The Ridiculously Easy Way to Turn Your Creativity On
not productivity slop
Last spring I was at a broker’s open house at a palatial $15MM+ waterside mansion that a colleague had just brought to market.
I was being objectively really annoying.
The owner placing the property on the market was some type of heiress who was about my age (no, she wasn’t there) and this girl had style.
A giant, probably authentic George Condo adorned the living room wall, KAWS figures lurked in the corner, and the furniture was minimal and beautifully aligned for “late night hosting”.
There was a glass enclosure in the basement where the elevator from the garage kept the Porsche 911 safe…and visible from the mahogany bar.
I was overstimulated in the best possible way.
The combination of modern art, fast cars, a gorgeous home, getting a fit off and schmoozing with “I can actually afford this place” types tripped my wiring.
"I’m Triggered!”
Being triggered has the worst connotation ever.
We immediately envision Mid-Atlantic lax bro types with the fuzzy mini mic riling up blue haired septum piercing people on TikTok.
But triggering is real, people just lose sight of the fact it can happen positively.
You want to be triggered for this to work.
Stay with me now.
Back to the Bougie Open House
I was outside by the infinity pool talking to another colleague of mine, a former Dallas oil & gas trader who pretty much did real estate to stay busy.
Dude was literally a 6’7 German national in his early 50’s, and brilliant.
We got along great.
Normally (just keeping it real) I’d be a little ticked at the fact I was being outclassed on every conceivable masculine metric when I spoke with him, but not this time.
I was too elated.
Too in my zone.
Our interaction was priceless:
“Dude the aesthetics and the flow, she has taste man you don’t see interior design like this often”
I know, John.
“And like, look around man you know? This shit is possible for somebody!”
“These people have the money for it like how do people lose sight of that?!”
I know, let’s try to calm down a little.
Did you come chat with me just to settle me down?
(He started to laugh)
Yes, yes I did.
I wasn’t even that embarrassed, to be honest.
There was a 75 point brainstorm checklist in my iPhone notes I was furiously adding to as I pretended to send texts.
All that BS, too-small thinking, “what’s it all for anyway” wallowing that latches onto my brain like a barnacle…it all went away.
Yes, I used story time and embraced the abstract here, but for the more logical and formulaic among us, I realized my creative code was as follows:
Artistic Expression +Proximity to Luxury+ People+ Positive Atmosphere
Most of these Substacks get written in mom n’ pop coffee shops in upscale neighborhoods.
That’s not a coincidence.
But enough about me.
You and My Boy Camping in the Woods
Creative formulas are going to be completely different for everyone.
One of my best friends just spent his birthday camping solo in a national park, posted up on the lake and living out of a tent.
(Literally couldn’t pay me, but I admire it.)
The excitement in his voice before the trip and the cool, elevated calm he seems to ooze afterward were both palpable.
He seemed to hit his creative unlock.
I’d say his combo runs Isolation + Serenity + Nature + Faith.
(Which shows how absurdly these can vary)
I’ve seen this in a lot of people I know, where they enter a state where it’s almost trancelike.
They couldn’t hide if they wanted to, which is the beauty behind it.
It seems to be the most common at concerts or in nature, but don’t discount the gym or museums, either.
I’ve gotten a bunch of these calls, the “I can barely contain this emotion”, spitballing at 100 MPH, idea after idea after idea firing away.
I get the biggest smile on my face listening to it.
Hell, one guy I know gets it if he lurks TechCrunch too long.
That one’s particularly strange, but I kinda envy the simplicity.
People find themselves in environments that light an inner fire, and have an ensuing “upward spiral” of conscious thought as a result.
I want everyone to experience their version of it, and luckily it really is not that hard at all.
In fact, the best part about the creative unlock?
You already know where it’s at.
You can search through your camera roll, mental accounts of your happiest moments, or…the ultimate cheat code- what you enjoyed around age 12.
Deep down, it’s 100% there.
Once you see the big picture here, you begin to understand people going to the movies or baseball games by themselves.
The woman doing yoga on the beach, the CEO type staring down a painting on the wall.
A lot of them are entering this phase, even if they don’t realize it.
They’ll probably be glowing after….and maybe a little annoying.
I wrote this late in the evening at the cool coffee shop with the 20 foot high dangling light fixtures and S-tier playlist and people and dogs everywhere and I dressed up for it.
PS- My fault on that “20% off subscribing” email- that was automated Substack BS and I’d never actually send something like that intentionally.
Love always!
-John Abbate
6.17.2026