On Fire, Lately — #3

The Morning After a Great Day

Mar 29, 2026

Hi friends,

Have you ever had a wildly productive creative day — writing, making, building, whatever your version is — and then woken up the next morning feeling strangely flat? Not tired exactly. Just... hollow. Almost like the colors have been turned down.

This happens to me so often I’ve come to expect it (but I still fight it every time). Turns out, it’s not just me. It even has a name.

Researchers call it the “creative hangover.” A recent study looked into the phenomenon and found that creative practitioners report higher baseline well-being than non-creatives across the board — more engagement, more meaning, higher flow, and richer relationships. But they also experience a spike in negative emotions the day after a highly creative day. The emotional demands of deep creative work, it seems, have a delayed ripple effect.

I find this oddly comforting. If you’ve ever wondered why the day after a creative breakthrough sometimes feels weirdly hollow or heavy — there’s nothing wrong with you. You’re just recovering.

Here is a look at what is lighting me up this month:

3 Things I’m Obsessed with Lately

Notion (still!). But specifically the book tracker database I created. I’ve always wanted to get better about tracking the books that I read. This makes it so easy. So far this year, I’ve apparently read 14, am currently reading eight, and intentionally didn’t finish five.
Sign of the Times. I had no idea I was a Harry Styles fan, but ever since I heard a version of this song watching Project Hail Mary (see below!) I haven’t been able to stop listening to it.
Claude + Notion together. I know, I know — everyone’s “into AI.” But specifically: I’ve been using Claude to build my Notion databases. That book tracker I mentioned? I just described what I wanted and Claude made it. If you’ve been meaning to try Notion but feel overwhelmed by the setup, this is the unlock.

3 Things I’m Reading + Watching

The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody' Else’s Game. A fascinating book on game theory from a philosopher, rock climber, and yo-yoer. It made me look closely at which games I’m playing and whether I’m playing the right ones — or playing them in the right way. (I need to interview him!)
Project Hail Mary. I loved this movie so much. It made me laugh, cry, and remember how great movies can be. I read the book too, and this is one of those rare cases where the movie is just as good.
High Sensitivity and Self-Belief. Scott Barry Kaufman on why highly sensitive people require constant self-anchoring. I’m one of the 15–30% who identify with this trait, and one line lodged itself in my brain: HSPs are so attuned to others’ emotions — and their own inner lives — that anchoring becomes essential. If you feel everything a little more intensely than the people around you, this article might resonate.

1 Thing I Learned Recently

I recently finished Michael Pollan’s new book A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness, and one detail from it has completely lodged itself in my brain.

Only about 30% of people have an inner monologue. As in, a constant voice running through their heads as they think. The rest experience their inner life more in images, feelings, or something harder to describe — or sometimes, apparently, not much at all.

As a writer, this is hard for me to wrap my brain around. My entire process is basically trying to transcribe my inner monologue onto the page in a way that makes sense to other people. I couldn’t function without it. I’m not sure I even know what thinking without a voice would feel like.

But now I’m curious — which one are you?

1 Quote About Passion

“We are here to love. But then again, what is excellence? What is caring deeply, and paying attention, and repeated practice, and learning from failure, and staying curious, and steadfast dedication, and getting really close and feeling deeply — and showing up over and over again — if not love?” — Brad Stulberg, The Way of Excellence