hey welcome back to the 19th edition of cool stuff i found. wow i haven’t written one of these since May 25th! that’s exactly 104 days ago, crazy how time passes.
if you’re new here:
“Cool Stuff I Found” (formerly “Cool Shit I Found”) is a series where I create a highlight reel of cool stuff I’ve come across in the past week or just in general. I hope that this newsletter will inspire meaningful conversations and connections. As always, thanks for joining me on this journey of exploration and self-discovery.
This newsletter is broken up into the following:
I. Articles + Essays I’ve read
II. Visual Art + Media
III. Music I’ve been listening to
life updates:
june:
kicked off Chai and Vibes summer tour
we popped up in SF, and Chicago
went to a friend’s wedding in LA
july:
started to get into a pretty bad funk
C&V popped up in NYC with over 400+ people signed up
mainly focused on work
got into a decent routine toward the tail end
august (best month of the summer for me):
started out still in a gnarly funk lol
had C&V LA (my family came out to this one, so it was dope)
gave a wedding speech at my close friend’s wedding
decided to stay in NYC a lil’ longer and enjoy life
felt inspired with a vision of how I want my life to look like next year, and I have the clarity in terms of what I’m working toward
i took time off writing primarily because i was overwhelmed with other matters (more or less related to C&V). i’m still plagued by anxiety about things here and there, but for the better part i feel like i “made it through” the summer and that NYC trip was a much, much needed reward. i feel reinvigorated with a zeal for life that i hadn’t felt months prior. i navigated several ups and downs, began taking my ADHD much more seriously, and i currently am writing this piece in a state of happiness as opposed to being in that funk. the funk will return, as it always does, but today it is at bay. and that’s enough for me to write.
I. Articles + Essays I’ve read
you might disappoint people (and that's okay) by isabel
This snippet stands out but doesn’t quite do justice to the entirety of her article. This essay is actually about the important of honoring oneself and one’s time. The byproduct of that act is the end of pleasing the people around you. You’re going to need to take time for yourself to do you. That’s part of any process of becoming. Clear boundaries not only need to be set internally, but declared externally and enforced (almost) heavy-handidly. This snippet stands out because it is the **why**, the core essence, of how Isabel is honoring herself. She is a writer. Writing takes hours and hours of work, writing and rewriting, until you get something that flows — as she explains. You can’t afford to be suddenly taken asunder by a notification or the gravitational pull of a night out. Hope you benefit from this as I did.
What if not thinking about decisions made you better at decision-making? by kasra
the following excerpt is the core of the article i’ve linked above. in this essay, kasra explores some research dealing with decision making that came to the conclusion that being confronted with a decision, then actively taking time to do some other unrelated task, yields a better decision. this is primarily because there’s a lot more neural power active in your subconscious mind vs. your conscious mind. this essays is all about the phrase “trust your gut”
#10: everything ultimately almost never happened by aaliah
very few times a writer makes me pause and just carefully sift through their words. aaliah is one of those writers that makes me do that. there’s something immediately comforting about the phrase “focaccia and windex,” and i’ll admit i didn’t quite immediately grasp what she meant by “gravity let me go where I wanted but took my tears as taxes” but then i personified gravity as this being that was clutching her sleeves as she was pulling it along to the places she mentioned. And Gravity then relenting but making a bargain with her and taking her tears into vials as payment for her wandering heart. hope aaliah finds peace where-ever she goes.
II. Visual Art + Media
frankly, i haven’t been really paying attention to any other aesthetic other than what i see and feel. so here’s 3 pictures from my NYC trip i fucked with.
III. Music I’ve been listening to
Oh man, lots to add in this category!
QUỆN
𝗡𝗵𝗮̃ 𝗡𝗵𝗮̣𝗰 Tien Dinh Dalat is a project that brings DJs and their music to the intersection in the most idyllic places of the streets.
Vietname based, the Nha Nhac project has been one of my favorite finds of this summer. They’re just p much doing a much of jazzy, vibey dj sets at different spots in Vietnam. super cool to see, super aesthetic to watch, something to listen to as you get into your day in the mornings
Phum Viphurit - Welcome Change
Thai singer Viphurit Siritip, or better referred to as Phum, has this really cute video of him singing, driving, along with cute dogs. I feel like it’s pretty self explanatory why I shared this, but if. I have to declare it: its a fuckin’ vibe lmao He’s apparently a known artist in the Thai Indie / neo soul scene, but i’m discovering him for the first time.
Olivia Dean - Dive
Olivia’s voice caught me and made me stop in my tracks. Her voice reminds me of Lianne La Havas, who also had the same effect on me. This voice feels so quintessentially UK to me. I hear Lianne, I hear Tom Misch, but each has their own unique flair. She’s at the New Parish in Oakland on the 12th, so I might have to catch a show in person. Hope you drink some tea and vibe out to this jam.
Thanks for reading this edition. Share this with your friends, your grandma, or your neighbor. And if you made it to the end of this essay and you didn’t just scroll, dm me a 🌴 on either twitter or instagram. or leave a comment! As always,
Sincerely,
Haroon
P.S. Check out my previous newsletter if you’re curious: Cool Stuff I Found #18