Your Slow Summer is a Feature, not a Bug [WRAP 216]

Hey Reader, last weekend was the closing of my family's busiest stretch of the year. Seriously, it's busier than Thanksgiving through New Year's Day 😅

We start in late April and then over the next four weeks run through: youngest son's birthday, Morgan's birthday, Mother's Day, our wedding anniversary, oldest son's birthday, and baby girl's birthday. May is may-hem.

It's a busy season but full of celebration, family, friends, and (mostly) great weather. And every year, it reminds me of something important about the rhythm of a year.

💡 One Big Idea: Embrace the Summer Slows

For the first 7 years of my career, summer was BIG. I worked in sports, tourism, and summer camps. Summer was time for 400 boys to descend on 500 acres for 10 weeks. Summer was time for driving up and down the east coast for lacrosse tournaments. There was no break in summer.

Then I started working at startups. More normal work environments than tourism and hospitality. Summers were slower. Sales slowed down, people took vacations, broke from their normal work.

Then I had kids. Summers became full again, but I started experiencing my own work slow down. Kids aren't doing school, fewer weekend sports games, and a lot more time at the community pool 🏊‍♂️

I fought the summer slows for years. Got frustrated. Annoyed that life felt fast but work felt slow. That I couldn't get everything done I wanted, and other people weren't on the same timeline as me.

But I've been learning (slowly) that the friction isn't a bug, it's a signal. People need breaks. I need breaks. A natural rhythm of refreshment that allows energy to build for the next push when life opens up again. I wrote about this a few months ago, the productivity benefits that come from a season of rest, and the response told me I'm not the only one who needed to hear it.

This summer, I hope you'll join me in embracing the natural rhythm of the summer slows. Take a break, refresh your energy, spend time with the people you care most about. With work—try something new for a week or two. A hobby you paused last fall or a project that's interesting rather than urgent. The kind of thing that reminds you why you started doing creative work in the first place.

Enjoy the summer 😎

📹 Video to Watch: 730 Days, No Exceptions by Casey Neistat

This pairs well with the Big Idea in a counterintuitive way. It's about never missing a run, but what stuck with me is the underlying logic: saying "I always do this" is easier than constantly deciding whether conditions are right. You've already made the decision. No willpower required.

That framing applies to rest too. Deciding in advance that summer is for slowing down removes the guilt trip of feeling like you're falling behind. It's not a break from the plan—it's part of the plan.

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📖 Book to Read: Don't Call It Art by Austin Kleon

Austin's series—starting with Steal Like an Artist—has been incredibly important to my own creative career. Not just because what he writes is inspiring and instructive, but because how he designs the books is too.

His punk rock illustration style has shaped what I reach for when I want something to feel like it came from a real person, not a template. Back when I used to doodle more, I could trace a direct line. Even now it shows up in how I think about design. Buy it direct from Austin, Amazon, or wherever.

Thanks for reading the WRAP!

Talk soon,

Matt Ragland