“Doubt never announces itself with loud footsteps or broken doors; it slips quietly into the room, carrying the dust of old memories, unfinished healing, and fears you believed you’d already outgrown. It knows precisely where you’re tender, exactly where to press, and how to make you question the very ground you stand on.” – Cyndi Stuart

When you’re a kid, you can be anything.

When you’re five, it’s cute if you want to be a doctor, artist, mom, Arctic explorer, and rock star. It’s one for each weekday, and then you can take the weekends off, right? 

All it takes to make new friends is to show them what you just pulled out of your nose.

It’s okay to say things like “I don’t know”, or to change your mind. One day, you can want to be a Michelin chef, and another day, an astronaut. 

You have freedom, encouragement, and options in abundance. 

In fact, when I was still in pre-adolescence, I remember feeling the same way. 

And why not?

I loved to write stories, put on plays with my cousins, tend to my own little garden after school, and “rescue” bugs that had fallen into my grandparents’ swimming pool.

Enter: the corruption of adolescence. 

Then something happened, and I suppose it happened gradually. 

As I started to move from my pre-teen middle school years into high school, people started to ask the “what do you want to do when you grow up” question a lot more seriously. 

Now, it wasn’t cute to have five answers. It was actually an existential problem. 

Now, I had to choose classes. I had to write college applications that indicated my future plans. Most intimidatingly, I had to have an answer for everyone who asked me these questions. 

Oh, and if the honest answer was “I don’t know”? You better believe I was about to have an entire audiobook’s-worth of unsolicited advice dumped on my already-overwhelmed head. 

The overwhelm made me shrink.

I have no problem now diagnosing my seventeen-year-old self as a diehard people-pleaser. 

Ultimately, my grades were fine (and actually kinda good if I do say so myself), but I was still afraid I had fundamentally not done enough over the years. After all, I hadn’t cured cancer, gone to the moon, or the like. 

I was struggling with making big decisions. So the pressure of “reality” forced me into feeling like everything must have its justification in my life. 

Why was I studying?

To get good grades so high-ranking schools would accept me. 

Why was I pursuing X extracurricular?

Because “clever students” pursue it, and I need to show I’m one of them. 

Et cetera, and so on. 

I asked the “why” question about creative writing too. However, for this thing that had been a passion since I was a mere pipsqueak, my justification was too weak. 

“Because it’s what lights my soul on fire and cures all my heartaches” wouldn’t cut it for the college essays. 

Well… that was stupid.

Ever since I was a little kid writing stories about my grandmother’s dog and tending to the plants in my garden, I was an artist. 

There are no “if”s or “but”s about it. 

It’s who I was at my very core, and for some reason, I sought to deny it so I could turn myself into someone I thought the rest of the world wanted. 

What I thought I should be is still unclear, but it mostly involved not doing the things I actually liked because I thought the friction of pursuing things that didn’t “set my soul on fire” would somehow make me more worthy of success. 

#1: Choosing to suffer didn’t make me more worthy.

Since that time in my life, I have been on the slow, humbling path of creative recovery, gradually growing back what I tried to squash during those years with the help of figures like Rick Rubin(The Creative Act: A Way Of Being) and Julia Cameron(The Artist’s Way), and learning so much about myself in the process. 

The biggest lesson for me, however, has been to stop choosing suffering for suffering’s sake. 

With some introspection and willingness to explore different options, it’s entirely possible (some might even say inevitable), to eventually stumble upon that much-coveted ikigai. That is, you will find the convergence of what you love, what the world needs, what you can be paid for, and what you’re good at. 

#2: Listen to your jealousy.

Now, this path was not paved with good intentions I’m sorry to say. 

In fact, a lot of times, I find change is fueled by feelings like anger and jealousy, which tell us “something is missing here”, and “they have what I’m missing”. 

Being an artist is really about how you live your life, and prioritizing creativity regularly. 

If you find yourself jealous over the extent to which others are able to publicly express themselves creatively, or jealous because they actually have creative projects they’re working on, then maybe you should start working on something too. 

Your jealousy is telling you what you want your life to look like. 

Listen. 

#3: There doesn’t have to be a “point” for you to start exploring.

Of all the best things that have happened in my life, few emerged from a clear “plan”, in which there was a predetermined “reason” for every minute spent. 

In fact, I think that kind of spontaneity is part of what makes life beautiful. 

“Wanting” to write a short story, “wanting” to wear your clothes differently, “wanting” to try a new recipe, “wanting” to listen to a new genre of music, and even “wanting” to try out a life in which you are an artist is enough. 

It doesn’t always have to be about how much money you will make doing it, or how “aesthetic” it will look on your Instagram story. 

Do it because you want to. Wanting to is enough. 

The Courage To Be Like A Kid Again

There is a quote attributed to Deepak Chopra that goes, “The most creative act you will ever undertake is the act of creating yourself.” 

It means that to be an artist, you also have to live like one, and apply that creativity to embodying the identity of who you want to be. 

For me, that has meant tuning into those expansive, hopeful dreams of Little Me, and asking, “Wait…how can I make her excited about the life I’m building?”

In doing just that, I have been pleasantly surprised to find that a life of a scientist-artist-author-explorer actually is possible for me. 

In fact, it’s a lot more accessible than I once imagined. 

Thought To Action 

1. Pause and Write Your “Failure Archive”: List three things you tried that didn’t go as planned this year. Don’t fix them. Instead, just name them and how they made you feel.
2. Reframe Effort as Evidence: Track one kind of effort for two weeks (reading time, daily creative minutes, meaningful talks). Let the action be the metric, not just the outcome.
3. Create a “Growth Pause”: Pick one thing you’ll do less of (doomscrolling, chores as avoidance). Put a boundary around it and note what space that creates for something nourishing. 
4. Rediscover Joy in the Small and Slow: Read one short piece of writing without pressure—no speed goals, no expectations.
5. Set One “Next Try Intent”: Choose one thing from your failure archive and decide a small, doable step you’ll try next quarter — no perfection, just continuation.

Sources 

No external sources were used for this post. 

The post How To Stop Asking For Permission To Be An Artist appeared first on Green Also Green.

“Go as far as you can see, when you get there you’ll be able to see further.” -Thomas Carlyle

Here Are Your Options.

When you’re an interdisciplinary misfit, there are a few piercing milestones you inevitably experience as you fumble through the standard list of options.

There’s the class selection when you’re in high school and college(“Take math- it keeps the most doors open”). 

Then there’s the “You like science? Have you considered medicine?”, and if that doesn’t suit you, please consider engineering. 

If you’re literary and philosophical, your well-intentioned loved ones will push you towards law school.

Anything else? We will cram you into corporate life (product manager, anyone?). 

Now, don’t get me wrong. These are all fulfilling careers, if you actually choose them. 

But most of us don’t. 

We think “these are the options if I don’t want to be destitute”, and then we meander along, somewhat aimlessly, thinking we made the best decision we could. 

Careers For Interdisciplinary Misfits

I think you know where I’m going with this…

It’s all a big lie!!

The career world is full of options, and, much like dating, a lot of settling on the right career comes down to actually knowing there is something out there that will fit you perfectly. 

So today I’m talking to the person who has decided to explore, experiment, and find something that actually resonates. 

I’m talking to the interdisciplinary misfit who is committed to honoring the divine gifts within them. 

I’m talking to the person who wants to live without being tethered to a single arbitrary job description. 

…And not just because it makes life more fun, but also because when you step into your unique superpowers, you are even more equipped to make the world a better place. 

So let’s get started!

How To Go Through The List Of 75 Interdisciplinary Jobs

As you go through this list, I want you to read with intention and use it as an opportunity to reflect on what really speaks to you. 

Even if you find nothing that makes you want to change your trajectory, the jobs that tug at your heart could still provide a useful insight into ways you can live more in alignment with your own interests and gifts. 

