🧵 View Thread
🧵 Thread (14 tweets)
1] A while back I shared a clip of Christopher Reeve transforming from Clark Kent into Superman. It struck a chord with many people so I wrote an article to go deeper. This is so meaningful to me in ways that are hard to express, but I'll try. Thread 🧵 https://t.co/1KvB9lHmGA
2] You'll have noticed by now that I tweet a lot about Alexander Technique. I never imagined I would do this. I dusted off my ancient Twitter account last year after doing courses from @fortelabs and @david_perell. Twitter seemed like the next step in my own growth, somehow.
3] I started the standard newsletter thing, I tweeted about things I was interested in, like energy and productivity. Then something unexpected happened. I made friends. I felt like this was a space that not only allowed, but welcomed the 'weirder' parts of me. So I kept going.
4] Until one day, for some reason, I decided to write about the thing I thought was one of the most difficult things to write about: Alexander Technique. It was just another idea I screamed into the void. Except this time, there was no void. Thousands of people screamed back.
5] This was... scary, yet exhilarating. Many Alexander Technique teachers all seem to share a common insecurity. We know that what we have to offer can and does change lives, yet at the same time we struggle to convey why this is so in a way that people can connect with.
6] I've felt this insecurity every time I've tweeted, but have been slowly and gradually reassured by the response that there is something *here*, in this strange 'Alexander Technique + Twitter' place. I want to be transparent that I'm not actually here to sell you on it...
7] it's just that has Twitter turned out to be the most incredible and nurturing space to not only refine, but redefine what I thought I understood about Alexander Technique. And so here I am, 'that Alexander Technique guy', who never, ever would have planned to go this way.
8] Of all the things I could have become known for, I guarantee that Alexander Technique – one the most abstract, niche and ineffable of subjects – was not what I'd have chosen! It seemed to happen by itself. 'How to be Superman' is the first proper article I've written on it.
9] I know it doesn't give a clear answer to the question "so, dude, come on, what exactly is the Alexander Technique?" It's another attempt to point in the direction of the answer. Maybe that's all anyone can do. But, thanks to this magical place, I plan to keep exploring it.
10] There's one final bit of Twitter magic I want to share. Back in January I was frustrated that I couldn't find my 'Personal Monopoly' – my unique combination of skills, interests, and personality traits – that @david_perell teaches, so I tweeted: https://t.co/42vTemkRvE
11] Someone tagged @david_perell and suggested I ask him to be my coach. David isn't a coach, but he kindly introduced me to the incredible @EllenRhymes, who is now my own writing coach and helped me with this article for – I kid you not – MONTHS. It has all felt like magic.
12] Long story short: if you had told me that Alexander Technique would become part of my Personal Monopoly I'd have laughed at you. Funny how things can change, eh? Now you've indulged me for long enough! I hope you enjoy the article. There will be more where that came from!
Meta] If you've come across this thread in isolation and want to go deeper then you might be interested in my 'thread of threads' on the topic. https://t.co/pppidMHSzH
Meta] Also, if you want to dive much deeper into this stuff, I have built what I believe is the only asynchronous online course that explores Alexander Technique from a first principles perspective. You can find out more and stay up to date by going here: https://t.co/GHzsyr4ILq