Grip the water and you sink. Relax and you float.That’s the whole lesson, hidden in plain sight. Alan Watts points to a paradox: the tighter we clutch—reputation, plans, approval—the heavier life becomes. “Not caring” isn’t apathy; it’s elegant trust. It’s loosening our fist so life can place something better in our palm. This is a [...]
There’s a quiet power that doesn’t come from charisma, cleverness, or control — it comes from presence. Alan Watts once said the way to become unforgettable is not to try to be interesting, but to stop trying at all. The moment you give up the obsession with yourself — how you look, how you sound, [...]
By Mark Salmon | IMMachines.com The Creator’s Paradox You want to move faster, but you’re tired of forcing it.You want clarity, but your mind’s loud.You want progress, but you’re drowning in possibility. Most solopreneurs think the answer lies in doing more.But what if the next level of creativity isn’t about acceleration — it’s about alignment? [...]
For Creators, Coaches, Consultants, and Solopreneurs (By IMMachines.com — Systems for Simple, Profitable, Creative Living) 1. Introduction: The Third Win We Forgot In the rush to “scale,” we’ve been trained to think business is a game of winning and losing. “I closed the sale.” “I beat the competition.” “I got the client to say yes.” [...]
For Creators, Coaches, Consultants, and Solopreneurs (By IMMachines.com — Systems for Simple, Profitable, Creative Living) 1. Introduction: The Seduction of the Big Leap Everyone wants the quantum jump.The viral post. The six-figure launch. The “finally-arrived” moment. But what if real success doesn’t come from leaps — it comes from steps? The Japanese call this philosophy [...]
For Creators, Coaches, Consultants, and Solopreneurs (By IMMachines.com — Systems for Simple, Profitable, Creative Living) 1. Introduction: The Cherry Blossoms Don’t Last Every spring, Japan blooms.Cherry blossoms — sakura — burst into color, soft petals floating in the air like snow. People gather to marvel, photograph, and celebrate them. And within a week or two, [...]
For Creators, Coaches, Consultants, and Solopreneurs (By IMMachines.com — Systems for Simple, Profitable, Creative Living) 1. Introduction: The Noise Trap Let’s be honest: the modern creator world has a noise problem.Everyone’s broadcasting something — their launch, their next “big pivot,” their future book, their soon-to-be-released course, their pre-pre-beta start-up idea. But behind the posts, not [...]
For Creators, Coaches, Consultants, and Solopreneurs (By IMMachines.com — Systems for Simple, Profitable, Creative Living) 1. Introduction: The Problem with “More” We’ve all met that person grinding out 12-hour days in a business they despise — the one who trades their freedom for “success.”And then there’s the other type: the dreamer with 100 ideas, but [...]
Technology is moving faster than most people can adapt. But adaptation is the new creative advantage.Harvard Business Review’s The Year in Tech, 2026 reveals the key transformations shaping the next 24 months — from agentic AI and living intelligence to the ethics, transparency, and environmental balance of emerging tech. For creators and solopreneurs, this book [...]
Creativity isn’t about being original. It’s about being authentic.Austin Kleon’s classic, Steal Like an Artist, isn’t a manifesto for plagiarism — it’s a manual for reinvention. For midlife creators, coaches, consultants, and solopreneurs — the message is pure gold:You don’t need permission, perfection, or a grand plan. You just need to start — and let [...]
