Monthly Archives: June 2017

I have had an IPad Pro for about 8 months. It has been a real value add tool for my life. I originally decided to get it to read books on my kindle app, browse the internet and use it for work (mostly word processing and data retrieval from the cloud). It has been really useful and I have really enjoyed it. There was one thing though that was bothering me and that was the fact that I knew I was not using it to it’s full potential.

I was co working with two friends Erin and Jared at Soho House in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. Jared mentioned to me when he saw my iPad Pro that he wanted to get the new one and get the keyboard as well so he could use it as a replacement to his MacBook Air when he is on the move.

I was a bit skeptical about relying on the iPad and keyboard set up which is why I never took action and pulled the trigger. However since I value Jared’s workflow procedure and had a brewing curiosity about it since I purchased the iPad, this time I decided to march across the street to the Apple Store and pick up the keyboard ……..and the pencil.

Now I was uncertain about how both of these two gadgets would work out in my creative process and I decided to simply give them both a test run and a chance to earn a spot on the team. Here is what I like about them:

What is awesome about the keyboard?
It folds up into a cover for the screen of the iPad
The key pressing is smooth and quiet
The felt material on on the inside cover feels amazing

What’s awesome about the pencil?
You can draw and take notes on the iPad….enough said!

What is awesome about the setup?
It is much lighter
It takes way less space
You feel like James Bond when you whip it out and set it up

The only thing I don’t like is the keyboard is a litte sensitive and I do not like the iOS operating system on the iPad as much as the operating system on the mac. I can get used to the typing sensitivity and I actually like it because there is no need to type so hard anyway. The iOS I hear is being updated from Jared so that should improve soon.

I invested $170 in the keyboard and $100 in the pencil. The cool thing about it is you can use them both for up to two weeks and if you don’t find them useful you can return them for a refund. So if you want a lighter and smaller load when on the move and don’t require a lot of power to edit content I recommend it….and I will still have my mac at home/office and for work that requires more power.

I was giving a talk today and I noticed that when I am not in flow I am thinking about what to say, how to say it, who is listening etc.  I found myself thinking if I could find the magical words and deliver them the right I would knock it out of the park.

However I realized halfway through I was caught in my old pattern.  Thinking, being in my head and attached to the words I use.  Don’t get me wrong, the language you use is very powerful.  Just not more powerful than your body language, tone of voice and most importantly your emotional state.  Your emotional state is the same thing as the energy/vibes you are putting out to people.  They can feel it even if they aren’t aware of it.

The most important thing you must engage with is your body, heart, nervous system, emotions, your soul.  Speak from that place deep within you that is unwavering in it’s truth and you can trust the right words will follow.

It was also refreshing to feel comfortable not knowing what to say in moments and being at a loss of words.  It made me more human and relatable to my audience.  They appreciated my vulnerability and humanity.  When your heart and your emotions are in flow the artfulness of your language will come out.  It is the only way to tap into it.  An incantation my friend Eli taught me that helps me is,

“When I don’t know what to say, that’s when I know what to say!”

As silly or paradoxical as that sounds it is also the key to your success if you believe it.  If you embrace the uncertainty of the moment and allow yourself to be comfortable in the space between the notes you will realize the right words are waiting to flow from within you.