The How This Works show

Elizabeth Gilbert on work as a hobby, job, career, or vocation

5 February 2021
career, elizabeth gilbert, hobby, job, thejus chakravarthy, vocation, work

Coinciding with Thejus Chakravarthy's episode this week, we're also highlighting advice from author Elizabeth Gilbert on reframing one's work — to think of it as a hobby, job, career, or vocation. Listen to her response to Usman, a computer programmer who feels drawn to the arts but does not want to disappoint his parents.

Elizabeth Gilbert has written many books including Eat Pray Love, City of Girls, Committed, The Signature of All Things, and Big Magic.

(This video is a promotional piece for a course from Acumen but the content stands alone and has left an impact on our thoughts and patterns even years after first seeing it. The course will, according to the description, "equip you with the practical tools and inspiration to jumpstart your own creative journey".)

If you haven't yet, you can listen to our conversation with Thejus here: https://www.howthisworks.show/11

TED talk from Sugata Mitra asking, What else can children teach themselves?

1 February 2021
sugata mitra, ted talk

Ahead of Tue's episode with Thejus Chakravarthy, we're previewing a bit from our convo — a TED talk from Sugata Mitra asking, What else can children teach themselves? Mitra was the inspiration for the book that would become the film "Slumdog Millionaire".

Nova Stanley singing Hoagy Carmichael/Frank Loesser’s “Heart and Soul"

30 January 2021
heart and soul, nova stanley, singing

We talked around music in our episode with Nova Stanley but never talked about it directly so today we're featuring a Banana Republic commercial from last year with his version of Hoagy Carmichael/Frank Loesser’s “Heart and Soul”. Granted, it’s a promotional piece but we think it sounds like an outside fire feels on a chilly night.

If you haven't yet, you can listen to our conversation with Nova here: https://www.howthisworks.show/10.

The Okra Project

29 January 2021
black, nova stanley, people, the okra project, trans

Our guest this week, Nova Stanley, wanted to highlight the work that The Okra Project does to bring “home cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans People wherever” they can reach them.

Below is Tiffany Alfonseca's “I Hope My Blackness Offends You” (2020) whose proceeds went to project.

Please consider donating at: www.theokraproject.com.

If you haven't yet, you can listen to our conversation with Nova here: https://www.howthisworks.show/10.

Episode no. 10, How This Works with Nova Stanley

26 January 2021
how this works, new episode, nova stanley, tue, tuesday

It's Tuesday and today we have Nova Stanley on the show. He's a 17 year old from Brooklyn studying and working to be an illustrator. Among other things, we talk about what remote school looks like at his fine arts high school and being trans masculine in today's world. And this week, we don't just have the official show art but Nova also drew something for his own channels. Such fun, thank you!

Listen here to the #podcast: https://www.howthisworks.show/10

If you haven't, please subscribe and tell one other person why they should listen.

My Brother, My Brother and Me by The McElroy Brothers

25 January 2021
my brother my brother and me, other podcast, the mcelroy brothers, the mcelroy family

One of the things that Nova Stanley recommends in our conversation tomorrow is the McElroy Family's My Brother, My Brother and Me. Listen to their newest episode of their advicecast, Blood is Thicker than the Bu‪n‬, it's hilarious with the three actual brothers (we think).

Jewish Helping Hands

22 January 2021
jewish helping hands, rabbi joel e. soffin, stephanie krivitzky

Jewish Helping Hands is a non-profit started by Rabbi Joel E. Soffin, Stephanie Krivitzky’s childhood rabbi, who in her words “is not only the kindest man on the planet, but also a multi-tasking role model of mine. He has dedicated his ‘retired’ life to bringing high impact to communities around the world using small change.” She gave us the example that for only $400 we were able to get an entire Cambodian village connected to the Internet for a whole year.

Literal pocket change will make a big difference. https://jewishhelpinghands.org

If you haven't yet, you can listen to our conversation with Stephanie here: https://www.howthisworks.show/9

Nancy Duarte's analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech

18 January 2021
brain pickings, i have a dream, maria popova, martin luther king jr day, nancy duarte, speech

Ahead of tomorrow's episode with Stephanie Krivitzky and given that today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the United States, we want to highlight Nancy Duarte's analysis of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Found via Maria Popova's Brain Pickings, it's a great way to ground your day and think a little differently about a speech that you might think you know very well.

Here's the original article on Brain Pickings: https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/08/28/nancy-duarte-mlk-speech/

World Central Kitchen working to help restaurant industry, pandemic, and wildfire relief

15 January 2021
covid-19, josé andrés, novel coronavirus, restaurant industry, world central kitchen

One of the things that Nicolai Lipscomb talked about on this week’s episode was the impact that COVID-19 has had – and is having – on the restaurant industry. Luckily, organizations like José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen are meeting the challenge with a variety of efforts to empower communities and strengthen economies. Recently, Nicolai cooked for a group of firefighters at a celebration of life.

Learn more about Restaurants For the People and wildfire relief here: https://wck.org/

If you haven't yet, you can listen to our conversation with Nicolai here: https://www.howthisworks.show/8

Home Cooking with Samin Nosrat and Hrishikesh Hirway

11 January 2021
home cooking, hrishikesh hirway, other podcast, rachel khong, samin nosrat

Ahead of tomorrow's episode with Nicolai Lipscomb, we wanted to highlight one of our favorite podcasts in Home Cooking with Samin Nosrat (author of "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat") and Hrishikesh Hirway (Song Exploder) – a series focused on cooking at home. The episode with Rachel Khong gets into all sorts of topics, including how to use a plethora of jalapeños, quality olive oils, and how to cook rice without a rice cooker.

Find out more information here: https://homecooking.show/episodes/7