To help you with this, I put together the following questions, which you can consider as you go down the list:

1. Would I enjoy this even if no one thought it was “impressive”?
2. What skills would I be excited to practice for years?
3. Do I enjoy working with people, systems, materials, or ideas?
4. Would I rather work independently or collaboratively?
5. Do I want a job that changes daily or one with routine?
6. Am I motivated by care, creativity, justice, sustainability, or discovery?
7. Would I enjoy being a lifelong learner in this field?
8. Am I okay with freelance, project-based, or emerging roles?
9. Does this career reflect who I am now—or who I want to grow into?

#1-15: Interdisciplinary Jobs In Science + Art + Design

Using scientific knowledge to create aesthetic, expressive, or experiential works.

#1: Bio-Artist: Uses living materials like bacteria or plants to create art that explores biotechnology and ethics. 

#2: Scientific Illustrator: Combines biology and art to produce accurate yet beautiful depictions of scientific phenomena.

#3: Solar Infrastructure Artist: Integrates solar panels into aesthetically pleasing public art.

#4: Sound Ecologist: Records and analyzes natural soundscapes to monitor ecosystems or create immersive experiences.

#5: Biomechanical Artist: Creates wearable or kinetic sculptures that move with the human body.

#6: Sensory Designer: Designs multisensory experiences combining neuroscience, design, and storytelling.

#7: Perfumer (Nose): Blends scents scientifically to craft perfumes and fragrances.

#8: Moss Gardener: Designs and maintains living installations made entirely of moss.

#9: Mosaic Artist: Creates art using stone, glass, or ceramics in complex designs.

#10: Color Consultant: Advises on color choices that influence mood and perception.

#11: Miniature Artist: Builds intricate, small-scale worlds for collectors or museums.

#12: Calligrapher: Turns handwriting into fine art and custom lettering.

#13: Robotic Performer: Uses robots as collaborators in live theater or dance.

#14: Algorithmic Musician: Composes generative music using code and machine learning.

#15: Interactive Installation Engineer: Builds art installations that respond to human presence or movement.

#16-29: Interdisciplinary Jobs In Technology + Psychology + Human Experience

Designing digital or physical systems centered on cognition, emotion, and behavior.

#16: UX Neuroscientist: Studies the brain’s response to digital interfaces to optimize user experience.

#17: Voice UX Designer: Merges linguistics and tech to make voice assistants sound more natural and empathetic.

#18: AI Companion Developer: Creates emotionally intelligent digital entities for support or companionship.

#19: Death Doula: Provides emotional and spiritual support to the dying and their families.

#20: Poetry Therapist: Uses poetry and creative writing for healing and self-expression.

#21: Adventure Therapist: Uses outdoor activities like climbing or rafting to support mental health.

#22: Virtual Reality Therapist: Uses VR environments to treat phobias, PTSD, or chronic pain.

#23: Dance Therapist – Uses movement and dance as therapeutic tools to support emotional, physical, and mental health, blending psychology with creative expression.

#24: Professional Cuddler– Offers platonic, consent-based physical comfort to clients, focusing on emotional support, boundaries, and stress reduction. (This is not prostitution, I promise.)

#25: Interactive Narrative Designer: Creates branching storylines for games, apps, and VR experiences.

#26: Cognitive Ergonomist: Designs systems and tools that align with human mental processes.

#27: Gamification Designer: Blends psychology and game design to make education, health, or work more engaging.

#28: Dream Research Technologist: Develops tools to study, record, or influence dreams.

#29: Animal-Assisted Therapist – Uses animals like horses or dogs to aid emotional healing.

#30-45: Interdisciplinary Jobs In Biology + Environment + Sustainability

Working with living systems, ecology, food, and sustainable futures.

#30: Waste Material Innovator: Develops new products or art from industrial or biological waste.

#31: Space Botanist: Studies how to grow plants in extraterrestrial environments.

#32: Lavender Farmer: Cultivates and harvests lavender, managing soil, climate, and distillation processes to produce essential oils, dried flowers, and wellness products.

#33: Avian Trainer – Trains birds of prey, parrots, zoo birds.

#34: Coral Gardener: Restores damaged coral reefs through underwater planting.

#35: Genetic Counselor for Pets: Helps pet owners understand their animals’ DNA and inherited traits.

#36: Urban Wildlife Manager: Balances city design with ecological needs of urban animals.

#37: Eco-Fashion Designer: Merges materials science with fashion design to create biodegradable or upcycled clothing from innovative new fabrics such as mycelium or seaweed. 

#38: Animal Behavior Consultant: Helps owners or zoos understand and correct animal behavior.

#39: Bee Sommelier: Tastes and classifies honey based on floral sources and terroir.

#40: Charcoal Maker – Produces charcoal by carefully burning wood in low-oxygen conditions, balancing traditional techniques with modern quality control for fuel, art, or filtration uses.

#41: Microbial Fuel Technologist – Develops energy systems powered by bacteria.

#42: Foraging Guide – Teaches people to safely identify and harvest wild edible plants.

#43: Insect Farm Operator – sustainable protein, science meets agriculture.

#44: Volcanic Tour Guide – Leads scientific and adventure tours around active volcanoes.

#45: Citizen Science Coordinator – Connects scientists and the public to collaborate on large-scale research.

#46-58: Interdisciplinary Jobs In Technology + Culture + History

Preserving, studying, or reinterpreting human culture using modern tools.

#46: Meme Archivist: Studies and preserves internet memes as cultural artifacts.

#47: Food Historian: Recreates ancient recipes or explore cultural food evolution.

#48: Deep-Sea Archaeologist: Explores and documents submerged ancient sites.

#49: Glacier Archaeologist: Studies artifacts and bodies emerging from melting ice.

#50: Art Conservator: Restores and preserves paintings, manuscripts, and artifacts.

#51: Bookbinder: Creates or restores hand-bound books using traditional techniques.

#52: Papermaker: Crafts handmade paper using natural fibers and ancient methods.

#53: Digital Heritage Conservator: Uses VR, AR, and 3D scanning to preserve historical sites.

#54: Digital Anthropologist: Studies how humans behave and form cultures in online spaces.

#55: Restoration Mason: Rebuilds historic stone structures and sculptures.

#56: Cultural Festival Curator: Designs festivals that showcase folk traditions, art, and cuisine.

#57: Historical Reenactor: Performs in period attire to educate about historical events.

#58: Travel Ethnographer: Documents disappearing cultural practices and rituals.

#59-75: Interdisciplinary Jobs In Engineering + Performance + Applied Craft

Hands-on, technical roles blending making, engineering, and live or applied contexts.

#59: Kinetic Architect – Designs buildings or sculptures that move or adapt dynamically.

#60: Tea Blender – Crafts custom tea blends by balancing aroma, taste, and culture.

#61: Cheese Affineur – Ages and perfects cheeses for optimal texture and flavor.

#62: Space Architect – Designs habitats for astronauts on the Moon, Mars, or orbital stations.

#63: Pet Food Taster: Assesses pet food for smell, texture, and appearance (and sometimes taste), ensuring products meet quality, safety, and palatability standards for animals.

#64: Scientific Research Subject: Participates in controlled studies by following research protocols, helping scientists gather data on health, behavior, cognition, or technology.

#65: Taste Tester: Samples food and beverages to evaluate flavor, texture, aroma, and quality, often providing detailed feedback to improve recipes or ensure safety standards.

#66: Tactile Storyteller: Designs narratives through textures and materials for visually impaired audiences.

#67: 3D Food Printing Engineer: Uses engineering and culinary art to print edible creations layer by layer.

#68: Wearable Tech Designer: Integrates sensors and electronics into fashion and performance art.

#69: Special Effects Makeup Artist – Applies a blend of chemistry, sculpture, and design to do make up for characters on movie sets and theme parks.

#70: Set Builder for Film/TV – Applies carpentry + design + problem-solving to build sets for film and TV.

#71: Voice Actor Specializing in Unusual Roles – Acts as the voice for creatures, ASMR, and characters in TV and film.

#72: Theme Park Prop Technician – Maintains animatronics, costumes, effects.

#73: Cryogenic Engineer – Designs systems for storing and preserving biological or space materials at ultra-low temps.

#74: Forensic Botanist – Solves crimes using plant evidence like pollen or leaf fragments.

