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The Newsletter | Edition 087
In our Off-White Papers, we provide practical guidance on how to respond to our rapidly-changing world. This newsletter explores those topics in real-time, with information and action steps on how to make progress now. This time, we're trying out a new series where we highlight the talents and tactics of our team. Let us know what you think of the format.

IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...

ROLE

Strategist

CURRENT LOCATION

New York, NY


HOMETOWN

Mangalore, India

I’m Payal, an engineer turned copywriter turned strategist, just trying to keep my left and right brain happy. Little things that bring me joy: cooking a recipe from The New York Times, people watching at a park, collecting zines about food culture, and curating NYC guides for everything from bakeries to bookstores, dancing to date nights, museums to midnight cravings.
1. Current favorite music artist: Raja Kumari
Raja Kumari, a Grammy-nominated Indian-American songwriter, singer, and rapper, blends both Western and Indian music to reflect her dual identities. Growing up in California, she wanted to change the way the Indian diaspora has typically been portrayed in mainstream media. In 2022, after years of dealing with the whims of the male-dominated record label industry, she created an independent label, Godmother Records, with the aim to support female talent from India and around the world.
2. Best article I read in the past week: How to be a Precious Snowflake
In this essay, Rao explains the concept of a precious snowflake and what it means to be the opposite of that i.e, a clod (a term for an anti-snowflake: a lump of damp soul-soil created by the melting of a snowflake). He explores how in life and relationships we need to maintain a balance between embracing our magical but narcissistic inner child and knowing when to get over ourselves and be an “adult.” This is a great self-reflection tool for those trying to figure out their strengths, priorities, and motivations.
3. Cool fact I learned in the past week: The reason we’re attracted to glitter is rooted in a primitive allure of water.
According to researchers from the University of Houston and Ghent University in Belgium, our need to stay hydrated has kept humans on the lookout for shimmering rivers and streams, leaving us with an innate preference for things that sparkle.
4. Tactic I use when I'm stuck: Joy-snacking: savoring things that bring you joy throughout the day.
Joy-snacking allows you to intentionally turn mundane moments during the day into something you look forward to. It could be as simple as listening to your favorite podcast, a view on your way to work that you can never get tired of, a phone call with your mom, or a 15-minute mental health walk during your lunch break.
5. Quote I live by: “You must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul.” – Chef Gustavo (Ratatouille)
Ratatouille is one of those movies that has inspired me in different ways at various life stages. As someone who used to suffer a lot from imposter syndrome, especially when I just moved to the U.S., this was one quote that really helped me (and continues to help me) overcome some of those mental barriers.
6. What’s on my nightstand right now: Modern Witch Tarot cards by Lisa Sterle, One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book, Want Me by Tracy Clark-Flory (book club reading)
My bedtime ritual includes some self-reflection using my tarot cards and journaling in my one-line-a-day journal. Also, currently reading a sex writer’s memoir that has given me a lot to talk about in therapy.
7. An online resource that I’m done gatekeeping:
Question Categories, an aggregated list of questions to ask in various situations, curated by @yayakampen on TikTok.

It includes: questions to ask on a first date, questions to ask someone before you decide to marry them, questions to ask yourself before you decide to get married, table conversations with friends, what to ask your parents, siblings, grandparents, and more.

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