#0037 Do onto you as you would to others

Hey Loved One,

How goes it in your world? Most of the time when I write I know you're there but I don't know you're there, if you see what I mean. So when my cousin Joy talked to me this past week about rekindling her love for Scotch Bonnet after I spoke about my obsession (I had no idea she subscribed) I was boosted so thank you to her and all of you that stick with me.

I'm taking full advantage of the calm before the storm and starting to plan for 2025. Usually, I wait until I close the business for Christmas but in recent years I’ve made an earlier start especially before I get swept into planning Christmas dinner. I typically pick a word for the year and attempt to use free services like Year Compass to guide me through a review of the past 12 months and the hope for the future dozen but a lot of the time I don’t always have the patience to sit which I need to work on. I’m ashamed to say that I couldn’t remember this year’s word or phrase as I wrote this and having looked it up I realise how far I strayed away from it! It was “intentionally building” and I can clearly say I have done nothing of the sort this year. What I did intentionally build though was a way to truly evaluate what I want to do next.

As you may have picked up I am obsessed with ChatGPT and the AI evolution. As I learn to work with the platform I built my own Chatbot to walk me through my planning for 2025. I definitely have the patience for things that are a little more interactive. I’ve decided to share it with you in case you’re interested in trying it out for yourself. I won’t see your responses and it’s definitely not for everyone as we individually work out where we stand on the new tech but I’ve really found it to be a useful bit of kit.

So whilst I don’t have the $40,000 a year a Florida cruise liner is asking people for to avoid the Trump presidency for the next four years, I do know that I will be unapologetically centering myself in 2025, something I’ve been failing hard at for quite some time. A friend of mine always says to me “I just need you to be Juanita”, which I never realised until now was another way of saying she just needs to be myself and that being me is ok. So maybe 2025’s phrase is already decided as I will be doing unto me ALL the things I typically do unto others because I know that I will thrive by being in my own corner first.

What I’m marvelling at: Diane Laidlaw + AI, YouTube

Continuing in the AI vain, I wanted to share two compositions by tech wiz, Diane Laidlaw. Diane created two music tracks and the accompanying videos entirely using the new technology and, I can’t lie, I’m in love with them. Her creativity and aesthetic are stunning and features beautiful Black faces.

As someone experimenting with how to create digital imagery, I can only imagine the time, dedication and resilience it takes to get to a final product. And you have to have the creative vision and foresight to begin with.

I’d describe Diane’s musical style as kind of swing beat, neo-soul and jazz and I can’t wait to be able to stream her work on Spotify. In the meantime, you can watch Adore You and Echoes now on YouTube.

What I'm Watching: Martha, Netflix

I'm not sure how it happened but I've developed a low-key business crush on Martha Stewart. After the sisterwife went halves with me on a Masterclass subscription - which I really love - I learnt more about her and her evolution building a billion-dollar empire.

Knowing me is to know that I love seeing successful women and learning how they tick. And Martha Stewart has businesses upon businesses upon businesses. Furnishings, magazines, books, TV programmes, real estate, digital media - the full 360 and she's still running things at 83. Personally, she's got an interesting take on cheating - I think she thinks it doesn’t count when she does it which is hilarious - and she’s no-nonsense about her expectations though others have deemed her rude. I hate this perception that being clear and direct is a negative.

Anyway you can take your own view on Mrs Stewart on Netflix now.

What I’m listening to: Music 2 Fly 2 - TY

To me when I meet people they are just that, people. So when I met Mercury Prize Nominee and British Hip Hop Legend TY I had no idea who he was. I was told he made music, but that was it. Over the years I'd take my son to see him perform and we became friends. He introduced me to awesome French films and would randomly call to tell me off if he knew I was in beef with someone which bugged me because people love to call me to forgive another’s bad behaviour.

Anyway TY passed in the early stages of the pandemic when no one truly knew what COVID was or how to deal with it. But out of his loss, came a real insight into how people loved him and the discovery of his track Music 2 Fly 2. A beautifully descriptive spoken word piece that feels like you're following him on a whistle-stop tour of the world as he saw it.

I've wished since I could tell him how beautiful a piece of work it is and how the mantra his dad gave him is now mine: “You’re not supposed to win, so win everything”. A few nights ago I realised I could get the track on Spotify (it can't be downloaded as a single) and I got to immerse myself in it again. I like to think that when you play the music of someone who is no longer with us, they feel the vibration where they are? I like to visualise them physically lighting up, letting them know that someone, somewhere is thinking of them.

You can discover Music 2 Fly 2 for yourself on Spotify.

Until next time