I feel like I can't talk about this, but...

Summary

In this candid discussion, John Green reflects on the counterintuitive ease of honesty during personal struggles versus success. He challenges the notion that enjoying work, especially when busy, is wrong or unhealthy. Green shares his upcoming events, including opening for Rich Hall and Boseman, participating in comedy festivals, and his involvement in education and political campaigns. He also expresses excitement and apprehension about a potential collaboration with David Silva for scientifically accurate dinosaur figures and the launch of 'Crash Course Religions.' Green acknowledges the stress of managing multiple projects but embraces the 'storm' as part of a fulfilling life, encouraging others to explore their true feelings without judgment.

Takeaways

• 🌪️ The speaker finds it easier to be honest when struggling rather than thriving, which feels counterintuitive.
• 🎭 Creators are often open about their struggles, but it's less common to admit enjoying work and productivity.
• 🌬️ Stress can be both a hurricane and a breeze; the speaker enjoys the stimulation of stress to some extent.
• 🚀 The speaker's life is full of various projects and engagements, including comedy shows and educational summits.
• 🦣 There's an exciting project involving scientifically accurate dinosaur figures, potentially in collaboration with PBS.
• 📈 A crowdfunding campaign for woolly mammoth figurines is underway, with stretch goals that the speaker is eager to see realized.
• 🏛️ The speaker is involved in political campaign events, reflecting the importance they place on civic engagement.
• ☕️ The rebranding of Awesome Coffee Club to Keats and Co. is underway, with a focus on both coffee and tea.
• 🎬 The speaker is actively involved in content creation, uploading videos to Hank's channel and enjoying the process.
• 🌐 Complexly's Learnon is ending, and the speaker encourages support for the team's hard work and the educational platform.
• 🤔 The speaker is reflecting on what they enjoy in life, including the excitement of being in the 'storm' and the community it fosters.

Q & A

Why does the speaker find it easier to be honest when struggling than when thriving?

The speaker finds it easier to be honest when struggling because it feels more relatable and expected, whereas admitting to thriving and enjoying work, especially under stress, goes against the common narrative that such a situation is unsustainable or unhealthy.

What does the speaker perceive as 'the hurricane' and 'the breeze' in relation to stress?

The 'hurricane' represents overwhelming stress that feels destructive, while 'the breeze' symbolizes a manageable level of stress that the speaker finds invigorating and necessary for growth and preventing stagnation.

What significant event is the speaker opening for next week?

The speaker is opening for Rich Hall and Boseman, which is a significant event for them.

What is the name of the comedy festival the speaker is participating in?

The speaker is participating in the 'Last Best Comedy Fest'.

What educational summit is the speaker attending on October 5th?

The speaker is attending 'Project Lead the Way', an education summit, on October 5th.

What project is the speaker excited about that involves David Silva's dinosaur figures?

The speaker is excited about a potential collaboration with David Silva, who creates scientifically accurate dinosaur figures, for a figurine that could be part of a prehistoric life show produced by the speaker's team.

What crowdfunding campaign is the speaker promoting for woolly mammoth figurines?

The speaker is promoting a campaign on Backer Kit to fund the creation of scientifically accurate woolly mammoth figurines, with stretch goals for other prehistoric animals.

What is the rebranding of 'Awesome Coffee Club' mentioned in the script?

The 'Awesome Coffee Club' is being rebranded as 'Keats and Co', which is a coffee and tea brand that the speaker is enthusiastic about.

What is the speaker's role in hosting 'Saow and Tang'?

The speaker enjoys hosting 'Saow and Tang' and has uploaded several videos to Hank's Channel, indicating an active role in content creation for the show.

What is 'Complexly Learnon' and why does it end today according to the script?

Complexly Learnon is an educational initiative that the speaker is involved with. It ends today, and the speaker encourages support for the work done by the team behind it.

How does the speaker feel about the amount of work and stress they are currently handling?

The speaker acknowledges the stress but also enjoys the excitement, interest, curiosity, and community that come with it, despite the potential for it to become overwhelming if multiple things go wrong at once.