#75: Dialect Coach – Trains actors or speakers in authentic accents and regional speech.

Interdisciplinary Experiment, Interdisciplinary Experiment, Interdisciplinary Experiment.

No matter what this list made you feel, there is one clear next step: experiment. 

When putting it together, I found myself tempted by many potential rabbit holes.

From kinetic architecture to scientific illustration, I kind of got a bit lost, both excited and overwhelmed by the potential. 

Can’t I just do them all? I wondered. 

Actually, yes. 

Take one, and test your initial interest in a small, noncommittal way. Watch a video. Read a book. Listen to a podcast. 

If you’re still interested, consider taking a free online course or doing a short video chat with someone in that field. 

At every stage, you are testing your interest at a slightly higher level, until you get it right. 

Yes, you can test out as many career ideas as you want, and yes, you can also press “reset” whenever you feel like it. 

Remember, you’re in the driver’s seat here.

So go ahead…make the list of things you want to try, and watch the answers you’ve been looking for finally unfold.

Thought To Action 

1. Map the Impossible: Write down three “too big” ideas you’d pursue if fear, money, or skill weren’t limits. Circle one. Start with the smallest visible step.
2. Use Tech Intentionally: Schedule a daily “digital audit”—10 minutes to check what tools you actually use to create versus to consume. (See this guide to mindful tech habits).
3. Build an Independent Study Track: Pick a theme you want to master this year (creativity, AI, storytelling) and design your own syllabus—books, podcasts, projects, mentors.
4. Pair Reading with Doing: For every chapter you read, add one experiment to test the idea in real life.
5. Reflect in Reverse: Once a week, ask: “What did I not do because I underestimated myself?”—then do one of those things, badly but bravely.

Sources

No external sources were used for this post.

The post 75 Weird But Cool Interdisciplinary Careers No One Told You Existed appeared first on Green Also Green.

“Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being.”

– Eckhart Tolle

Insights From Mt. Takao

Of all the weird natural systems on the planet, I thought I was over mushrooms. I really did.

Turns out though, we’re back in love. And yes, today I will subject you to that obsession. 

On a strictly academic mission, I climbed Mt. Takao, and got to have a lot of fun drawing different geological features and eating sweet treats (it’s a hard life, I know). 

From that trip- one of the best homework assignments I have ever had to do- I gained some random insights, as many silly backpackers do when swearing off mainstream society and disappearing into the woods.

If you’re wondering about the deep theme of these insights, don’t bother, because there isn’t one.

Rather, I decided to draw from my favorite moment on the trip: the oyster mushroom. 

Me sitting on the forest floor, drawing a mushroom

#1: Systems thinking

It was when I started to see mushrooms cropping up everywhere, and eventually sat on the cool shaded forest floor to draw a few by hand, that it really struck me: this cute little mushroom, right here before me in its dark non-plant-non-animal glory, was part of a huge planetary system that made the perfect conditions for it to end up before me. 

I mean, stop and think about this: mushrooms require particular soil conditions, particular temperatures and moisture, and it’s even larger systems that manufacture these conditions. 

You can zoom out and zoom in, and on all different scales, you can explain the simple presence of a mushroom on the ground. 

Then I thought about it some more, crouched there as one with the little white oyster mushroom, and felt it was a tragedy that when we think about the world around us, it’s often easy to forget about the systems things are made up of. 

Be a systems thinker. 

So what is there to do? 

Try what I did. Choose one object- an apple, an ear bud, your half-eaten sandwich…

Zoom out to the biggest force you can think of that brought that single thing to where it is now. 

Now zoom in. How was your sandwich made – from the bread to the seedling that ended up creative that tomato slice?

#2: Fast-track to replenishing creativity. 

There is nothing like a long train ride followed by a long hike to really clear your head. 

On my way to Mt. Takao, I enjoyed this uninterrupted hour of time on my Kindle, reading about plant leaves and atmospheric gases in David Beerling’s Emerald Planet as my friends napped in their seats. 

It was peaceful, quiet, and I got to let my mind wander along different trains of thought. 

On the trail, it was the same. 

I marveled at the trees, stopping every five steps to take yet another photo of a ravine, towering cedar tree, or translucent spider web. 

But, once again, I had hours upon hours of time to just think. 

No music, no notifications, no to-do list besides keep watching until you reach the top. 

By the time I got back to Tokyo though, I had several new notes on various projects, random tangents, and interesting questions to look up when I got home. 

Make time to think uninterrupted. 

One of the best systems, I realized, to create emptiness in which to nurture the baby seedlings of your creative garden, is to do something where the emptiness is a natural byproduct. 

Hiking is like that. Showering is like that. Reading is like that. Sometimes, even household chores are like that. 

When you do something where you mind can detach from the nagging expectations of a looming Google Calendar block, your creativity will step in and have a play. 

There are probably already tasks like that for you, and you might not even notice it. 

Next time, pay attention as your mind wanders. Savor the creative play. 

#3: Nature is therapy. 

In the deep cavernous well that is my camera roll, there lies a meme. 

On one side is a gray-skinned, sleep-deprived cartoon with bags under their eyes, asking Jesus, “Is this it? Is this the hardest test you have for me?” Jesus replies, “You literally just have to put your phone down and go outside.”

It’s funny, but accurate. 

Why are we always surprised that when we hide from the sun and spend twelve hours a day in front of a screen, we also happen to feel miserable and depressed?

Truth be told, humans weren’t designed to stare at screens. We were made to hike through forests, draw tiny mushrooms, and gaze in wonder at a deep green range of mountains. It’s what humans have been doing for millions of years. 

Nonetheless, I am still impressed at just how rejuvenating it feels to have a day outside, my phone tucked away at the bottom of my backpack, where the Notification Bird can’t get to me. 

Put down your phone and go outside. 

It’s hard to get away from screens- whether it’s your phone, or the laptop where you work all day. 

Still it’s worth making a deliberate effort, because your stress, worry, and constant existential dread will melt away. 

To make it more fun, take someone adventuring with you. Make it fun and easy. Bring a notepad. 

Maybe, like me, you will end up crouched in front of a mushroom, amazed at the multitudes it contains. 

Thought To Action 

1. Map the Impossible: Write down three “too big” ideas you’d pursue if fear, money, or skill weren’t limits. Circle one. Start with the smallest visible step.
2. Use Tech Intentionally: Schedule a daily “digital audit”—10 minutes to check what tools you actually use to create versus to consume. (See this guide to mindful tech habits).
3. Build an Independent Study Track: Pick a theme you want to master this year (creativity, AI, storytelling) and design your own syllabus—books, podcasts, projects, mentors.
4. Pair Reading with Doing: For every chapter you read, add one experiment to test the idea in real life.
5. Reflect in Reverse: Once a week, ask: “What did I not do because I underestimated myself?”—then do one of those things, badly but bravely.

Sources

No external sources were used for this post. 

The post 3 Secrets A Mountain Mushroom Taught Me About Creative Focus, Systems Thinking & Inner Peace appeared first on Green Also Green.

“What is now proved was once only imagined.” – William Blake

Training myself to think bigger.

After reading more about neuroscience this year, and developing greater intention with how I visualize my success, I discovered something crazy: I was used to thinking small.

This thought has driven me toward a long, winding road of daydreams, journaling prompts, and award-deserving mood boards. 

It has all given me a great sense of excitement and enthusiasm for life, and it’s all rooted in one question:

What if?

So many of us go through our day-to-day lives accepting everything exactly as it is. Let’s start there. 

What if you could make X better? What if you could read the book you’ve been meaning to start for 6 months? What if you didn’t have to feel Y or worry about Z? 

This exercise goes beyond personal development though, and can even make for a fun creative exercise in other tasks. 

Allow me to share some of the items on my own “what if” list now:

• What if I learned more about ethnobotany?
• What if I increased my time to action?
• What if I bought a bunch of land to turn it back into natural habitat? 
• What if I bought e-waste and found a way to deconstruct it while preserving the quality of the materials?

The Enduring Power Of “What If”

#1: Deepen your understanding. 

In adding items to my “what if” list, I have learned the skill of asking increasingly more obscure, random hypothetical questions. 

