Studio Sessions

• 58. The Work You Keep Deferring

  We establish guardrails for the podcast after recognizing we've been on autopilot for months, using this as a state of the union where we commit to actual accountability instead of vague intentions. Matthew discusses diversifying revenue streams to reduce dependence on sponsorships that feel like selling rather than curating, while trying to build financial stability that allows space for reading and creative work. Alex confronts how illness disrupted his morning writing routine and the challenge of getting back to consistent discipline when life knocks you off schedule. Both of us recognize a pattern: the foundational work that makes everything else possible—exercise, reading, morning creative time—keeps getting deferred for reasons that sound legitimate but might just be avoidance.The conversation shifts when we randomly select a notecard reading "Arrogance is a dangerous cliff," leading into an exploration of ego, narcissism, and self-awareness. We examine the difference between confidence and arrogance, how arrogance removes the checks and balances that keep work honest, and whether constant introspection is genuine growth or just another performance. Matthew wrestles with the spectrum of narcissistic tendencies and how self-awareness might be a tool for getting what you want rather than actual change. We discuss how success can breed lenience with craft, how you can get arrogant even about a podcast, and why humility before process matters more than chasing outcomes.The dangerous cliff is isolation—not just interpersonal, but creative. When you skip the prep work, ignore the disciplines that made early efforts good, or believe you've mastered the process, the fall happens slowly until you're alone with work that's lost its foundation. We land on the necessity of checks and balances: accountability structures, state-of-the-union conversations, and honest assessment of whether we're actually doing the work or just performing the idea of doing it. -Ai If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving us a rating and/or a review. We read and appreciate all of them. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you in the next episode. Links To Everything: Video Version of The Podcast: https://geni.us/StudioSessionsYT Matt’s YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/MatthewOBrienYT Matt’s 2nd Channel: https://geni.us/PhotoVideosYT Alex’s YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/AlexCarterYT Matt’s Instagram: https://geni.us/MatthewIG Alex’s Instagram: https://geni.us/AlexIG

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• 57. Private Work, Public Truths

  We explore the tension between private creative work and public output—why some projects stay hidden in desk drawers, what gets lost when we don't capture ideas in the moment, and how the act of recording thoughts (whether on paper, voice memo, or typewriter) shapes what eventually gets made. The conversation moves through the craft of writing, from Dostoevsky dictating novels to assistants to the question of whether our image-saturated culture has made us illiterate in different ways than previous generations.The second half examines our complicated relationship with technology: the gratitude for AI tools that eliminate tedious tasks versus the frustration when a 2019 truck takes 45 seconds to connect to CarPlay in 2025. We discuss why analog tools aren't about nostalgia but about reliability—buying things that work the same way in year six as they did on day one, seeking friction and discomfort as antidotes to seamless existence, and recognizing that many technological "solutions" only fix problems technology itself created. Through references to Orson Welles films and a discussion of One Battle, we land on the strange appeal of living without constant connectivity, even as we acknowledge we'll never fully escape it. -Ai If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving us a rating and/or a review. We read and appreciate all of them. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you in the next episode. Links To Everything: Video Version of The Podcast: https://geni.us/StudioSessionsYT Matt’s YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/MatthewOBrienYT Matt’s 2nd Channel: https://geni.us/PhotoVideosYT Alex’s YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/AlexCarterYT Matt’s Instagram: https://geni.us/MatthewIG Alex’s Instagram: https://geni.us/AlexIG

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• 56. Seasonality, Not Speed

  We examine the tension between artistic evolution and audience expectations, using examples from Mac Miller to Paul Thomas Anderson to explore what happens when creators follow their interests rather than trying to replicate past successes. The conversation moves through Matthew's strategy of operating multiple YouTube channels as both creative experimentation and financial hedge—separating pure documentation from tutorial content while trying to preserve the act of curation from the corruption of commerce.The discussion deepens into questions about cultural pressure and achievement metrics: the constant comparison to others' milestones, the invisibility of what you've already accomplished when fixated on what's next, and how scarcity (real or perceived) compresses time and forces short-term thinking. We explore the concept of "chaotic clarity"—knowing exactly what you want to make but creating a mess in the execution—versus the anxiety of precarious stability where everything feels one incident away from collapse. The episode touches on sponsorship ethics, the difference between promotion and curation, and ultimately asks whether the framework of constant achievement is even the right lens for evaluating a creative life. We close by each defining our current season, revealing how different our experiences of uncertainty and momentum actually look. -Ai If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving us a rating and/or a review. We read and appreciate all of them. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you in the next episode. Links To Everything: Video Version of The Podcast: https://geni.us/StudioSessionsYT Matt’s YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/MatthewOBrienYT Matt’s 2nd Channel: https://geni.us/PhotoVideosYT Alex’s YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/AlexCarterYT Matt’s Instagram: https://geni.us/MatthewIG Alex’s Instagram: https://geni.us/AlexIG

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• 55. Reclaiming The Soul of Digital Technology - Less Capability, More Freedom

  We explore the philosophy behind building personal websites and using intentionally limited computing as creative practice. The conversation examines why modern computers feel "too dangerous"—offering infinite possibilities that paradoxically constrain focus—and how deliberately choosing simpler tools can restore agency over our attention and creative output.Through discussions of building throwback websites, setting up old computers as single-purpose machines, and integrating AI through terminal interfaces, we unpack the psychological difference between technology that serves us versus technology that exploits our behavioral patterns. The episode ultimately centers on a deeper question: how do we design our relationship with technology to support sustained attention, genuine connection, and meaningful creative work? We consider whether the future might look more like the 1960s than the 2010s—not through regression, but through conscious iteration that prioritizes human flourishing over engagement metrics. -Ai If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving us a rating and/or a review. We read and appreciate all of them. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you in the next episode. Links To Everything: Video Version of The Podcast: https://geni.us/StudioSessionsYT Matt’s YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/MatthewOBrienYT Matt’s 2nd Channel: https://geni.us/PhotoVideosYT Alex’s YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/AlexCarterYT Matt’s Instagram: https://geni.us/MatthewIG Alex’s Instagram: https://geni.us/AlexIG

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• 54. Embracing Necessary Imperfections

  We examine how digital culture's promise of frictionless perfection has created unrealistic expectations that we unconsciously apply to relationships, creativity, and life itself. The conversation explores the psychological residue of living in an attention economy—how algorithmic thinking shapes our behavior even when we consciously reject it, and why we find ourselves reaching backward in time for tools and practices that feel more aligned with human limitations.The discussion reveals how consumer culture has colonized our emotional lives, creating cycles of acquisition that promise depth but deliver dopamine hits instead. We explore the radical act of commitment in a culture designed around endless options—whether that's using one typewriter for a month, smoking the same tobacco consistently, or building sustained relationships with imperfect objects. Through examining our relationship with vintage technology and analog tools, we uncover deeper questions about attention, authenticity, and what it means to build genuine depth in a world optimized for surface-level engagement. The conversation suggests that embracing friction and imperfection isn't nostalgia—it's a necessary practice for psychological health in an over-optimized world. -Ai If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving us a rating and/or a review. We read and appreciate all of them. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you in the next episode. Links To Everything: Video Version of The Podcast: https://geni.us/StudioSessionsYT Matt’s YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/MatthewOBrienYT Matt’s 2nd Channel: https://geni.us/PhotoVideosYT Alex’s YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/AlexCarterYT Matt’s Instagram: https://geni.us/MatthewIG Alex’s Instagram: https://geni.us/AlexIG

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