Matt’s Mix Tape, Vol. 95

Hi, I’m Matt Tillotson and this is Matt’s Mix Tape, a weekly Mix of ideas on writing, content strategy, and personal tech for the Creator Age.

This week’s Mix:

• It takes two, baby: Our iPad dreams crushed again

• We are all creative copycats

• Supercharge your storytelling by emphasizing emotion

• John Krasinski on doing things before we are ready

• Tech tools: Procreate

• This week’s Florida Photo

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It takes two, baby

We had hopes. We had dreams.

Apple stuffed the iPad with elite hardware. Surely, iPadOS 15, introduced this week at WWDC, would set the iPad free to be the One Device, a standalone computer we all know it’s capable of.

Nope. Instead, Apple wants us to have (at least) two separate devices.

Here’s what iPadOS 15 gave us, and why.

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We are all copycats

Everything we make is a confluence of our consumption. So it’s pointless to be so protective of our creations—they aren’t original, anyway.

Lauren Razavi shares what an abundance mindset looks like when it comes to creativity:

Lauren Razavi @LaurenRazavi

People often ask if it's OK to copy me on stuff like: • ideas • formats • frameworks • strategies • thinking • habits I almost always say yes. Crazy, right?! For today's #Ship30For30 essay, I wrote about copycats, collaboration and community. 1-min read 📖👇

Everything is a remix:

Creativity isn’t magic: it happens by applying ordinary tools of thought to existing materials. And the soil from which we grow our creations is something we scorn and misunderstand even though it gives us so much — and that’s… copying.

— Kirby Ferguson

There’s a difference, obviously, between blatantly ripping something off and remixing it with other work and ideas as your own creation.

But Lauren is right: Creativity happens in community.

So be generous and give, because if you’re creating, you’re taking.

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For better stories, emphasize emotion, not facts

Dylan and I talked this week about creativity and marketing. (I recorded it. It’s going to be my first podcast and video, soon!)

Like Dylan, my storytelling needs work. Here he gives us a five-step framework, courtesy of Robbie Crab, to weave more resonant emotion into our stories:

⚡ Dylan T. 🚢 2️⃣2️⃣/3️⃣0️⃣ @growthcurrency

I'm a shitty storyteller. Here's how I'm going to become a better one—and how you can too. "5 Steps To Become A Better Storyteller" (thanks @RobbieCrab) 🔟/3️⃣0️⃣🚢 #ship30for30

Emotion is how we generate interest and impact. Stories are the best way to package emotion into a memorable framework.

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Do things before you are “ready”

Earlier this week I settled into a comfortable movie theater seat for the first time in 15 months. It was great to get back to the movies with my girls.

We saw Quiet Place II, John Krasinski’s sequel to 2018’s “A Quiet Place.” It’s great! It’s extremely stressful!

In the video below, Krasinksi walks us through the movie’s excruciating opening scene, and discusses the power of doing things too soon:

… the best work I think comes from when people are asked to do things a day before they were supposed to do things, again, working on pure instinct.

Try things, just a little too soon.

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Tech tools: Procreate

Drawing is therapy.

Few things shut off my internal chatter like drawing. And lately, I’ve been drawing with Procreate on the iPad.

What is Procreate?

Procreate gives you everything you need to create expressive sketches, rich paintings, gorgeous illustrations and beautiful animations. […] It's a complete art studio you can take anywhere

Procreate is loaded with advanced features, but you can do so much just learning just 10% of its capabilities.

Procreate costs $10 on the App Store. Ten bucks! Not long ago, similar software would easily run $200-$500, plus a dedicated tablet and stylus.

If you’re at all interested in creating art on the iPad, Procreate is incredibly powerful—and one of best values on the App Store, period.

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This week’s Florida photo

Nearing sunset on the Hillsborough River.

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Welcome to eight new subscribers 

As always, thank you for reading and sharing.

Please hit reply if you have questions, comments, or open rebuttals. (Or just want to say hi.)