Rest Easy

Welcome to Rest Easy with Ximena Vengoechea, a show about navigating ambition, work, and rest in our busy lives.In our final episode of Rest Easy, we speak with writer and author Mason Currey. Mason is the author of several books, including Daily Rituals and Daily Rituals: Women at Work, and writes a popular newsletter, Subtle Maneuvers about creativity and ritual. In this episode, we talk about Mason’s early interest in researching great creatives’ routines and what keeps him coming back to the topic years later. We also explore the question of what “counts” as rest, and the parallels between creative rituals and rest rituals. To learn more about Mason, check out his website.Special mentions in this episode:* Mason’s books* Mason’s newsletter* Yoga, by Emmanuel Carrère* Gertrude Stein on Building Creative Stamina If you like what you hear, hit the like button on Substack or share this with someone who you think might enjoy it, too. Thanks for being here and for sharing the love. 💌Subscribe to ximena.substack.com for future podcast episodes, newsletter updates, and book news from me.  Get full access to Letters from Ximena at ximena.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Rest Easy with Ximena Vengoechea, a show about navigating ambition, work, and rest in our busy lives.In this episode, we speak with dancer, quilter, teacher, and author Cody Cook-Parrott. Cody is the author of several books, including How to Not Always be Working and Getting to Center, and writes a popular newsletter, Monday, Monday about creativity and attention. They are also the creator of the popular dance project, Personal Practice, and the host of Common Shapes, a show about practices, systems, and rituals for a creative life.  In this episode, we talk about Cody’s relationship to rest, sobriety, and social media; the role of improvisation in their personal practice; and the importance of keeping something for yourself as you share and monetize parts of your life. To learn more about Cody, check out their website or follow them on Instagram @codycookparrott (when available).Special mentions in this episode:* Introducing Cody* And Just Like That* How to Not Always be Working * Cody’s books and zinesSubscribe to ximena.substack.com for future podcast episodes, newsletter updates, and book news from me.If you like what you hear, hit the like button on Substack or share this with someone who you think might enjoy it, too. Thanks for being here and for sharing the love. 💌 Get full access to Letters from Ximena at ximena.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Rest Easy with Ximena Vengoechea, a show about navigating ambition, work, and rest in our busy lives.In this episode, we speak with cartoonist Liana Finck. Liana is the author of several graphic novels, a memoir, several collections of cartoons, and most recently, the picture book You Broke It! In this episode, we talk about Liana’s relationship to rest as a parent, artist, and woman; the connection between cartooning and rest; the importance of having a play ethic and embracing inefficiency; and the power of setting boundaries. To learn more about Liana, check out her website or follow her on Instagram @linafinck.Special mentions in this episode:* Division of Household Labor, Liana Finck* Time to Lean podcast* Fair Play by Eve Rodsky* Ximena’s latest book: Rest EasyI had so much fun talking to Liana (you’ll hear lots of laughter in this episode) and I hope you enjoy learning from her as much as I did. Subscribe to ximena.substack.com for future podcast episodes, newsletter updates, and book news from me. If you like what you hear, hit the like button on Substack or share this with someone who you think might enjoy it, too. Thanks for being here and for sharing the love. 💌 Get full access to Letters from Ximena at ximena.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to Rest Easy with Ximena Vengoechea, a show about navigating ambition, work, and rest in our busy lives.In this inaugural episode, we speak with Jake Knapp, New York Times bestselling author, designer, creator of the design sprint, and fellow multi-hyphenate about his relationship to work and rest. I first met Jake back in 2020 when I was publishing my first book, which he very generously blurbed. Being a writer and illustrator in the world of UX can be a lonely endeavor—there aren’t many of us hybrid types working across both the publishing and tech industry out there, and the two fields are not often in conversation. (This is starting to change, bit by bit.) I immediately felt a kinship with Jake: he’s one of the few people I can talk both startup life and writer’s block with, and we are both Big Ideas people who love a good brainstorm. I’m delighted to share a small slice of Jake in our first episode of the show. We talk about Jake’s early hobbies and how they led to the work he does today; a milestone moment that changed the way Jake thinks about work, rest, and mortality; Jake’s go-to recovery techniques to bounce back from working too hard; and the lessons he learned from his parents that shaped his relationship to rest. To learn more about Jake and sign up for his newsletter, check out his website.Special mentions in this episode:* Jake’s books: Sprint, Make Time* Getting Things Done, David Allen* Deep Work, Cal Newport* Mad Max, George Miller* Ximena’s latest book: Rest EasyThanks so much for listening as we embark on this new show ☄️. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the heart button, drop a comment, or share this with someone you think will love it, too. Be sure to subscribe to ximena.substack.com for future podcast episodes, newsletter updates, and book news from me. Until next time! Get full access to Letters from Ximena at ximena.substack.com/subscribe

Writing a book is a solitary act. And as much as I love it (I have a real capacity for solitude, let me tell you), I also crave connection. (Probably not surprising to readers of my first book.) While working on Rest Easy, I talked to many people about their relationship to rest. Not all of those stories made it into the book, but I loved every one of them. I loved learning from them, yes, but also getting to know them. These conversations are the closest I get to my previous career as a user researcher, where interviewing strangers and going deep on who they are and how they experience the world was something I got to do all the time. Today I have a new project to share, which is both an extension of the book and of my passion for interviewing. I’m excited to announce Rest Easy, a show about navigating ambition, work, and rest in our busy lives. If the book is focused on exploring why we don’t get enough rest and offering research-backed techniques for us to get more high quality rest, the podcast is a space for us to go deeper. To look at our often squishy relationship to rest and learn how some of the most interesting creatives out there integrate rest into their routine—and how they, like us, sometimes struggle with it, too. We'll hear from bestselling authors, illustrators, and creatives like Jake Knapp, Marlee Grace, and RJ Palacio about how they manage ambition, work, and getting the rest they need. I’ve had so much fun recording these episodes and getting to know and learn from these incredible human beings.You can listen to the trailer here:New episodes will drop via Substack so make sure you’re subscribed to this newsletter for the latest. Special thanks to Evan Roberts, David Boyer, Mia Lobel and Paola Vengoechea for their help with this project. 💌 Thanks as always for reading along and supporting my work. If you like what you see, hit the heart button, drop a comment, or share this with someone you think will love it, too. You can order my new book or book me for a speaking event here. If you’re in New York, please join me at my next book event at P&T Knitwear on 11/29 with Melody Wilding. Hope to see you all there! 💌 Get full access to Letters from Ximena at ximena.substack.com/subscribe