Exploring their answers often reinforces fundamental concepts that are tangibly applicable in my life. 

For example, in studying geochemistry, I got to thinking, “why isn’t there silicon-based life on earth?” Like carbon, silicon is what you would call tetravalent- it has just as many valence electrons as carbon, and thus, you would imagine, just as much opportunity to bond. In fact, most minerals on earth are silicon-based. 

After asking around and exploring this idea, one of my peers shared some papers he wrote on the subject, which I got to enjoy reading. 

In the end, asking a “stupid” question allowed me to make connect with others while deepening my own awareness of key concepts within geochemistry and evolutionary biology. 

#2: Challenge your assumptions. 

Let’s talk about “what if”’s favorite cousin, “why not”. 

For most of my life, I believed the narrative of choosing one career and using that end goal to make all my decisions. 

It was: if you want to be a doctor, read chemistry books. Wanna be a lawyer? Read about philosophy. And if you like both chemistry and philosophy, just pick one for crying out loud!

For a long time, it was tormenting to be the kid who simply liked everything. I was overwhelmed by the infinite paths I could take, and simultaneously saddened by the fact that they all seemed to lack the crazy diversity I dreamed about. 

Then I asked a question: Why not cultivate my unique portfolio of skills and interests? Who says I can’t design a career perfectly suited to what I’m good at, interested in, and hoping to get out of life?

When I asked this question, I realized that the answer to this “why not” boiled down to two things: fear of uncertainty and not wanting to put in the effort to discover the life that would truly fulfill me. 

Most of us do not realize how much we take for granted- intellectually, in our relationships, in the way we live our lives. 

So start asking yourself “why not”, and you might be surprised by the answer.  

#3: Realize your big dreams are attainable.

Here is some tough love: you’re not special. 

Throughout the course of human history, millions of people have also faced heartbreak, loss, financial ruin, and uncertainty. Many of them have also come out of those things with the reinforced determination to have crazy amazing lives. 

So what if there was a way to chart the path from exactly where you are to the amazing world, life, or career you envision?

What if you are not limited by your circumstances, but instead by your creativity?

We tell ourselves certain things are impossible for us, but when we ask “what if”, we realize an unsettling but reassuring fact. Actually, there is no real reason why someone else in your position could’ve gotten/done that thing and not you. 

When I do this exercise for myself, it can be disheartening. I realize that the responsibility to create what I want is fully up to me, and in a lot of ways, I fail at it.

Yet after that stark realization, there is also a glimmer of hope- yes, it’s up to me, but also, I have every power to fix it. Why? 

Well, why not?

What if it works?

Go and see for yourself. 

Open a new “Note” on a note-taking app, and title it “What If List”. 

Write one question. Make it crazy. Make it unhinged. 

Let’s see where it takes you. 

Thought to Action

1. Start a “Future Self” Journal: Write one page from the perspective of your dream self—what are you building, learning, wearing, prioritizing? Use this to guide daily decisions.
2. Identify Your Personal Design Criteria: What makes a task or project feel deeply worth it to you? Make a mini checklist. Use it to evaluate new commitments before saying yes.
3. Create a “Someday Stack” of Ideas: Start a list of crazy, impractical, or ambitious project ideas that you don’t have time for yet. This becomes your personal innovation vault.
4. Study Someone Whose Job Didn’t Exist 20 Years Ago: Look up someone in a role like climate designer, circularity strategist, or biofabrication artist—and reverse engineer how they got there.
5. Fuel Up With Fiction That Thinks Ahead: Read a sci-fi or speculative fiction book this month. Start with something weird. It will stretch your imagination more than any TED Talk ever could.

Sources

No external sources were used for this post. 

The post Use This Secret Tool To Build A Crazy Imagination appeared first on Green Also Green.

“We can’t just consume our way to a more sustainable world.” – Jennifer Nini

Please steal these ideas. 

After spending a year diving deeper into the world of materials science and nanotech, one thing has become clear: sustainable materials are the future, and the future might make you rich. 

However, before we get ahead of ourselves, there are a few problems scientists, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers need to solve, and today I want to talk to you about those exactly. 

Where can we get leverage?

How can we scale up?

And who will be first?

#1: We don’t dispose of bioplastics effectively. 

We think a lot about how well materials can be used for one exact task: Can your grocery bag carry your groceries to the car and into the kitchen? Does your plastic shoe sole carry you very far? Will your eggs be cracked in their plastic container? 

Yes, that’s all very important, but there is still a big chunk we’re missing: what happens after?

In the surge of work done on biomaterials, we see an inspiring focus on using biodegradable materials like mycelium or algae. 

So, if they happen to end up in the compost, they will not release microplastics- which is great. 

But there is still a gap between (1) getting these materials to break down faster without compromising their main function, and (2) getting consumers to actually dispose of them correctly.  

#2: Plant-based materials can be too weak for high-stress applications.

There is good news and bad news for everyone looking to get rich on bio-plastics. 

The good news is research suggests it could be easier to improve the mechanical strength of the current family of bioplastics than it would be to make more “recalcitrant” plastics more biodegradable. 

(Don’t ask me who decided to call all the other plastics “recalcitrant”, as though they were a gaggle of rowdy teenagers. But they are.)

The bad news?

Well, we aren’t quite there yet. For a lot of more high-stress applications, petroleum-based plastics still perform better. 

Perhaps though, this is good news, because it means there’s an opportunity for anyone ready to innovate. 

#3: Recycled plastic is not valued as highly as virgin plastic. 

Okay, let’s take a break from talking about bioplastics, and talk about those “recalcitrant” petroleum-based plastics we all know so well. 

You know, the ones that are causing all these problems we keep hearing about. 

Specifically, let’s talk about recycling. 

Now, I have already ranted about this in another post, but to sum it up: just about the biggest issue with plastic as they exist now is their end-of-life management. 

That is to say, what happens after you’re done with plastic. 

We want to believe recycling is saving a lot of our plastic, but unfortunately even the majority of trash you choose to recycle doesn’t end up getting repurposed. 

And the lucky minority that does?

Well, in industry, recycled plastic just isn’t valued as highly as virgin plastic. 

Of course, there are reasons for this that boil down to the purity (or lack thereof) of recycled plastic, and the fact that we just can’t easily remove other additives to turn it back into its raw form. 

But ultimately, this fact acts as a huge disincentive for manufacturers to actually use our garbage as a raw material. 

#4: There is a lack of sustainable construction materials that meet safety requirements. 

One of the industries with a silently high carbon footprint is the construction industry. 

Many materials, such as steel and concrete, are incredibly energy-intensive to produce, but have not seen promising alternatives on the market. 

Some are emerging, such as Carbicrete, but there is still room for other alternatives that also match the performance of concrete and steel while also meeting safety requirements.

#5: Almost nobody is designing sustainable materials for circular disassembly.

We keep building objects that can’t be taken apart easily.

What’s the problem with this?

Well, to design without keeping disassembly in mind is to deny the materials you’re using another lifetime. 

I’ve also discussed this in other posts, but it bears repeating. 

When we design for disassembly, we create a circular economy instead of just adding to landfills. 

Furthermore, we open ourselves up to a whole new realm of raw materials that we initially wrote off as “trash”.

The materials of the future that will make you rich. 

There is a well-known quote from Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” that goes, “We are such stuff as dreams are made on.”

No, he wasn’t talking about materials science, I know. 

But still- we can think of this as another way to describe the bridge between reality and fantasy.

When you take your dreams, and turn them into the world around you, what is that world made of?

Who gets to decide?

If you walk away with one thing, just know, it doesn’t have to be someone else getting rich off the innovations of the future. 

It could be you.

