23 Tweets by
Alex Tan

A lot of people express the need to spend more time refining their craft before they're ready, when really it could be as simple as mustering up the bravery to take the next step. Maybe the craft is good enough. And maybe we're just not brave enough, yet.

in 2016 i was 20 yrs old trying to start a "creative studio" w/ my friends & realized we had no clue what that even meant, so in the meantime we made a magazine that surprisingly sold out. now in 2020 we own a studio & here is the 2nd issue of a project that changed everything twitter.com/mouthwsh/statu…

i read this every week just as a reminder pic.twitter.com/0320o1bPQI

jalexandertan tweet image
over 2 years ago

if the first interaction you have with someone in los angeles is just you sitting there listening to them talk about all their career accomplishments or how hard they work then please for the love of god do not ever trust them or talk to them again

over 2 years ago

if the stories we tell creatively are limited by what we’ve experienced so far then they will only get better with time extra hours right now don’t stand a chance against living through a moment & your life’s best experiences are still unfolding don’t rush. just be observant.

over 2 years ago

i used to think it was important to make things then put it out quickly before you got tired of it but now realizing that it’s way more important to try your best to create stuff that ages well

over 2 years ago

the epitome of capitalism’s effects on mental health is when you feel completely overwhelmed but tell yourself it’s ‘a good problem to have'

over 2 years ago

i've realized that it's not the physical exhaustion of working on 10 different projects simultaneously that is painful but rather realizing how much better the outcome could have been if i was only focused on one or two of them

over 2 years ago

the longer i've been working the more i realize that brands are just a reflection of the people behind it if they're good people & care about the work they do then the goodness shines through in honesty & quality & all the other stuff that consumers really desire & connect with

over 2 years ago

the most underrated move you can possibly make in your lifetime is asking for help when you need it

over 2 years ago

a simple, yet sustainable method & great rule to follow for progressional learning is plus, minus, equal:

over 2 years ago

short & happy story time: when i was 19 i made this list of creative agencies that i dreamed of working for someday and today one of the studios on that list reached out to mouthwash studio asking us to do a project for them so i guess this is the year idols become equals

over 2 years ago

all content is fleeting ☝️😔

over 2 years ago

becoming familiar with our own complexities is a good first step in having greater capacity to be generous and patient when giving others permission to be complex too

over 2 years ago

on intimacy... we often hesitate to invite people into our life when we feel like our space isn’t good enough yet. things are messy, the place settings don’t match, or our situation isn’t quite what we want it to be. fear is an obstacle to feeling human. invite people in anyway.

over 2 years ago

not sure if it's comforting or frightening that the things we keep deepest or most private are often the things that resonate most with others

over 2 years ago

Paul Rand, a graphic designer, to Steve Jobs in 1985 when Jobs asked if he could see options for the branding of his new company NeXT, “I will solve your problem & you will pay me. You can use when I produce, or not, but I will not do options, & either way you will pay me.”

over 2 years ago

Probably good for your sanity to practice social distancing with the internet at this time too.

over 2 years ago

I've been getting lost in black holes on the internet of homes that I'd love to be trapped in during quarantine. Ricardo Bofill House, a renovated cement factory outside of Barcelona, Spain. pic.twitter.com/HmjLOvYy6k

jalexandertan tweet image
over 2 years ago

people don’t realize how badly they want and need private online communities and the general decentralization of platforms like twitter, ig, etc where niche groups that were once special are hardly able to cut through noise

over 2 years ago

people who place bets on themselves grow at a way faster rate than people who are never facing a situation where they’ll either win or lose big sometimes you have to gamble on the risk knowing you'll progress regardless of outcome

over 2 years ago

encourage yourself to tackle deeply creative and difficult work first thing in the morning responding to emails is easier to accomplish but quickly drains your capacity to focus & solve problems later in the day choose the difficulty of discipline over the ease of distraction

over 2 years ago