Interlude: Writing Fingerprints, Managing Emails, and Memorable Communication
I recently watched this reel in which Simon Sinek talks about a Japanese concept called wabi sabi, or the beauty found in things that are temporary or imperfect. He shares an example of ceramics made by humans versus machines, and how ceramics made by humans are beautiful because they're unique and imperfect.
He labeled this "the value of human error."
This idea made me think about writing. I work hard to have zero mistakes in my writing, and as an editor, that's something people expect. But I'm also human, and mistakes happen. And typos can feel like failures, as though they reflect a lack of care.
But in a world with AI, where machines can produce nearly typo-free text in seconds, maybe those imperfections could remind us that there's a human behind the words.
The value of human error.
So maybe our writing imperfections aren’t faults at all. Maybe they're our fingerprints—signs that a real person is behind the text.
Now onto this week's round-up…
Round-up
From My Desk
Spend Less Time in Email and More Time Writing
Do you open your inbox and groan at the number of unread messages? Maybe important emails keep slipping below the fold while you’re trying to get real work done. In this video, you’ll learn 7 strategies I use to manage my inbox and protect my time for writing and other deep, focused work.
Reading
CONSORT-Children and Adolescents (CONSORT-C) 2026 extension statement: enhancing the reporting and impact of paediatric randomised trials
"As an extension to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) 2025 statement, the CONSORT-Children and Adolescents (CONSORT-C) 2026 reporting guideline aims to improve the quality and completeness of reporting of paediatric RCTs that involve participants aged 0-19 years."
Trends in scientific output on open science and open access (2015–2024): a bibliometric study
"Over the past decade, scientific output related to open science and open access has increased steadily and has been disseminated through multidisciplinary sources. This trend reflects the ongoing transformation of scientific communication and highlights opportunities for publishers to implement policies that support open knowledge dissemination."
Listening
Say What Sticks: The Neuroscience of Memorable Communication
“In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, [Carmen] Simon and host Matt Abrahams discuss how to distill your communication for maximum memorability. Whether you're pitching an idea or presenting to a team, Simon’s practical techniques will help you ensure your 10% message is the one your audience takes away."
Quote
"If your words are simple, people can understand them. If people can understand your words, they can repeat them. And if your words can be repeated, your ideas will spread." – Simon Sinek
Thank you so much for reading.
Warmly,
Crystal