Thought to Action

1. Ask “What If” Every Day: Start or end your day by writing one bold “What if…” question. What if your shoes were edible? What if your routines were designed for joy? These questions open space for unexpected insight.
2. Do a 5-Minute Redesign Challenge: Pick an object you use daily (a water bottle, backpack, phone case) and sketch or describe how you’d redesign it to be more circular, comfortable, or creative.
3. Make Space for Creative Input: Commit to one hour a week where you absorb inspiration—watch a documentary, visit a museum, or read outside your field. Creativity is fueled by unexpected collisions.
4. Redesign Something That’s Annoying You: Find one product, system, or space in your life that bugs you—and reimagine it. You don’t have to fix it in reality, just give yourself permission to sketch possibilities.
5. Start Your Future Job Library: Curate a mini reading list around your dream career or project. Not sure where to start? This post will show you how to learn from curiosity, not credentials.

Sources

https://response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DAnaerobic_degradation_of_bioplastics

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/13/13/2155

https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/271345/1-s2.0-S0144861723X00125/1-s2.0-S0144861723004393/am.pdf?X-Amz-Security-

https://www.erda.dk/vgrid/JJKK/pdfs/jjkk_38.pdf

https://www.mdpi.com/2313-4321/6/4/76

“Cradle to Cradle”

http://ndl.ethernet.edu.et/bitstream/123456789/62965/1/1205.pdf

The post 5 Problems With Sustainable Materials That Will Make You Rich appeared first on Green Also Green.

 “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” -Carl Jung

What Is Cool?

When I think of “cool”, I think of Codie Sanchez. 

I’ve been following her journey for about five years, and the life and business(es) she has built never fail to inspire me. 

After working on Wall Street for several years, she left to buy “boring businesses” like laundromats and teach others how to do the same. Now, she has a huge following on several social media platforms and a New York Times bestseller, “Mainstreet Millionaire.”

What I love about her journey is how many times she started over. 

Her beginnings were as a journalist, reporting on various atrocities in Juarez, Mexico, which resulted in her being awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Award for print journalism. 

In 2008, right before the financial crisis, she made the first switch and took her first job at Vanguard. After this, she continued to grow, working at places like Goldman Sachs, First Trust, and State Street until 2020. 

That’s when she launched Contrarian Thinking, a finance and media company that is still going strong today. 

That’s two times where she pressed ‘reset’ and built an entirely new path with great success. 

And she is still doing it today, combining what she has learned about media and finance to bring into the world something it has never seen before. 

She is unstoppably cool because she carved a radically unique path that was deeply rooted in values and impact, while also being unapologetic in how she thinks, works, and creates.

My goal is to use the same approach in my own life and work, and today I want to talk to you about 3 ways I am doing just that. 

#1: Saying no to false binaries.

For a long time, I tormented myself with the thought that I had to choose between all the subjects I studied in school. 

I could have a career in chemistry or a career in English. 

I could be a science student or I could love humanities. 

Still a student, albeit at university and not high school, I am faced with similar decisions between majors, minors, and class schedules. 

However, now, I’m much more relaxed about the whole thing. 

Why? 

Because I realized my decisions were just that: decisions about majors, minors, class schedules, and exams. 

I didn’t stop being interested in the living world when I stopped taking biology. Similarly, I didn’t stop thinking and reading about philosophy when I decided on two STEM majors. 

My brain still mingles with dozens of “subjects” regularly because I choose to explore them. 

The secret, though, is that now I’m in control of how I explore them. 

I have learned how to mix and match everything I like to do and learn so that I have an education based in freedom, podcasts, books, travel, self-directed projects, and incredible (often random) conversations.  

It’s not “choose humanities or science”, “lawyer or doctor”, or “good at/bad at”. 

Being unstoppable cool is about knowing exactly what your decisions mean and what they don’t. 

It’s about knowing that whatever options you think you have, there are probably seventeen more invisible options that are that much more aligned. 

#2: Filtering your input. 

As a recovering people-pleaser and life-long paralysis-by-analysis girl, my single biggest source of doubt has just about always been other people.

Sometimes it’s some random unqualified charlatan on social media. 

Other times it’s someone very close, like family or friends who have known you your entire life. 

But as yet another internet charlatan, my advice is this: don’t take all advice. 

Because, unfortunately, most of the people whose advice you are getting are probably completely unqualified. 

And what is advice?

Experience repackaged as wisdom.  

But this isn’t just about advice. 

It’s also about media consumption and quality. 

Deliberately evaluate what you consume now, and what type of media you want to consume ideally. Be brutally honest. Most of us lose a scary amount of time to mindlessly consuming other people’s opinions. 

Finally, try being a better friend to yourself, because the way you talk to yourself is one of the most influential inputs around. 

What does that mean?

Stop calling yourself “stupid”. Make your bed. Buy yourself flowers. Give yourself pep talks. 

Yes, it will feel weird at first, but based on personal experience, I have never regretted waking up to flowers on my desk. 

#3: Performative productivity vs Slow Creativity. 

Of all three points in this post, this one is the hardest for me to live out. 

Why, I have spent many a late night wondering, do you hide behind a laptop in Sisyphus’ Inbox while also procrastinating on the important thing that you can do on your laptop?

An answer usually never came, and truth be told, I felt ashamed. 

The way I see it, if you’re going to procrastinate, choose something fun, something memorable, something that isn’t productivity porn. 

But there is a deeper dilemma here, and it is the fact that most of the time when we procrastinate on the important stuff, we justify it to such an extent that we can almost convince ourselves we aren’t procrastinating. 

Hence, me taking notes in the least efficient way while preparing for class because I would rather learn the easy way rather than the effective way. 

That alone has cost me hundred of hours that I will never get back. 

To honor those hours I have lost on pretending to be productive, I made a vow to be lazier. 

Yes, you got that right. 

I made a vow to spend less time in front of a laptop and to spend my extra time actually living. 

While it’s been hard, and I still find myself floundering at times, it ends up meaning that I actually make progress when I do sit in front of a screen. 

So say no to performative productivity. Say yes to slow creativity and progress.

Because you’re in it for the long game, not the short-term self-esteem boost or the aesthetic Instagram post. 

Claim the person you want to be. 

Being cool is about becoming, not about ticking off an arbitrary checklist that society has decided is the moving finish line of success. 

It’s not about following trends and wearing your hair in a slickback with a perfect set of nails and a wardrobe full of neutrals.

Instead, being cool is about who you are and how you act, not what your Instagram and LinkedIn look like. 

Thought to Action

1. Redefine “Cool”: Write your own definition—what draws you, not what sells.
2. Try a Micro-Rebellion: Create or wear something that feels fully you, even if it’s outside your comfort zone.
3. Start a Curiosity Journal: Follow your questions like da Vinci—capture 1–3 curiosities each day.
4. Read Fiction with Designer Eyes: Notice how stories spark material or systems ideas—see my insights here: 3 Easy Ways to Unleash Creativity and Innovation
5. Replace Performing with Experimenting: Trade one habit driven by approval for one driven by pure creative curiosity.

Sources

The post How I Learned To Be Unstoppably Cool appeared first on Green Also Green.

“Better to be a nerd than one of the herd!” -Mandy Hale

To be weird is to be free.

The enemy of every weird little seedling of an interest in the following question: “What’s the point?”

Don’t get me wrong- “points”, “reasons”, and “objectives” are one of the handiest tools of progress, but to let this bondage seep too deeply might be hurting your imagination, and paradoxically, your ability to solve the biggest problems in life and work. 

To be weird is to be free. 

And here is something even more wild:

To be weird is to see the world through a lens that makes you and your pair of eyes different from all the rest. 

To fall in love with random vats of knowledge is a superpower. 

Today, I want to tell you what that superpower has afforded me. 

#1: Nanotechnology

Richard Reynman said it best with his famous lecture, “There’s Plenty Of Room At The Bottom”. 

Indeed, there is. 

This was the lecture that introduced the world to nanotechnology in 1959, and over sixty years later, nanotechnology is still just at its genesis. 

As for me, my journey with nanotechnology started about a year ago when I first arrived in San Francisco as a student, and this idea of tiny things being powerful felt somewhat symbolic. 

Imagine a structure that is but a billionth of a meter revolutionizing energy storage, medicine, and more. 

It is humbling, and almost inspirational to be a fly in the wall (or a student at a desk) for research like this, and I was grateful for the opportunity. 

Since then, I have explored nanotechnology at various levels. 

