Audience of One

#056 - Dylan O’Sullivan on Lying to Yourself, Timelessness, Discipline, & Writing

Mar 21, 2024

Dylan O’Sullivan and the host discuss writing, discipline vs. inspiration, timelessness, boredom, and inciting a digital renaissance. They touch on technology's influence, lack of original works, and the importance of not lying to yourself. The conversation explores creativity, the subconscious, memes, and timeless stories. They also share their favorite directors and movies, along with book recommendations.

01:06:01

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Episode guests

Dylan O’Sullivan

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Avoid lying to yourself to prevent internal conflicts and promote personal growth.

Merge timeless content with contemporary elements for enduring relevance in creations.

Curate a diverse collection of timeless literary works and showcase essential narratives.

Deep dives

The Importance of Not Lying to Oneself

Emphasizing the significance of not deceiving oneself in all aspects of life is key. This resonates with the concept that lying to oneself can lead to self-destruction without any true purpose. Acknowledging this can prevent unnecessary internal conflicts and hindered personal growth.

Introduction

3min

Navigating Self-Doubt and Establishing Discipline in Writing

18min

Cultivating Creativity in a Digital Age

9min

The Dearth of Originality in Modern Films

7min

Crafting Timeless Art in the Digital Age

18min

The Power of Self-Truth

6min

Exploring Timelessness in Book Curation and Favorite Films

6min

Dylan O’Sullivan is a curator, editor, and writer at O'Shaughnessy Ventures and Essayful. Dylan and I talk about writing, taste, discipline vs. inspiration, timelessness vs ephemerality, boredom and solitude vs. the internet, inciting a digital renaissance, not lying to yourself, and more.

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(00:45) Curating & editing vs. writing

(05:39) Fear of never writing quality work or living up to your idols

(08:32) Discipline vs. inspiration

(15:49) Balancing technology & ephemerality with the timeless

(17:44) Solitude, getting better at the craft, and having a "normal" life

(21:09) Boredom

(26:32) Short attention & the effect on art & mediums

(29:54) Lack of original works & risk taking

(36:43) Digital renaissance; timeless stories & works

(44:15) What is timeless & what will become timeless

(48:17) Creativity & the subconscious