on becoming who you are


This is my grandpa. I love him a lot. He's gone now, but he helped me become who I am today.

I was meeting with a client this week - a sound technician and film composer from LA, an older gentleman. When the topic of early sound equipment came up, I mentioned my grandpa (who was one of the foremost authorities and largest collectors of antique radios, microphones, and sound equipment), and it turned out this man knew of him.

I got to spend a few minutes reminiscing about one of my favorite people in the world, and when I got to how much he believed in me as a young person and how he helped develop my curiosity and experimentation in technology, gave me my first job as a janitor at age 14, and supported me as I ventured into entrepreneurship in my 20's, I started getting a little emotional.

My AI work this year has taken me to a lot of new places and thrown me into contact with a lot of new people, many of whom have their own ideas of what I should do with all the tech I've developed. I'm experienced and confident enough to chart my own course, but all this does have me thinking more about the people in my life who have helped me become this version of myself.

I'm reminded of one of my favorite clips of Mr. Rogers, so today I'd like to share it with you, and ask you to take a few moments right now to think back with gratitude on the people in your life who have "loved you into being."

If I can give you a piece of advice that's resonated with me over the years, it's to never be afraid to be who you are. Don't do what everyone else is doing just because you think it's expected of you or because you're afraid of being judged. Be your authentic self, believe what you believe, love what you do, and you'll find your life's work along with your community of kindred spirits.

Right now I'm happy to be connecting with a bunch of sharing minded, creative weirdos again, just like in the early days of the internet. It feels good to be where I am.

Thank you so much, Grandpa. I love you ❤️


(If you ever stop loving these emails, just unsubscribe here - no hard feelings!)

Nate St. Pierre

I'm an AI developer at the intersection of immersive and emergent storytelling. I help novelists, game designers, and filmmakers vividly imagine their worlds through a set of custom tools I've developed.

Read more from Nate St. Pierre
my favorite photo from the graveyard walk

Over the weekend I did my annual graveyard walk, this time stopping by to visit my friend who recently passed, instead of walking it with him. A sad time, certainly, but not without its bittersweet moments. In fact, I noticed that there's an open slot in the bookshelf above his book of ashes in the mausoleum library. I've never made any plans for my body after I die, so maybe I'll buy that slot and have it all taken care of so my kids don't have to. I'll think about it. my favorite photo from...

me and Chris

Every October for nearly 20 years, my buddy Chris Damico and I would do our annual graveyard walk. We’d choose a cemetery somewhere in Milwaukee, get breakfast nearby, and then spend a couple hours slowly winding our way through the grounds. Both of us professional writers and amateur photographers, we enjoyed taking pictures and telling stories about all the lives we came across. Usually the days were sunny and brisk, with beautiful fall colors exploding all around, but winter comes early in...

Get your mind out of the gutter - the only d**k pic I'm talking about is a "desk" pic! I can't take you people anywhere, GAWD So the other day I was looking for my tape measure, and I finally found it in the back room where I had last used it literally months ago when I was putting something together. That's how seldom I use physical tools. Compare that to my brother, who has an entire work van filled floor to ceiling with proper construction tools that he uses every day. But when it comes to...