I went close-up when I participated in weekly lab meetings at a nanotech lab group at UC Berkeley. Beyond that, I enjoyed getting excited about research papers that discussed things like how to translate nanostructures in butterfly wings to fiber optics. 

What it taught me:

• To be ahead of most other people, all you have to do is show up consistently.
• Medium brain with enthusiasm > Big brains with zero interest.
• Bring a book when you’re using public transport.

#2: Destigmatization Of Women’s Health Through Art

I’ve always been a numbers girl, but when I read “Invisible Women” by Caroline Criado Perez, I felt like the numbers were telling me a story I didn’t like. 

Even before reading this book I had experienced a few of the perks associated with syncing your lifestyle with your menstrual cycle. The biggest advantage to this personally was regarding my mental health, and the impact of taking magnesium during my luteal and menstrual phases. 

What was once the half of the month in which I routinely questioned everything and doubted myself the most became actually pleasant.

The more I explored this, the more I found myself evangelizing the approach to other women, urging them to explore their own hormones more deeply. 

It was Criado Perez’s book, though, that really sparked the feeling of rage. 

I saw that this wasn’t just about “perks”. 

The gender data gap was actually causing premature deaths for women (e.g. male-only crash test dummies & biased cardiovascular studies). It was putting them in danger (e.g. poorly lit public spaces). It was even leading to women giving up on their dreams (e.g. female PhD candidates experiencing little to no support when they get pregnant and often dropping out completely).  

I was upset, so I finally decided to do something. 

Over the past 4 months, with a group of friends, we created a comic book centered on menstrual health. Our hero, Amara Reyes, gets her powers from getting her period. 

Our mission?

To tackle the stigma around women’s health head on using storytelling and art. 

What it taught me:

• People will respect you for having the courage to say what they are afraid to. 
• You go farther as a team but faster as an individual. 
• An inspiring leader is an accountable leader. You don’t have to be perfect, but you have to take responsibility for your actions and get back up when you make a mistake.

#3: Female North American Bullfighters From 1930s-1960s

The past year and a half I have been in the process of re-igniting my deep love for creative writing. 

As a kid, I used to regularly enter short story competitions, and over my high school years it ended up getting pushed aside in favor of more “realistic”, “practical” paths. 

Then, I realized you can have exactly the career you want if you’re willing to put in the work to build it, and part of the career I want is that of an artist. 

After writing the biography of a retired champion golfer in South Carolina over my gap year, I grew interested in historical fiction as a way to empower ourselves using true stories from the past. 

This is when I came across Patricia Lee McCormick, an incredibly successful bullfighter from the 50s (the first woman to fight bulls professionally in North America) who dealt with several of the challenges inherent to highly male-dominated fields such as bullfighting. 

Her story is inspiring, and the more I dug, the more I found other women like her- amazing bullfighters whose stories few of us have even heard.

Learning about McCormick got me excited about writing a story- a long one- to capture this. For months I experienced a major block about how to write her story, and eventually how to write a story that was a composite of many experiences, given the poor documentation of these women’s lives. 

Now, I’m knee-deep in this project, and loving the process of becoming more and more in tune with the world of bullfighting.  

What it taught me:

• We all come from a long line of people who overcame struggle and adversity. You are not alone; you are genetically programmed for resilience.
• The “good old days” were very screwed up. Be grateful for the privileges your ancestors fought to leave you with. 
• Impulse-driven creativity only works when you actually make space to hear the creative impulse. 

#4: Knitting

I made my dog a scarf.

Yes, it’s true, and I think she really liked it. 

I learned to knit last December, and when I’m not in school, navigating a flurry of deadlines, I relish the way it feels to just sit on the couch, listening to music or a podcast, and just knit for a couple of hours. 

So far, I have made a very cute gray wool bag with a lining that I sewed on the inside, a mug cozy, a scarf that has a chevron pattern which I’m still working on, a pair of fingerless gloves, and a dog-scarf. Sadly, when I was moving out of San Francisco in April, I lost my first project, which was a half finished purple scarf. 

It was a hobby that came out of nowhere, which I picked up on Christmas day when I got a knitting craft kit under the tree. 

Still, it has been one of the most rewarding hobbies to randomly sprout in my life. 

Now, I’ve realized that I would also really love to learn how to sew and crochet….

What it taught me:

• 80% of the time, it ends up being way more accessible than it feels when you first try to learn it. Keep trying again, and you will find it gets way easier with practice. 
• If you messed up one row, don’t keep going. Stop and evaluate your mistakes before they get even harder to resolve. 
• Beautiful things take time to grow- whether it’s a scarf, a bag, a relationship, or  a life. Be patient with your journey. You are exactly where you need to be.

Embrace your weird side.

To be “weird” is not just a savvy career move and a swift de-stressor from a busy day. 

“Weird” is a way to liberate yourself from the long list of “should” and “should not” tasks that rule so much of life. 

It’s a way to reclaim what makes us human, to radically fight for your free will, for joy, for creativity, for sovereignty over your calendar, mind, and spirit. 

Being weird is how we tell the world I am alive and I am free.

Thought to Action

1. Redefine “Cool”: Write your own definition—what draws you, not what sells.
2. Try a Micro-Rebellion: Create or wear something that feels fully you, even if it’s outside your comfort zone.
3. Start a Curiosity Journal: Follow your questions like da Vinci—capture 1–3 curiosities each day.
4. Read Fiction with Designer Eyes: Notice how stories spark material or systems ideas—see my insights here: 3 Easy Ways to Unleash Creativity and Innovation
5. Replace Performing with Experimenting: Trade one habit driven by approval for one driven by pure creative curiosity.

Sources

No external sources were used for this post.

The post My Top 4 Weird Interests This Year (And What They Made Me Realize) appeared first on Green Also Green.

“I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success.” – Nikola Tesla

Materials shape the world.

All around us are items made of different materials with different life cycles. 

No matter what though, for every material you see, there was also someone who had to decide to use that material, and had to decide how to synthesize it and assemble it into a product. 

For each and every product, there are also different additives, various dyes or preservatives, and a wide range of demands during manufacturing, whether it’s heat or water in varying quantities, or manual labor in dangerous conditions. 

Quite literally, all these materials make up the world around us. 

But that’s not all. 

They are also changing the world around us. 

Because of that, the future of materials is the future of the world.

So today, I want to celebrate some of the 4 most thrilling (but also weird) new materials that will change the way we manufacture the items all around us. 

Ready?

#1: Nanomaterials

After getting close-up experience with a UC Berkeley lab developing new nanotechnology, I have grown increasingly interested in the future of nanomaterials. 

But what is nanotechnology?

The prefix ‘nano’ refers to a billionth. So nanotechnology is tech that involves the manipulation of atoms at the scale of 1-100 nanometers. In other words, technology that requires us to rearrange atoms at 1-100 billionths of a meter. 

The field was first founded in 1959 by Richard Feynman, after a lecture called “There’s Plenty Of Room At The Bottom”. 

He suggested we could manipulate individual atoms as a more robust form of synthetic chemistry. 

It was unusual to suggest something like this at the time, but since then, research on nanotechnology has boomed.

Now, we can easily expect the future of nanotech to have applications in energy storage, medicine, and even environmental protection. 

That said, there are still plenty of research gaps yet to be filled, with research into graphene and carbon nanotubes advancing the quickest.

But as Feynman proclaimed, still “there’s plenty of room at the bottom”- for creativity, innovation, and an exciting new future of materials. 

#2: Mycelium

I’ve had my eye on mycelium-based composites for a while. 

But what even is mycelium?

If you’ve ever seen a mushroom, think of it like the rest of the mushroom’s body. In reality, the mushroom you might be imagining is only the reproductive organ of the mycelium, meant to disperse spores to new places. 

Underground, in a dead log, or wherever it is growing, the mycelial network stretches far and wide. In fact, it is even considered the largest organism on earth (!).

However the wonders don’t stop there.

Combined, the production of concrete and steel contribute to approximately 15% of our global carbon emissions. 

Already, people are using mycelium to replace both of these, which release a huge amount of carbon into the atmosphere every year. 

