The post examines how Lyndon Johnson and Robert Moses leveraged overlooked sources of power, challenging conventional views of political influence and its implications for society.
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Henrik Karlsson writes essays about relationships, writing, and being agentic and grounded in yourself. He is the author of Escaping Flatland, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.
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6.3On the compulsion to make art
2026-02-18 • reflection creativity art nature sculpture
The post delves into the life of a struggling sculptor in Drenthe, highlighting the deep connection between his art and the natural world around him.
The essay discusses the transformative power of reading, emphasizing the difference between 'searching' and 'chasing' in reading practices. The author advocates for an active, critical approach to reading, where one seeks to integ...
The text explores the concept of sustained attention and its effects on human experience, particularly in relation to pleasure, seduction, and emotional states. It discusses how delaying gratification can enhance pleasure through ...
The author reflects on the influence of various writers, particularly Karl Ove Knausgård and Fyodor Dostoevsky, on their own writing and understanding of literature. They share personal anecdotes about their relationship with book...
Grothendieck's solitude shaped his mathematical creativity, paralleling how dancers develop proprioception to enhance their physical performance, suggesting a similar training for mental awareness.
The essay explores the nature of thought processes, particularly in mathematicians, who often think without words or images. It discusses Jacques Hadamard's observations on how these individuals engage in a unique form of wordless...
The author emphasizes the necessity of collecting raw, unrefined material before drafting an essay, likening it to the documentary filmmaking process for better content development.
Creativity often stagnates into predictable patterns, but taking risks and embracing novelty is essential to avoid 'mode collapse' in both art and thought.
The essay discusses the process of problem-solving through the lens of gardening, drawing parallels between creating a garden and writing essays. The author reflects on personal experiences and insights gained from observing his w...
5.3A constellation of lookers
2025-07-31 • art nature relationships essays
The author reflects on the influence of naturalist artists who painted landscapes near his farm, exploring the deep human need to observe and capture the world around us. He connects with these artists, who were often outsiders, a...
Consumption can either disconnect us from ourselves, like internet use, or reconnect us, as seen in the appreciation of art, fostering deeper self-awareness.
Personal stories reveal how acting on one's values can deepen relationships or lead to rejection, emphasizing the importance of individual connections over group dynamics.
The author reflects on his university diaries from 2010-2014, exploring themes of self-acceptance, anxiety, and the contrasting types of happiness he experienced. He discusses his struggles with social pressures and the coping mec...
The author reflects on the contrasting perspectives of their grandparents, who grew up in a resourceful, hands-on environment, and their own more modern, less adaptable worldview. Through anecdotes, the author illustrates how thei...
The author reflects on the concept of 'agency'—the ability to set and pursue personal goals effectively and authentically. Drawing from personal experiences and the life of filmmaker Werner Herzog, the text explores how agency com...
A year into full-time writing, the author shares the struggles and joys of transitioning from a conventional job to a more fulfilling, albeit challenging, lifestyle focused on family and creativity.
The author discusses the pleasure of reading private notebooks, highlighting the uncensored nature of the content and the genuine thoughts and interests that are revealed. The text also explores the two levels of content and style...
The author reflects on his early attempts to write poetry like Tomas Tranströmer and how he struggled to capture the essence of his poems. He realized that good writing is about paying close attention to thoughts, feelings, and th...
The author discusses the importance of identifying and prioritizing problems worth solving, and how to align one's actions with their values. They share personal experiences and insights on how to focus on what truly matters.
0Drift
2025-05-01 •
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The text discusses how people can misread each other and miss out on genuine friendships. It shares personal stories of the author's friends and how he misread them for years. The author reflects on Aristotle's three types of frie...
The author discusses the process of killing darlings in writing and shares fragments about identities, affordances, and the art of writing and reading essays. He also talks about the importance of taking on new identities to acces...
The text discusses the impact of certain works on the author, focusing on the works of Zbigniew Herbert and his ethical meditations in the form of ironic free verse. It also delves into the historical context of Poland and the str...