Dadvice Weekly #27 / Creativity
Dadvice Weekly - #27
We often mistake creativity for personal genius, but Rick Rubin, world-class music producer, offers an interesing alternative take: creativity is a collective cloud. It’s very different from how many of us think about it. Here’s the gist:
Ideas don’t originate from us; they come to us. We are simply the antenna. As Rubin notes, “The idea doesn’t come from me. I’m not the impetus for the idea.”
Last year I started a writing a story I was sharing on my personal substack. Intended as a three-week endeavor, it morphed into a three-month struggle. I was paralyzed by the anxiety of completion—old perfectionist tendencies to protect the work by not acting on it. What I’ve realized is that holding onto one idea prevents you from receiving the next, or at least acting on it. Not only does it stifile my own creativity, clogging my own creative pipes, but within Rubin’s framework, holding onto an idea is selfish—and it risks someone else actually running with the idea you received. If you don’t act, someone else will.
If we view creativity as a shared resource, then hoarding an idea denies the collective. We must shift our perspective: the work doesn’t belong to the creator; it belongs to the interpreter.
Which also pokes at another hangup I’m trying to overcome: judgement of “my” work. Sometimes I blame perfectionism for my reluctance to publish. But Rubin’s framework totally alleviates that hestiancy: if the thing I create doesn’t belong to me, it’s on you to interpret it. The feedback has nothing to do with me and everything to do with the reader.
This realization allows us to let go of the result. If the idea wasn’t yours to begin with, the judgment of the result isn’t yours to bear either. How freeing is that?
To be human is to be creative. It sets us apart from (nearly) every other living thing on the planet. But thinking about creativity as something we all share in means that it is engaging is an obligation. It means we all need to move our antennas to receive that creative signal. And when we receive ideas, we have a responsibility to act on them and release them back into the world. We only fail when we keep our vessels closed or don’t act. -KC
Renting Skis at Scheels
Over the weekend I went skiing and rented my skis from Scheels in Colorado Springs, and I have to share this because it’s the best rental deal I’ve ever come across.
I picked them up on Friday, skied on Saturday, and dropped them off on Sunday. Their pricing is unique in that they don’t charge you for the days you are commuting to/from the mountain. So even though I had the skis for 3 days, I only had to pay for the day I was actually on the mountain in skiing. Their pricing is $50 for your first day of skiing, then $25 for each additional day. That’s it.
If you live near a Scheels (or if you’re flying into Colorado Springs to ski) this is a no-brainer. On-mountain rental shops are usually around $70 per day, and other places off mountain charge you for every calendar day you have the gear (even when you’re not actually skiing). -SW
Joanna Gaines Banana Bread
I’ll keep this short and sweet—if you’ve got a bunch of overripe bananas and are looking for a fantastic, failproof banana bread recipe, look no further. This one by Joanna Gaines has been our go-to for years. -KC
Run Away - Netflix Miniseries
Back in December I put out a recommendation to grab Netflix for a bit. Between the NFL games, the Stranger Things finale, and a few other things, it felt like an all time month to get it.
While I had the subscription, I was recommended a show called Run Away, and I’m glad they did. It’s an 8-episode mini-series based on a novel by Harlan Coben. Netflix has the rights to a bunch of his books. The story follows a dad trying to track down his adult daughter, and it pulled me in really quickly.
I really enjoyed it and have already been telling a few people to check it out. If you’ve got Netflix right now, I’d give it a try and let me know what you think. -SW
Just for Dad: Colorado Child Care Contribution Credit
As we prep for another tax season, I’m spending some time learning about ways to minimize our tax burden. I came across the Colorado Child Care Contribution Credit, a program that deserves more attention than it gets. Here’s how it works: you donate to approved organizations that promote quality childcare (including foster care agencies and social services) in Colorado, and the state gives you a tax credit equal to 50% of your contribution. If you donate $1,000, you receive a $500 credit directly against your state tax liability. If you itemize on your federal return, you can deduct the portion of your donation that isn't covered by the state credit (so $500 in this example). It’s a great way to maximize charitible contribution and minimize tax burden. -KC
Dadvice Weekly is Kyle and Skyler—two friends in their thirties, living in Colorado, settling into fatherhood and trying to stay sane. Every Tuesday we share what’s working in our homes: gear we use, routines we’ve tested, ideas we’re trying. It could be a recipe, a product that solved a problem, or just what we’re thinking about as dads.
If you have a tip, tried something we mentioned, or just want to say hi, reply to this email or message us on Substack. We read everything, and we’re always looking for what works. Glad you’re here.