mlaws/weekly.log #001

Hey there,
You're one of the first people to sign up for this thing—thanks for being an OG.

I'm using this space to share what I'm actually building, finding, and thinking about as I figure out this whole indie "technical wildcard" thing. No consultant-speak, no growth hacks, just real talk from someone who traded a Big Tech job for creative chaos.

In a bittersweet way, this first post represents the end of my creative sabbatical (aka: post-Shopify hibernation).

With that in mind, here are a few highlights from my time away from the grind.

Three things I did during my creative sabbatical:

1. I slowed the fuck down 

It took a lot longer than I expected to bounce back from over a decade of career hustle-grind-sleep-repeat. I was very fortunate to participate in Re-Work’s Connect program that helped me reimagine the relationship between work, rest, creativity, and play in my life. Turns out rest isn't laziness - it's essential.

2. I rebuilt mlaws.ca from scratch

I had the privilege of working with Chantaie (co-founder of Re-Work) and Kathleen to design a site that honestly communicates the product I’m selling, me. Candidly, it’s been spooky/cringey/humbling to put my authentic self out there, and I’m honestly proud of where we landed.

3. I 3D-printed my little heart out 

I started with basic prints, then designed custom planters, shelves, and storage solutions while learning Shapr3D. There's something *so* satisfying about seeing designs and code come to life as physical objects.

Three books I read:

1. "Company of One" by Paul Jarvis

People don’t talk about how staying small can be a superpower for an independent business. I’ve had a tough time unlearning the tech industry’s gluttonous expectations of infinite 100% year-over-year growth. In this chapter of my professional life, Company of One hits different.

2. "Slow Productivity" by Cal Newport

Helped me reflect on how long-term career thinking yields bigger and better outcomes than endless frantic “sprints”. Spoiler: doing impactful work at a sustainable pace isn't just a pipe dream.

3. "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho

I re-read this one often to reflect on "the path" I’m taking. This time around, the shepherd’s zigzag adventure felt especially relevant. Sometimes the serendipitous (inconvenient?) detours end up being the whole point of the journey.

Three songs on repeat:

1. coulou's cafe trumpet meditations (no. 54)

Admittedly not a “song”, but I make the rules around here. Everyone has a “drop” they go crazy for. A new Beyonce album, Supreme merch, GTA6 — for me, it’s when a new trumpet meditation drops. If you’re one of my pals in Brooklyn, you should go see him live on Saturday.

2. "Someday Baby" by R.L. Burnside

A much-older family friend burned me a CD of Come on In in the early 2000s and Burnside has been in the soundtrack of my life ever since (thanks, Steve). Would particularly recommend for crunch time design/coding sessions.

3. "love is a black hole!" by Martin Luke Brown

Great song, great vibe, great name.

That’s all for this week. Hit reply if something resonates with you — I’ll actually read it.
Martin

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