Furthermore, mycelium has been used in clothes, accessories, and even alternative meats. 

What’s left is to refine our production processes and explore the material properties of mycelium even more.

But who knows?

Maybe in 20 years, you will be living in a house made of mycelium bricks, wearing mycelium leather, and eating a hamburger made of mycelium and peas. 

#3: Carbon-sequestering Carbicrete 

Okay, so maybe I said some ugly things about concrete.

But let’s please talk about concrete’s precocious baby cousin: carbicrete. 

Right now, concrete is the most used substance on earth after water.

A key ingredient to concrete is cement, which emits 8% of the world’s carbon emissions. 

Enter: carbicrete. 

Carbicrete essentially allows us to make concrete without using cement, instead replacing it with steel slag as the primary binder and carbon dioxide as the activator. 

Steel slag is a by-product of the steel industry, so using it as a raw material minimizes industrial waste. 

Furthermore, using carbon dioxide as the activator removes carbon emissions from the environment and helps to mitigate climate change.

Ultimately, curing the concrete with carbon dioxide lets us sequester 1 kg of CO₂ per standard concrete block, which holds a lot of promise in the face of current emission trends.

Now just imagine what would happen if we adopted carbicrete on an even larger scale!

#4: Metamaterials

If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, I need to tell you something. 

Invisibility cloaks are real. 

And guess what?

It’s all thanks to metamaterials. 

These are artificial materials (so you can’t find them in nature) that were designed with certain properties in mind. 

Think: noise-cancelling barriers, cloaking devices, and super-lenses. In a lot of ways, these materials feel like the supernatural heroes of the material world. 

They are very much the stuff of comic books and Marvel movies!

But how will they save the planet?

So many ways!

For starters, they can help to increase energy efficiency, such as in solar panels or thermal regulation in buildings. 

Additionally, metamaterials can be used to develop lightweight and high-performance materials for applications like transportation. 

Also, they can be used for passive cooling and heating systems, water purification, and desalination. 

That said, there are still many challenges with metamaterials in terms of fabrication, design, and characterization. 

We still need to work to make them better. That goes without saying. 

But you already know, if you start to see scientists showing off real-life invisibility cloaks, that amazing things are happening. 

It’s enough to make me absolutely thrilled for the next 20 years!

Thought To Action 

1. Design a Life You’d Want to Live In: List three feelings or values (e.g., curiosity, calm, freedom) you want to feel more often. Now ask: What would a day designed around these look like?
2. Choose One Thing to Repair or Repurpose This Week: Whether it’s sewing a hole in your sock or reusing packaging in a creative way, practice seeing value where others see waste.
3. Imagine a Future Without Trash: Write a short paragraph or draw what your neighborhood would look like if nothing was disposable. What would change?
4. Audit Your Footprint (Literally): Check the label on your most-used shoes or clothes. What are they made of? Could a more sustainable material work instead?
5. Read About the Next-Gen Materials: Check out mushroom leather, mycelium bricks, or algae packaging. Explore how artists and engineers are already building that future.

Sources

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381686851_A_review_of_applications_and_future_prospects_of_nanotechnology

https://pubs.rsc.org/aa/journals/articlecollectionlanding?sercode=na&themeid=ff357ff7-0458-45f1-b224-27a11965624b&utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/does-steel-and-concrete-needed-build-renewable-energy-cancel-out-benefits

https://www.theclimategroup.org/sites/default/files/2024-09/The%20Steel%20and%20Concrete%20Transformation%20-%202024%20market%20outlook%20on%20lower%20emission%20steel%20and%20concrete.pdf

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/18/namibia-homes-built-from-mushrooms-mycohab-mycelium?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://fungalbiolbiotech.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40694-021-00128-1?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0734975025000035?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://solve.mit.edu/solutions/8782

https://news.mit.edu/2025/mapping-future-metamaterials-0327?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/384601877_Metamaterials_A_Comprehensive_Review_of_Design_and_Applications

The post 4 Weird Materials That Will Save The Planet appeared first on Green Also Green.

 “Curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.”-Samuel Johnson

The Secret Weapon No One Knows They Have.

Some schools of eschatological thought believe Hell is just an endless line of desks with people going through an endless email inbox– scrolling through spam, newsletters, ads, job adverts, events, and work queries for all eternity. 

Okay, maybe that’s not official theology, but I’m sure you’ve felt that way before.

Truth be told, most of us are wasting one of the most valuable tools we have been given in the modern day, and that is the ability to communicate electronically. 

In fact, this has been one of the single most impactful tools for me throughout my own life. 

Using electronic communication like email, LinkedIn, and even Instagram, I have secured opportunities volunteering in labs (even as a high schooler), writing for prolific blogs, and getting invaluable career advice from people in the fields I admire. 

Now, I’m going to tell you exactly how I leveraged these tools, specifically email, so that you can find opportunities like this too. 

#1: The Formula To The Perfect Cold Email.

Let’s address the elephant in the room, which is that simply sending an email is not enough. 

We all get emails- newsletters, updates, promos and ads, and communication with people in our sphere. 

We also don’t usually have too much extra time to spend sifting through it all. 

So what happens?

There end up being plenty of emails that people delete and maybe never even read. 

Why?

Because engaging with that email takes too much effort, too much time, and provides them with little to no reward. 

So let’s start with a few key criteria your cold email needs to meet to ensure you get a response (and don’t get ghosted). 

The Criteria

1. Short but sweet: Don’t make your email hard to read. Certainly don’t make it an entire essay, detailing every aspect of your life story plus everything you ate for lunch the past week. Furthermore, if you feel like there is a lot of relevant information to include, don’t bunch everything up into a giant paragraph. Make your email scannable. 

2. Personalize: Don’t you just hate it when you receive an email that makes you feel like you are just another name on a giant mailing list? Sure, your name is at the top, but the content of the message is generic and corporate. To personalize your email to the person you’re sending it to, be specific about why you’re reaching out to them, and why something they did/wrote/said/created stood out to you. 

3. Be a giver: Yes, you may want a job or internship. You may want opportunities and invites to exclusive conferences. Yes, you want something. I get it. But so does everyone else. When you reach out to someone as a taker and not a giver, they might be initially willing to help you, but ultimately, professional relationships are founded on some degree of reciprocity, and so the more value you give to others, the more they will probably be inclined to give back. If you feel like you have nothing valuable, consider the value of your time. Consider the skills you are learning. Don’t undersell yourself. 

4. Clear call to action: In concluding your email, make the next steps clear. My favorite CTA for a cold email is to ask for a short 20min video call. Offer a few times that you are available and say you will send the invite. All they have to do is confirm and show up. It’s easy, clear, and gets you through the door. 

Use this template. 

Subject: 

• Option 1: Eager To Help With [insert here a project of theirs you are interested in] 
• Option 2: Eager To Chat About [insert here a book, article, etc. of theirs that you are interested in exploring more deeply]

Message: 

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

I recently came across your [article/project/podcast/LinkedIn post] on [specific topic], and it really stood out to me. 

As someone currently learning more about [briefly mention your field or interest], your perspective on [specific insight] was both inspiring and practical — I saved it to refer back to.

I’m [Your Name], a [student/early-career professional] exploring opportunities at the intersection of [your interests]. 

I’m currently working on [quick one-liner about what you’re building, learning, or doing]. 

I’d love to offer help on anything you’re working on — whether it’s research, outreach, or even being a sounding board for ideas.

Would you be open to a quick 20-minute video call in the next two weeks? I’m available:

• [Option 1: e.g., Tuesday 10am PST]
  
• [Option 2]
  
• [Option 3]
  

If one works for you, I’ll send over a calendar invite. Thanks so much, and regardless, I’ll keep cheering on your work.

Warmly,
[Your Full Name]
[LinkedIn or website link]

#2: Follow-up. 

Even after sending the perfect email, you still might get lost in someone else’s inbox. 

That’s why it’s important to follow-up 2-3 times if you don’t get confirmation that someone received your message. 

Usually, replying has just slipped their mind or the message has gotten buried. 

#3: Connecting beyond email.

