There are significant upsides and downsides to spending a LOT of time travelling on airplanes, which seems to be my current season of life.

The downside is that after enough hours in airports, gate areas, and middle seats, you start making questionable decisions. Air travel creates a very specific state of consciousness. By hour four in an airport, you've either achieved enlightenment or purchased a $14 bag of trail mix out of spite.

The upside is that I've made a serious dent in my TV and Movie watch list (Couples Therapy, anyone?)

Now, documentaries aren’t usually my speed, but I have been very curious about “The Beach Boys,” which is (unsurprisingly) a documentary about The Beach Boys. I always liked their music but never really knew anything about the band, and kind of thought they were just a fun, lighthearted group of guys who wrote song about surfing.

Not so! The sleeper hit was learning more about the musical genius of Brian Wilson and more about his personal life.

Here was someone who was arguably one of the most creative musicians of his generation, and yet was deeply uncomfortable with fame and public attention.

While the rest of the band toured, Brian eventually stopped going out on the road and stayed home. While doing so, he created Pet Sounds, which was argued to be his best work. He needed to draw back from the fame and activity of touring to focus and look inward, and then share an even more intimate part of himself. However, the sound was so different from previous Beach Boys records, it was not initially well received.

It’s an interesting dichotomy, and it begs the question -

How much of yourself belongs in public?

How much should remain private?

And is there a point where exposure starts to cost more than it gives?

Writing this newsletter has been an exercise in me sharing my ideas. I also post more regularly on LinkedIn, and have been asked to start contributing to a few newsletters in the industry I consult in.

I had never really envisioned myself as a writer, so as I’m standing on the edge of these opportunities, I’ve had to start to determine what I should be sharing, and what is better to keep for myself.

I find it’s best to have some boundaries early so I can do a quicker ‘sense check’ when I’m in the middle of something, having a framework to work from.

I don't have a perfect formula, but I've developed a few questions that help me decide whether something belongs in a newsletter, a LinkedIn post, or my journal.

Am I sharing this because someone else might benefit from it?
Or am I sharing it simply because it's happening?

Not every experience needs to become content.

I try to believe that if someone spends a few minutes reading something I've written, they should leave with an idea, perspective, question, or insight that helps them in some way.

This is my favourite test.

Imagine I'm walking down the street and run into a friend.
They're standing beside someone I've never met before.

My friend asks me about the exact topic I'm considering sharing online.
Would I comfortably continue that conversation in front of the stranger?

If the answer is yes, it probably belongs in public.

If my instinct is to lower my voice, change the subject, or wait until we're alone, then it might not be something I’m ready to share.

Some stories arrive with a lot of emotion attached.

Excitement, frustration, anger, disappointment.

I've learned that those are often the moments when I need the longest time between first draft and posting.

If I read this again in three or four weeks, would I still feel good about sharing it?

Would I post it again?

If the answer is no, then it can stay in drafts.

One of the things I appreciated about the Brian Wilson story is that it reminded me that creating and sharing are not the same thing.

Sometimes the most important work happens in private.

Sometimes ideas need time to develop before they're ready for an audience.

And sometimes a thought, experience, or memory is valuable precisely because it belongs only to you.