walking into the fire
field notes on cannes, courage and some questions for you
Hi lovely people,
Instead of a big essay this week, I wanted to try something a little different.
A collection of the ideas, conversations, poems, curated reading, and questions that have stayed with me recently.
Think of it as opening the notebook on my desk…
Yes We Cannes.
I wrote a round-up of highlights from my time at Cannes.
If the week had a single message for me, it was this:
Uncertainty isn't something to escape - it's the edge. Curiosity isn't a nice-to-have, it's the whole job. Make, build, experiment faster. Get comfortable in the question.
Read the full thing here -
The Conversation
I had an incredible conversation with an exec at Adobe this week.
I went in to talk about creativity in uncertain times - AI, innovation, the usual territory. But she has such an interesting pre-Adobe life (mathematics at MIT, McKinsey, private equity) that we ended up going everywhere: from mathematics to leadership to philosophy to, eventually, Chinese proverbs. My favourite kind of conversation.
When I asked her how she deals with uncertainty, she said:
“Courage amidst uncertainty has been the story of my whole life and career. My family came to the US as refugees. My parents taught me not to be afraid, but to walk into the fire.”
She told me about this Chinese saying: 向火而行 (xiàng huǒ ér xíng) - walk toward the fire.
It carries a double register: literal (firefighters, rescuers - the people who move toward what everyone else flees) and figurative (choosing to approach the difficult, the dangerous, the alive thing rather than turning away).
What struck me is what the phrase isn’t. It isn’t “playing with fire” (recklessness), and it isn’t “trial by fire” (something done to you).
The agency is in the walking. Deliberate, unhurried movement toward heat.
I’ve been turning it over ever since.
I believe that at certain points in our lives, we’re offered invitations.
Usually two doors. One looks like more of where we already are.
The other is the higher-order option - and it almost always involves disruption, uncomfortable conversations, vulnerability, stretch.
The phrase suggests a different relationship with that discomfort. Instead of asking how do I avoid suffering?, it asks: what if the thing I’m trying to avoid is exactly what’s trying to change me? Fire burns away illusion. What’s left is real.
There’s a quieter reading too: fire as warmth, hearth, other people.
Walking toward the fire as walking toward connection - the risk of being close to something that can burn you being the same risk as being close at all.
It chimes with the writing by Rilke that’s been inspiring me and this whole platform: live the questions.
It’s an orientation toward life.
Choosing the more difficult, more alive thing, even if it could hurt you.
It invites us to go toward uncertainty rather than around it.
The Way Through
I’m doing a “Delusional July” challenge.
It’s quite simple.
I have to make one delusional move every day.
The power of this is less about the actual results than growing the muscle of taking risks and moving more boldly.
About taking action before you feel ready.
And making it a habit or daily practice, rather than a big deal.
…But the results have been pretty good already!
Want to join me? DM me or leave a comment and let’s swap notes!
A poem from W.H. Auden on courage and commitment:
“The sense of danger must not disappear:
The way is certainly both short and steep,
However gradual it looks from here;
Look if you like, but you will have to leap.”
Source: “Leap Before You Look” (December 1940)
Community
Some favourite posts I've saved recently:
If you haven’t read Henrik Karlsson you need to immediately.
I particularly love his stuff on relationships, but this piece is great on writing:
Slightly different vibe, but this piece by Reid Hoffman made me think about the decisions we make:
Beautiful piece by Erifili Gounari on nature and uncertainty. It took me back to Dec 2024 when I was going through a painful winter. I had disconnected from social media and spent time observing the nature around me.
My favourite notes:
This from Tamara reminded me to stack risk, discomfort and failure now to avoid the discomfort of regret later in life….
This from Sentimental Garbage resonated…
This just made me laugh:
Questions I’ve Been Thinking About
We’re somehow already halfway through the year.
A few questions I’ve been sitting with...
Compared to January, what feels more possible for you now?
What in your life needs slowing down? What needs speeding up?
What’s something you’ve been dreaming about doing - and what would it look like to finally begin in the next six months?
If one of these questions stays with you this week, I’d genuinely love to hear your answer.
Leave a comment below or simply reply to this email.
It’s one of my favourite parts of writing this newsletter.
See you next Sunday.
Katie x
Thank you so much, Katie, for reading and mentioning me!
Love this Katie!