Yesterday morning, I couldn't sleep past 4:15 am. Like anyone else, I tried to quiet my mind's thoughts for the next 20 minutes, but no luck. I jumped out of bed at 4:45 am, slapped on some hiking shoes, and climbed the 2.5 mile, 1100ft Paseo Miramar trail near my house in LA. I made it up just in time for the 6:12 am sunset. Ah, first light over the City of Angels.

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On the way up the mountain, while my heart pumped, my mind was relaxed. I was listening to a set of peaceful sunrise trance songs I'd mixed together years ago but had not heard in a long time. There was something about the crisp morning dark turning into light, the clouds disappearing over the ocean, and the nostalgic melodies in my ear, that felt meditative to me. My whole work morning after was filled with a rush of creative output, the mental debris had been cleared.

This year, my wife and I have been on a challenge to do 52 hikes in 52 weeks - just over halfway through the year, and we are close to staying on track. The only catch is, it has to be new or made new in some way. The goal is not just to exercise, but to break out of routine and explore new physical and mental terrain.

Many of my artistic ideas start with a reflection of nature. It will also give you calming serotonin and rewarding dopamine. Walking in the the woods is a great stress relief which is why so many people retreat to nature when they’re feeling out of sorts.

For us, it's been a fun journey so far!

Keep Exploring, Keep Creating

~Adam

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Adam Recommends

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On the way down the mountain yesterday, I finished Erik Larson's latest book on Audible. The Demon of Unrest. It was an amazing recount of the 5 months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the start of the Civil War. I found it incredibly powerful and given the current political climate, a good re-examination of a nation in tumult. You may know Larson from his popular book The Devil in the White City. History always has the inevitable nature of repeating itself, which is why I love learning about it. A nation at unrest, communication between sides faltering, and storms a brewing.

Thanks to Dan Parisi for recommending this one to me! Dan has been a great mentor to me over the years and a great student of history himself. If you haven't seen it yet, check out his 600 Years of Adult Learning in 6 Minutes.

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Business Artist Spotlight

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I'm very excited to put the spotlight on a new Business Artist community member, Nir Handie. Nir and his company The Artian uses experience in entrepreneurship, and art, to use a transdisciplinary approach to develop creative processes and strategies and inspire teams and individuals to think more creatively about problems, solutions, products, or services.

Nir is also a mentor and judge at MIT and Harvard in their arts, creativity, and entrepreneurship programs as well as a member of the cultural leaders network for the World Economic Forum.

We met through our mutual friend Andy Storch and had lunch in LA this past week. Nir is of Israeli descent, lives in Madrid, but works primarily with US clients.

Welcome Nir!

3962 BLEDSOE AVE, 3962 BLEDSOE AVE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90066
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