Morning Brew - 🍸 Cheugy

We all want to be the creative type—the person who rocks clear-framed glasses and a gallery wall Zoom background—but we tend to see creativity as reserved for artists and designers. I always hear friends say, “I’m not creative,” or “I’m just not an ideas person,” but it’s not that there are those who are creative and those who aren’t. Rather, it takes time and practice to develop that tingly feeling that tells you you have a good idea. 

The third episode of the ZigZag podcast offers a few ideas on how to jumpstart your creativity and apply it to your professional and personal lives. In the episode, host Manoush Zomorodi chats with Rob Walker, author of The Art of Noticing: 131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration, and Discover Joy in the Everyday, about how to unlock and make something of all your weird ideas. 

Inspired by one of the activities in Walker’s book, ZigZag has an assignment for all of us, and it’s called “The Board of All Ideas, No Matter How Weird.” Here’s how it works: Set a timer for 15 minutes and take out a piece of paper (or open a Google doc). List every new product concept, business strategy, question, or blue sky idea that pops into your mind. Defer judgment. Even if you think it’s stupid, write it down. When the timer goes off, you might be surprised to see a list of ideas that maybe you’ve had before, but you’ve never noticed them. 

If you have any tips or tricks on how to get into a creative mindset, hit reply and let us know. 

• This site answers some of life’s most important questions, such as “Can I binge Silicon Valley in three weeks?” The answer: Yes, if you watch 3 episodes per day. 
• The bad news about the extended tax filing deadline (May 17, btw): More time to procrastinate. The good news: More time to max out your IRA. Ellevest has some ideas for when’s the best time to contribute to your IRA.
• Level up your air fryer game with these zucchini chips. The best part: honey mustard aioli. 
• It’s “cheugy” that I’m talking about “cheugy,” but get the lowdown on the hottest Gen Z slang. 
• Marvel released a sneak peek at phase four of the Marvel universe. Try not to get emotional. 
• For once, an exciting sheet-pan dinner: bibimbap. Peep: ramps.

Your Mother’s Day MO might be running last-minute to your local drugstore and picking up a cheesy Hallmark card, or folding a piece of printer paper and scribbling “Happy Mother’s Day” with a Sharpie. But this year, Sidekick is here to help level up your homemade card game. 

Level 1: This card-making technique is a step above a hotdog or hamburger style card. And it’s a heartwarming option. 

Level 2: Anyone can draw this lavender-themed Mother’s Day card. Add a lil extra flair by winging hand-lettering. Bonus: A beginner’s guide to calligraphy. 

Level 3: If you’re ready to break out the watercolors and your mom is punny, check out these 10 card ideas. 

Level 4: Download Procreate on your iPad and follow this tutorial on how to turn your illustrations into physical greeting cards. 

These stories? Well, they’re nothing short of extraordinary.

The Extraordinary Story is the new weekly newsletter from The Economist’s 1843 magazine. 

Portraying your world, your experience, and the stories behind your everyday encounters, it shows life as you’ve never seen it before. 

Long reads and irreverent columnists, delivered to your inbox every Sunday.

Give The Extraordinary Story a read today.

Natural-born storytellers. Brand connoisseurs. Design enthusiasts. The next marketing star is always on the cusp of the next big thing, and these trendy picks mean your grad will be too. Check ’em out here. 

• I always keep Sambucus Syrup (elderberry) in my apartment for immune support, but recently I’ve been taking Grummies’s elderberry gummies. They taste like candy, but they’re packed with 150 mg of organic Sambucus elderberry, 45 mg of vitamin c, and 5 mg of zinc. 
• Barcode is a new, delicious adaptogenic performance drink. If that sounds like buzzword overload, it’s basically a healthier, nutrient-dense Gatorade. The lemon-lime flavor is refreshing, especially after a long run, and the watermelon flavor tastes like a straight Jolly Rancher (yummy).  
• It’s not too late to order Mother’s Day flowers. The Bouqs ships high-quality, sustainably grown flowers from independent farmers. If you can’t give your mom a hug this year, at least send her some sunshine with their fresh sunflowers.