zealand, Kazakhstan and California. Wherever the apple tree goes, its offspring propose so many different variations on what it means to be an apple—at least five per apple, several thousand per tree—that a couple of these novelties are almost bound to have whatever qualities it takes to prosper in the tree’s adopted home. |
Article | This piece was my introduction to Rosie Spinks work and writing. It’s about rethinking how we build real-life community—what the Rosie calls “a village.” It gathers mindset, communication, and habit shifts that go against the isolating norms of modern life and instead encourage deeper, more intentional connection. One thing that is true about most of these recommendations is that they go against the grain of modern life. Doing them may involve some discomfort, or require you to do something that seems a little weird or intrusive at first, or even run the risk of overstepping a social/cultural norm or boundary. I think that risk is worth it. Remember that a lot of what we’re trying to counteract here is what Esther Perel called “social atrophy.” |
…Aesthetic Corner…
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ORCA is a female-founded landscape design and outdoor product studio based in Oregon. They offer a curated selection of high-end furniture and materials on their website—pricey, yes, but their aesthetics (yes again) are spot on 😉
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I’ve never been a sucker for typefaces, but this one hits just right—total airport vibe.
Sustainable Living
This off-grid dwelling on Tasmania’s Tasman Peninsula is designed to blend with its stunning surroundings. Created by Saxon Hall Architecture, the modular building features communal spaces for dining, cooking, and bathing. It was prefabricated in Victoria, then transported and installed with minimal site impact.
Sustainability is at the heart of this project. The structure is transportable, reducing site disturbance. Mega Anchor foundations prevent erosion and allow for easy relocation. The building runs off solar power, a battery system, and micro-flush toilets, making it fully off-grid.
The use of durable materials like Western red cedar ensures longevity. The design allows the building to be unbolted and reused, making it a sustainable solution for the future.
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
*these are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them. Your support directly helps keep this newsletter going ✌️
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