Issue 183: Creativity Tips from Tony Soprano on What to Do When You Feel Misunderstood

🎉It's that day again, you know the one!
Issue #183: Creativity tips from Tony Soprano on what to do when you feel misunderstood
Harris Sockel ( Harris Sockel)

I thought the topics I covered recently in this newsletter ( WordPress drama, hurricanes, the worst Michelin-starred restaurants on earth) plundered the archives and shared some of the best stories about how to make the most of a weekend.

Because it’s that time again (weekend time), honestly, I never know how to make the most of those precious 48 hours. Historically, weekends are a relatively new invention. And they don’t come with an instruction manual.

Laura Vanderkam reminds us that while weekends may feel short, their time is roughly equivalent to your workweek (37 waking hours between Friday at 5 PM and Sunday at 10 PM). However, with less built-in accountability, we waste it. For years, she has used a time-tracking device to monitor how she spends her weekends—not to scare herself into productivity, but to become more aware. She calls it the “weekend experiment that will change your life,” and it truly changed hers. Seeing how she actually used those 48 hours led her to spend less time mindlessly checking emails and more time reading, puzzling, and doing memorable things.

Johanna Vann turns off email and relaxation notifications on weekends (go ahead, delete distractions from your phone every weekend, it’s great!), and suddenly those two days feel twice as long. Nishith Goyal sees weekends as an opportunity to build the life you want: one day, they are a rough draft of the weeks you desire.

What does your perfect weekend look like?

We’re also reading: Creative advice from Sopranos

If you plan to watch Sopranos soon, don’t read this article, as it’s full of spoilers, but: Sasha Zeiger explains how the Emmy-winning show's final episode taught her to take creative risks.

Tony Soprano is a sympathetic character because he splits his identity in half. He’s a mob boss, but also an ordinary person. He’s evil, but… is he? His life is pragmatic yet risky. Splitting oneself in two is a terrible way to live! It’s also not the best mindset for getting work done, especially creative work. After the final episode, Zeigler realized:

My best creations are pure subjectivity, genuine curiosity, and the expression of guided vulnerability that those vulnerable parts of myself can’t access.

Another practical wisdom for your weekend

When you feel misunderstood, it’s easy to want to push the other person to understand you. A better but counterintuitive approach? Try to understand them.

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Edited and produced by Scott Lamb & Harris Sockel.

Questions, feedback, or story suggestions? Email us at: tips@medium.com

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