Stabilize The Core, Stimulate Progress
Plus: power pairs, a visual feast, self-promotion and the 2025 creative class powered by The Creative Collective NYC
Welcome back to our Weekly Digestif, a sensory round-up of what’s inspiring and energizing With/Creators, the community centered creative studio led by Jennifer Pauline. What we’re seeing, reading, eating, experiencing, and listening to.
1. Stabilize the Core, Stimulate Progress
I know we only have about 2 business days left to discuss the impact and artistry of Kendrick Lamar’s Superbowl performance, but I need to get this off my chest. As someone who is obsessed with process, storytelling, and the alchemy of creating something out of nothing, my mind is blown.
The amount of think pieces on his performance are plenty, but what I keep coming back to isn’t just the performance itself (which has made it’s foray into my morning affirmation sessions) it’s the interview leading up to it. His conversation with Apple Music’s Nadeska and Ebro was a rare look inside the brain of a “genius child”. What struck me most was his absolute clarity on three things: the power of being present, creativity as a sport, and keeping day-one energy alive in your craft.
What also landed for me was his take on growth as a continuum of core values. Evolution with intention. It reminded me of an episode of Wisdom From The Top with author and teacher Jim Collins. In his book Built To Last, he introduces the concept of “Preserve the Core, Stimulate Progress.”
The idea is that the most enduring organizations, or in Kendrick’s case, creators, “exhibit a dynamic duality.” Jim contextualizes this in detail saying:
On the one hand, they have a set of timeless core values and purpose that remain constant over time. On the other hand, they have a relentless drive for progress—change, improvement, innovation, and renewal. Great organizations keep clear the difference between their core values (which never change), and operating strategies and cultural practices (which endlessly adapt to a changing world).
Kendrick is proof of what’s possible when we apply this thinking to our life’s work. In a world that constantly demands reinvention, yet rewards sameness, the real challenge isn’t just progress, it’s knowing what should never change.
2. Visibility + Self-Promotion = Awareness
In our most recent edition of Weekly Digestif, I shared the compelling words from Matt Prebeg on being a creative in the digital age. It helped me overcome the overthinking around my relationship with social media, moving from performance to artistic practice.
That was level one. Level two is putting this into action and releasing the diabolical p’s: (fear of) perception and perfectionism. Both can be paralyzing when it comes to sharing your work, projects, thoughts and ideas in open space. The anxiousness is all consuming at times. But, when you embrace the belief that what we create is meant to be of service to other people, it feels less daunting.
A few years ago on Instagram, I shared work I’d done over the year leading up to said post. They were collecting dust in my drafts and it was time to release the joy. In the last slide of my dump was this clip from Tyler The Creator.
That was 2023, I’d forgotten about it until I stumbled upon this reminder from Yancy Strickler on
around Rethinking the Unbearable Weight of Self-Promotion. Watch, read, implement immediately.3. A Visual Feast
Since I’ve given up TikTok, my late night scrolls have shifted to Substack Notes and in one of those blue light sessions, I stumbled across a v. delicious discovery.
, sharing clips from her note “Color Combinations I Love of Food Pairings I’d Hate.” As someone who incorporates color theory into my design process, these combinations were so refreshing - tangerine and garlic, radicchio and banana? Absolutely yes. And if you really want to nerd out, check out Pinterest’s 2025 Color Palette here. Are you drooling yet?
4. It’s A Party, It’s A Party, It’s A Party
Speaking of perfect pairs, Tanner Fletcher is the modern-nostalgic fashion brand we need in 2025. I first stumbled upon them when my friend Casey dressed Avery Wilson (The Wiz), in their genderless designs for the Met Gala last year. After a little digging into their story, I was pulled in. The friends turned lovers and business partners met in a Facebook group chat for the University of Minnesota class of 2020. Today, they are breathing life into an industry that is grasping for air.
Their juxtaposition of masculine and feminine, soft and powerful, trad and rad..ical? Yum. When they announced their FW25 collection was named Dance Party, I may or may not have done a little two step. Their presentations always sit somewhere between theater and gallery exhibition, and guess what their leading color palette is this season? To quote Kayla Roolart: Erewhon Cloud Smoothie and Liver. I love when creative worlds collide, I’m so in.
5. The 2025 Creative Class powered by The Creative Class NYC
Picture this - you got a word from God that 2025 would be the year of the paradigm shift. After 365 days of surrender, paradigm shift felt a bit overwhelming but on November 22, 2024 you write down what you heard in your quiet time.
“You are about to step into a season of exceedingly abundantly. Do not take your eyes off me. I will give you the next steps, ears to hear and eyes to see. Don’t worry about the right helpers, they are waiting for you to say go. This next season, the paradigm is shifting in your favor. There is no time to worry, doubt or fear. Everything around you looks like it won’t work, but I’ve positioned the earth to welcome your work at this specific time. Yesterday, I told you Matthew 18:20 because you are building a company around gathering. Just keep gathering. I don’t care if it’s one person or 100 people, bring them together. The global bridges you want to build will start to reveal themselves next year.”
Fast forward to 2025. Two days after I was rejected from a mentorship program I applied to and this arrived in my inbox:
Something I never applied for, something that wasn’t even on my radar, yet here I am. Being named to their 2025 Creative Class in Social Good and Community as an “inspiring change-maker who uses their voice to advocate for culture and impact” is a timely reminder to walk by faith and not by sight. The work has always been the reward for me, and it’s always a beautiful surprise to be reminded that your work matters.
This recognition brings me back to my first recommendation in this digestif from Kendrick and Jim Collins. Everything we do should be a continuum, stabilizing the core while stimulating progress.
Congratulations to all of the honorees!
6. Songs For The Process
The last playlist I shared was energizing, keeping me on my toes to overcome jet lag. This one is for creating, designing, contemplating. I went to a museum café in Paris to write, turned this on and the words poured out of me like water. Some of the songs (Dinah Washington, Teach Me Tonight) took me back to my childhood. Dancing in grandmothers living room with the record player, belly laughs and her sharing cocktails with her friends.
Oh, the good ole days. Listen here.
let's go JP!
Congrats and this was such a good read! 🫶🏾🫶🏾