“There are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘good job.'

Beyoncé once said, "America, America has a problem."

Well, my name isn't America, but I have a problem too — a fairly common one a lot of people struggle with. It's not very dramatic or life-threatening, not something headline-worthy. It's not loud or something you'd be able to spot from miles away; it's quieter, silently nudging at me when the bright lights dim and the applause goes silent. I have, for lack of a better term — an obsession.

Before you strap up your judgement boots and pull out your pitchforks of condemnation, hear me out. I'm not obsessed with women, alcohol, cigarettes or drugs even. I don't even dabble in the latter three. My obsession is something far worse I'm afraid.

My obsession is with myself. Not in a narcissistic, hyper inflated ego way, but with my work. In the movie whiplash, Terence Fletcher who was played by J.K Simmons said; “There are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘good job’.” and I couldn’t agree more. You see there’s this common trait with creators where we obsess over our creations and the constant struggle to outdo them when working on the next creation. We see it everywhere; musicians struggling to create something new when their last song went super viral, film makers prolonging sequels because the first movie was a massive hit, artists destroying canvases of beautiful works because they’re unsatisfied by them, and writers ripping out pages from their books and rewriting their pieces all over again whenever they feel a piece isn’t hitting as hard as they want, only to repeat the cycle again and again.

That dance with self-criticism gets tiring really fast and being my own worst critic is really suffocating. So I’ve decided to throw caution into the wind and air the ‘terrible pieces’ anyway, because all birds deserve a chance to fly. Instead of going on and on about my near retirement career as my own critic and my unhealthy obsession with the need to outperform myself every time, I’d rather babble about my far less toxic obsessions. So without further ado, much to the detriment of my inner critic, here’s my unapologetic fanboy list — 5 brands / people I’d scream for, and why I think they hold my attention:

1. Porsche

This one really need no explanation. If you’re not stopping to stare every time you come across on , whether behind the screen or under the sun, then you probably drive one. In which case you very well understand my shamelessly loud infatuation with them.

2. Nick Bare

Whilst I have no beef with the legendary David Goggins, my personal favorite when it comes to pushing yourself is the one and only Nick Bare.

3. Orchestras and choirs.

There’s just something about the melodies of a choir and the symphony of an orchestra that always seems to bring me peace. Regardless of the language being performed in and the type of instrument used, orchestras and choirs will always have my heart in every beautiful performance.

4. MSCHF

This fashion brand has always struck me as peculiar, from their big red boots to all the crazy ways they interact with their fans. I really just love how they always pop up with the least expected thing and always manage to convince people to buy it.

Lastly, but not in the least bit the end of my obsession list,

5. My personal all-time favorite artist: Dax.

Yes, I said it. I adore the Canadian rapper and country musician Dax, shoot me if you must. But if you looked at his work, without bias or prejudice, you too would realize why I picked him. Perfect deliveries of well put together verses and an impeccable flow, he’s really one of the greats; at least to me.

What’s something you’re obsessed with?