A new chapter for More To That
If the formatting of this email feels different, that’s because it is. I’ve decided to start a Substack newsletter to see how things unfold. As they say, change is the only constant, and that’s been a mantra of sorts for my creative journey.
This means that for the first time ever, you can now interact with my posts. I will be opening up the comment section so I can publicly interact with readers, which will be a (hopefully) welcome change. So far, all interaction has been done privately in my inbox, and to be clear, you can still do that by hitting reply to any email. But if you want to share your thoughts publicly, you can now do so in the comments section at the end of every post.
In addition to a bunch of new posts I have lined up, I will also be re-sharing some of my older posts here as well. Putting my work on Substack will expose it to a broader audience, many of whom have never seen my work before. So when you get an email of an older post, you can see it as an opportunity to revisit a timeless topic and also comment on it as well.
While thinking through this move, I’ve also been reflecting on what exactly More To That is, and what I want it to be. Ever since I started it back in 2018, it’s operated under the tagline of “illustrated stories on the human condition.” Surprisingly, that vague description was enough to garner the attention of millions of readers, some of which have subscribed to this very newsletter. And for that, I’m so grateful.
But as the years have passed, I’ve realized that there were a few themes that kept coming up in my work. While my interests are very broad, it turns out that the lenses I filter them through are quite defined. Despite the philosophical tone I take in my work, I have an entrepreneurial spirit that drives much of how I approach life. This is how I’ve been able to build More To That into what it is now, and how I’ll continue to build it based on what I learn about myself and the ever-changing landscape we live in.
So in an effort to distill what More To That is, I set out to create a new About page to accompany this Substack launch. I tried to make things as simple as possible without overlooking the nuances, and it took me a while to get it right. The rest of this newsletter will be the result of my efforts.
With that said, everything below is a work-in-progress and things may shift as my vision comes into contact with reality. But as of now, it’s a good place to start.
Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments, or as always, you can hit reply to this email to reach out. I love hearing from you, and thanks for being here with me.
-Lawrence Yeo
About More To That
“What does it mean to live a good life?”
For a question so simple, the answer is not. More To That is my attempt to parse through this timeless inquiry by exploring 3 main areas:
The goal is to dive deeply into each category so you understand what it means to reside at their intersection. Because in the end, this is where contentment can be found.
Let’s start with meaning.
Meaning is cultivated through two things: (1) introspection and (2) agency.
Every day you’re bombarded by opinions of how you should think and act, which distorts your perceptions of what it means to live a good life. Introspection is about removing these expectations that have been layered onto your mind, which reveals a deep understanding of who you are and what you truly want.
If introspection reveals who you really are, then agency is how you convert that revelation into action. Agency is the act of moving towards what you’re meant to be. It’s a kinetic force that recognizes your unique perspective and then aims to connect it with others. And once you see how your ideas can positively impact others, you’ll feel empowered to continue showing up for both yourself and your community.
I view the creation of meaning through the metaphor of an inner compass, which is the title of my book that I self-published in mid-2025. It has since gone on to reach (many) thousands of readers, and is being translated into Spanish, French, Hindi, Arabic, and more.
The next domain is money.
Unless you are a monk, the creation of meaning must also coincide with the creation of wealth. That’s because money represents the boundaries of your independence. You may want to press forward with your meaningful endeavors, but if you’ve run out of money, then those boundaries will feel so tight that the resulting anxiety will make you quit.
With that said, there are two skills to cultivate when it comes to money: (1) knowing how to make more of it doing purposeful work, and (2) knowing how to make the most of what you already have.
I will help you with both.
When it comes to #1, I will teach you how to build a writing-based business that gives you meaning and independence. I only teach what I’ve experienced firsthand, and I’ve built More To That into a business that earns more than any corporate job I’ve ever had. The key is to broaden your understanding of writing so that it goes beyond articles. It also encompasses product creation, technological adoption, marketing, book publishing, networking, and the ability to build a world around your interests.
Writing is the connective tissue that bridges all aspects of an online business together, and I will show you how to integrate it into your work.
When it comes to #2, I’ve written a few influential posts on how to rethink money so you can make the most of what you already have. Because as it turns out, shifting your relationship with money is much easier than striving to make more of it. All it takes is some guidance and a commitment to reframing the connection between money and self-worth.
In fact, I believe so strongly about this topic that my next big project will be dedicated to it. I have an announcement to make about this soon, so stay tuned.
The final domain is creativity.
Creativity is cultivated through two things: (1) self-confidence and (2) storytelling.
You’re the great vessel for your creative spirit, but you’re also the great bottleneck. So much of creativity is about mastering the inner game of self-confidence, and to understand that all creative blocks come down to self-doubt and fear. The beautiful thing, however, is that these obstacles only exist because you care about the endeavor so much.
The trick is in knowing how to convert these fears into a source of energy that’ll fuel and sustain your creative growth.
If self-confidence rules the inner game, then storytelling rules the outer one. The most reliable way to derive meaning from your creative endeavor is to see how it connects with others, and this will be contingent on your ability to tell great stories.
Given the importance of this skill, I’ve built an entire curriculum around it. It’s called Thinking In Stories, and hundreds of students across 22 countries have taken it. Join the waitlist to know when the next cohort begins.
So there you have it. More To That will explore the intersection of meaning, money, and creativity because that’s where lasting contentment is found. Sometimes I’ll discuss all 3 domains at once, and other times I’ll discuss them separately. But as you’ll see, they’re all interconnected in some way, and my goal is to make this whole journey both insightful and fun.
Thanks for being here. See you in your inbox soon.
-Lawrence Yeo
P.S. In case you’re wondering what I look like, it’s not this:
But this:
Eh, close enough.
Welcome to Substack Lawrence! You’re one of my fave internet writers and I’m glad to see you on here :)
Welcome. Lawrence. You made substack even more interesting.