JETS JOURNAL - #082
May 20, 2025
Hi All!
Here is your weekly round up of what I’m pondering and exploring. Feel free to forward along to a friend if you think they might enjoy.
Learning to love the voice of my culture
For the longest of time, I used to look down at not only Australian movies, but music, and literature, cringing at the sound of my neighbours voice.
I felt like I aligned more with the Americans, and looked up to anything and everything that came from the land of the free.
In my eyes they were the top producers of culture, and the ones who created the best entertainment.
While Australia was a joke.
Everything I saw on screen, read in books, and heard on the radio, reflected back my own inner cringe.
However, as I grow older, I’m only now starting to appreciate my own history, country, and the art that’s come from here.
This parralells with the development of my first novel, a deeply Australian story, which has helped me to fall in love not only with my home, but my voice.
No longer do I try be something I’m not. This is me, and what I have to say is real.
I was inspired to write the above, after hearing George Miller speak in Melbourne the other day, which led me to watching the classic Australian film, Mad Max, for the first time.
I’m now planning on diving deeper into classic Australian films, and books.
And although, I’m not just an Australian, it’s nice coming to appreciate the most obvious parts of myself that I’ve neglected for so long.
It is so much easier this way.
Goosebumps as guide
Here’s a quote by Jon Bellion from a podcast I watched last week.
“If you get the goosebumps when your making it, go out into the world, and that’s your sword.”
I love the quote above because it frames your internal excitement as a key metric when it comes to deciding what you want to share with the world.
Using your goosebumps as a guide, and protector of your ideas gives you the confidence to stay persistent in what your doing, even if others might not recognise it quite just yet, because something deep inside of you can feel something special.
And although the rest of the podcast is primarily about the music industry, I think alot of what Bellion has to say about not only creativity, but distributuion, is relevant to all verticals of creation.
Would definately recommend watching if you like making things.
Introductions beyond work
If I met you for the first time, and I asked you what you do, how would you respond?
Would you tell me what you did for work?
Or would you tell me what you got up to on weekends when you weren’t in the office?
If you’re like me, you probably would’ve tried to package yourself to this new person, in the best light possible, right?
You would most likely make your work sound a lot more technical than it is, maybe drop your fancy job title, and you’d probably ask the same question back, unconsciously trying to see where this person sat on the social hierachy in relation to you.
Which makes total sense, because first impressions and how we present ourselves matter a lot.
However, I want to pose the question, what are you outside of work?
Also, don’t feel bad if you can’t answer that question, because I’m also trying to figure it out. It’s just a thought experiment, and reminder to myself to sometimes pivot conversation outside of routine, to gain a deeper understanding of a person.
And finally, it’s not that deep, if you want to have a surface level conversation with someone, be my guest, you don’t need to form meaningful relationships with everyone you come across.
Where I love to go
Lately, my life has been very routine, and I more or less do the same thing every week. So I thought I’d share with you my favourite places I continue to revisit.
- Golden Age Cinema: I love this place. It’s a small cinema and bar that’s hidden in the back streets of Surry Hills, here in Sydney. I go there all the time because they have great movie curation, and they give me free cinnamon popcorn.
- Redleaf Pool: I love coming here to swim laps, read my books, or just lay on the jetty. It’s normally quiet there, and the cafe up the top sells one of the best pineapple, and passionfruit crushers I’ve ever had in my entire life.
- Ampersand Cafe: This is my not so secret bookstore cafe I go to work at, that’s practically become my weekend office. I really enjoy hanging out downstairs in the underground book lair, and often get to speak with very nice people whenever I’m there. Take last weekend for example, when someone recognised me from my videos, and struck up a conversation with me for over an hour. Love that place.
- Maroubra Seals: This is my favourite gym to train at, especially since they just installed new ice baths, have a pool, a steam room, and have one of the best views while your excerising. They also don’t rinse their customers and overcharge their patrons, like many other gyms with all the latest trendy health and wellness gimicks.
Redleaf Pool
I gasp for air, my lungs inflate, and I continue on with the next stroke.
Only nine to go, I tell myself.
I start getting into the rhythm of it.
In and out, in and out.
I make it to the other end and turn around.
Eight to go.
My vision is cloudy, the goggles I brought with me have lost their clarity.
I don’t mind though, I can’t even see the oceans floor anyway.
I used to be scared of not being able to see beneath me, but now, not so much.
I wonder why I even brought my goggles in the first place?
Seven more.
I notice the buoyancy of my body.
I’m floating, I like it.
I look up to see a girl sitting on the wharf above me.
I think she’s looking at me. I wonder how I look?
I probably look weird every time I come up for air.
I don’t care though, and continue with my workout.
Six more to go.
I can’t wait to get out of here and buy some banana bread from the cafe.
Five more.
I should get a passionfruit crusher as well.
Yeah, I’ll do that. It can be my reward for when I’m done.
I’m close to finishing.
I can’t believe this place is only a twenty minute drive from my house.
I am so lucky.
Four more.
It’s gets easier the closer you are to the finish.
My lungs feel full. I think I’ve been inhaling too much air.
I hope I don’t pass out. That would be embarrassing.
Three more.
I’m getting the hang of this.
Two more.
I’m so close.
I keep going, glancing at the harbour from the corner of my eye with every breath.
There’s a crew of kids rowing, and a few idle boats perched atop the water.
I remember when I did rowing in high school, and didn’t like it, so I changed to swimming.
One more.
I’m glad I got here early, it feels nice being the only one here doing laps.
I can see the end.
Finally.
I should come back here next week.
Hope everyone enjoys their week.
Love,
Jet Williams