They received your email, and now you’re connecting beyond it, in real time. 

Maybe you are out getting coffee. Perhaps you’ve secured that 20-min Zoom call. 

But now you have to actually…talk. 

What do you say? How do you say it? What if they think you’re acting weird or that you’re being either too serious or too casual?

It’s easy to overthink this part of building inspiring connections. 

So I have compiled a list of question templates you can use to take away the friction and make these initial meets go smoothly.

Question Templates

• How did you navigate your first few internships or jobs in this field?
• Were there any unexpected turning points in your career that changed your direction?
• Is there a decision you made early on that you’re especially glad—or not so glad—you made?
• Given what you know about the field, are there specific skills or experiences you think are undervalued but essential?
• If you were me — interested in [X] and still early in your career — how would you go about exploring that interest?
• Are there any types of companies, roles, or environments you’d suggest I explore (or avoid) based on what I’ve shared?
• Who are the people or communities that have been most helpful or inspiring for you?
• If someone in your network is ever looking for [X], would you be open to connecting us?
• Are there any organizations, newsletters, or groups you’d recommend I plug into?
• Do you know of any projects or people that might be looking for someone with my interests or skills?
• I’m exploring how to combine [interest] and [skill] to make an impact in [field] — does anything come to mind that aligns with that intersection?
• I’m in the middle of [a project, a course, a decision] — would love to hear your take on it if you’re open to it.
• I’m interested in [X], but still figuring out what paths are possible. What would you do if you were exploring this today?

…But Make Sure To Always Ask:

• For suggestions on resources to read, listen to, or explore career development in your domain.
• If you can stay in touch beyond the initial meet 

Thank you, email.

Don’t let yourself get trapped into feeling like your dream career is out of reach. 

It’s probably way more accessible than you realize.

In fact, it is easier than ever before to connect with people doing incredible work.

So go ahead and open your email right now. 

Start typing a new message. Press send. 

I can’t wait to see where it takes you. 

Thought To Action 

1. Start a “Future Self” Journal: Write one page from the perspective of your dream self—what are you building, learning, wearing, prioritizing? Use this to guide daily decisions.
2. Identify Your Personal Design Criteria: What makes a task or project feel deeply worth it to you? Make a mini checklist. Use it to evaluate new commitments before saying yes.
3. Create a “Someday Stack” of Ideas: Start a list of odd, impractical, or ambitious project ideas that you don’t have time for yet. This becomes your personal innovation vault.
4. Study Someone Whose Job Didn’t Exist 20 Years Ago: Look up someone in a role like climate designer, circularity strategist, or biofabrication artist—and reverse engineer how they got there.
5. Fuel Up With Fiction That Thinks Ahead: Read a sci-fi or speculative fiction book this month. Start with something weird. It will stretch your imagination more than any TED Talk ever could.

Sources

No external resources were used for this post.

The post Cold Email To Make Nerdy Friends And Meet New Mentors appeared first on Green Also Green.

“I want to be a superhero, I want to be Spider-Man or Batman. Will you let me know if you have any connections? Let’s make it happen.” -Stephan James

LinkedIn is not the problem.

LinkedIn is not the problem; you are. 

Now, before you un-connect with me, hear me out.

So many of us are quick to say we hate LinkedIn. We hate how transactional it is, and how the way professional experience translates into a headline often feels like a sort of strange witchcraft. 

We hate that you can say one thing and be living another, and that it always somehow feels like the person you know IRL is not the one you see online. 

It feels fake, and we all know it.

There are lies, to be sure, and there is a lot of window-dressing. I’m not here to excuse that at all. 

But beneath all that, there is something else…

Today, I want to talk to you about the opportunity of LinkedIn, and by the time you have finished reading this post, you will wonder why you never took advantage of it. 

Furthermore, you will realize that 99% of us are using LinkedIn all wrong, and that with a few small changes, it can be transformed into your secret weapon for success. 

#1: LinkedIn arithmetic. 100 real connections > 500 random connections. 

Ah, the “500+ connections”. 

At the beginning of my freshman year of college, this was the Holy Grail of humblebrags. 

What surprised me, though, was that while everyone obsessed about the number, no one seemed too fussed about the quality. 

So in the end, what happened was that most of those “500+” connections were superficial and ultimately useless. 

They were not people rooting for you to succeed. They were not mentors or people you admired. In fact, lots of times, they were not even people whose profiles you had looked at. 

It was a status symbol more than a tool, and I quickly learned that seeing LinkedIn like this was a mistake. 

Since I downloaded LinkedIn less than I year ago, I eventually got to 500+ connections, but here are a few examples of bigger wins I achieved using the app:

• 9+ months of participating in a UC Berkeley lab focused on applications of carbon nanotubes
• 2 data analysis projects with a women’s health non-profit
• Free mentoring sessions with senior women in the fields I’m passionate about
• Doubling web traffic to my blog

How did I achieve these wins?

Firstly, by changing my mindset from quantity to quality. 

I sought to talk to people, to connect, and most of all, to learn. 

#2: Don’t ask for jobs. Ask for conversations. 

I am under no illusions; in almost every skill I could have honed, I am an amateur. 

I’m only a sophomore in college. 

I’ve only been alive on this planet for 20 years. 

Despite all that, I am armed with strong curiosity and genuine interest. 

So what do I do?

I give curiosity and interest. 

When you reach out on LinkedIn as someone hoping to advance and grow, people will line up to help you. 

When you reach out coldly, asking for a favor without having given one first, people will dismiss you with no guilt. 

#3: Give value to get value. 

Successful people get dizzying amounts of solicitations on LinkedIn. They are used to other people wanting something from them. 

So don’t try to take. Instead, try to give. 

Consider inquiring about what sorts of problems they face and whether they would let you help out. 

Maybe you have familiarity with a certain technical skill, like programming, Excel, or AutoCAD. Perhaps you know someone who could help them. 

Offer value to get value. 

Open LinkedIn & Leverage These Hacks Now.

Set a timer for five minutes. 

Ready?

Okay, first, scroll through all your connections, and pick 3 people who have recently been working on projects that you genuinely find cool. 

I’m talking projects you could fangirl about, maybe even projects you would dream about being a part of one day. 

Have you chosen your people?

Now it’s time to reach out. 

Tell them you are inspired by or interested in their work (be specific!), and then ask if they would be open to a 15-minute informal chat to discuss it more. 

Don’t ask about internships. Don’t ask about job openings. 

Just a chat.  

This isn’t about getting something for yourself. More so, it’s about connecting with people who truly inspire you. 

By connecting them, you will get insights into what they did to succeed and how you can get there too. Maybe it’s a reference to someone else in the field, or some reading material to explore.

Sometimes, you will even find that they need exactly the type of help you can provide, and an opportunity does emerge from the discussion. 

If it doesn’t, though, you have at least become a high-quality contact to reach out to in the future. 

What’s to say in a month that 20-minute chat hasn’t turned into a 10-week internship, a groundbreaking realization, or even a life-changing career pivot? 

The only way you’ll know for sure is if you give it a shot and finally stop hating LinkedIn. 

Thought To Action 

1. Ask “What If” Every Day: Start or end your day by writing one bold “What if…” question. What if your shoes were edible? What if your routines were designed for joy? These questions open space for unexpected insight.
2. Do a 5-Minute Redesign Challenge: Pick an object you use daily (a water bottle, backpack, phone case) and sketch or describe how you’d redesign it to be more circular, comfortable, or creative.
3. Make Space for Creative Input: Commit to one hour a week where you absorb inspiration—watch a documentary, visit a museum, or read outside your field. Creativity is fueled by unexpected collisions.
4. Redesign Something That’s Annoying You: Find one product, system, or space in your life that bugs you—and reimagine it. You don’t have to fix it in reality, just give yourself permission to sketch possibilities.
5. Start Your Future Job Library: Curate a mini reading list around your dream career or project. Not sure where to start? This post will show you how to learn from curiosity, not credentials.

Sources

No external resources were used for this post.

The post How To Not Hate LinkedIn (And Start Building *Real* Connections) appeared first on Green Also Green.