Strands of Genius: Traits Empathic People Share, The Danger of Answering Quickly, 30 Year Thinking

Guest curated by Aisea Laungaue

Nov 19, 2020

:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, AISEA LAUNGAUE ::

LOCATION: Los Angeles
PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Anomaly LA

Aisea - pronounced like 'Isaiah'. Born in Auckland, grew up in Sydney, worked all around the world but now call Los Angeles home. I like creative problem solving and I like helping creative people make the most of their potential. I currently help lead Anomaly Los Angeles where I get to help iconic brands find their mojo again or help young brands grow into icons.

Editor’s Note (Rosie): I met Aisea when he interviewed me for my role at Saatchi & Saatchi New York. We only got to work together briefly, but I was immediately captivated by Aisea’s mind and leadership style — and I’ve loved following him from afar ever since! He is a man of many talents. No doubt the team at Anomaly is lucky to have him among the guiding forces. (And if you don’t work at Anomaly, go ahead and follow him on all the possible channels. You won’t be disappointed!)

:: THE LINKS ::

TRAITS EMPATHIC PEOPLE SHARE

I wrote a Twitter thread a couple months ago (that was referenced in this newsletter by Mariana, thank you!) about being an empath and why that can be a blessing and curse for those working and leading in creative industries. Consider this link to be a good checklist for whether you are one and the steps you can take to protect your energy and uniqueness in the rough and tumble of being creative in a global pandemic. (Psychology Today)

THE DANGER OF ANSWERING QUICKLY

This is an incredible post from Ed Tsue, who I worked with at Anomaly, an incredible thinker and an even more incredible encapsulator of the modern condition of being an empath in this crazy industry. This is a great read on why good thinking - REALLY good thinking - takes time in a world where speed is being rewarded for no good reason. (LinkedIn)

30 YEAR THINKING

As someone who briefly left the industry to pursue a (failed) screenwriting career, I realized it was born of this kind of approach to the way I want to live my life. Which is to think about longer-term horizons for how I define success. As we've all come to realize with this weird year, life moves both fast and slow. I thought this was interesting way to help frame the decisions I make about both life and career. (Nat Eliason)

Looking for more from Aisea Laungaue? Those enrolled in The School of Stolen Genius will receive a deep dive from him in their inbox shortly! You can access all our expert interviews for SOSG here.

:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::

:: Game :: Guess Who? I've been profiling people since a little kid!

:: City :: Tokyo. Best damn city in the world.

:: Book :: It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be by Paul Arden. Former creative director at Saatchi that I idolized, one of the best self-help books for creative professionals.

:: Podcast :: The Read by Kid Fury and Crissle. High brow commentary on low brow culture. Which is exactly my specific nexus as a person lol.

:: Album :: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Such an encapsulation of a brilliant, brilliant talent.

:: DON’T SIT THERE AND COMPLAIN ::

'Don't sit there and complain. Rub your hands together and figure out what to do'

- Michaela Cole, creator of the amazing 'I Will Destroy You', which is a MUST-WATCH.

If you want to be successful, you must follow one rule: never lie to yourself. Be honest with who you are, what you want to be, where you want to go

Aisea Laungaue

laungaue@gmail.com

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