Hey friends,

Welcome to a special late edition! I blame the proximity of May-cember, which is almost upon us!

(May-cember is what we call the convergence of events that seem to happen in the month of May: the final school events, recitals, social events, travel, final tests — everything that has to happen before summer can officially happen!)

Thinking Too Hard 🤔

What makes for 'excellence'?

Soleio Cuervo recently shared with Julie Zhao a list of 7 qualities of an excellent designer. What's striking is that these qualities do not focus on the WHAT, but rather on the HOW.

Intent, clarity of purpose, ownership, and a willingness to advocate for a vision—all of these are part of a mindset rather than a skill set. This agrees with what I've observed in people I consider 'excellent' at something. They do not stop at defined boundaries; they can see past the assignment and dig deeper. They push the work and those around them to be better. They have an excellence mindset.

I don't think this is just limited to work, but extends to all areas of life. To be excellent at anything requires an excellence mindset: cooking, being a friend, being a parent, or whatever.

So, are we focusing on the what or the how? It's something I need to remind myself in the busy times when it's so easy to only fixate on the what!

Interesting Web Bits 🍜

Web Stuff

• Karl Koch reminds us it's what's on the inside that counts. I feel that way about donuts, too. (Bavarian creme is the best donut filling, fight me!)
• Also while we're talking about the insides, speed is not conducise to wisdom
• I love fluid layout and values but I still think we need SOME breakpoints.
• Following their pattern with Affinity, Canva now offers Calvary, a motion design editor, for freeeeeeeee.

Other Stuff

• "A complete guide to juggling, from zero to siteswap notation, by someone who juggles in nightclubs."

👽 Weird, 📺 Watch, and 🎮 Play

• 👽 Somebody noticed that the buns in Japan's McDonalds menu are all slightly askew... 🤷
• 👽 What happens when you give the trains of NYC their own instrument 🎷
• 📺 Birds [with swagger] 🕺
• 📺 See an underwater volcanic eruption 🌋