This interview is also available in Spanish.
Welcome back to Bear With Us, our interview series that answers questions like: who uses Bear? How does Bear fit into their work or play? Do they prefer coffee or tea?
We’re on a mission to ask these and other burning questions from interesting people. Then we share their answers with you.
We recently spoke with Jesús Terrés—storyteller, writer, and avid food enthusiast. We actually met him on Instagram where he posts beautiful photography, vacation pics, productivity ideas, and more.
Check out our interview with Jesús below. Then catch us on Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook to let us know who else we should interview for future posts!
Tell us more about yourself and what you do
My name is Jesús Terrés and I am a writer. It has been one year since the publication of Nada importa (“Nothing Matters”), my first book of stories in @CirculoDeTizaES. I also regularly collaborate in magazines such as Condé Nast Traveler, GQ, and Vanity Fair. I also run a media outlet dedicated to the pleasure of eating and drinking (Hedonist Guide) and the Lobo agency, focused on building stories and storytelling. I live in front of the sea 🙂
What are your hobbies?
Well, there are so many that it would take two life times to satisfy them. But I’m afraid we only have one so you have to choose them very very well. I travel the world visiting restaurants, searching each destination for flashes of beauty and reading books. I write about the things that excite me. I try to live slowly, run away from the noise and collect experiences.
How did you discover Bear and how long have you been using it?
Well I’ll be honest, I was a happy Evernote user but what happened happens so many times, that a good, light and simple idea ended up being something baroque, slow and complex. I think the change was four or five years ago.
How many notes and tags do you have?
140 tags and 691 notes.
Can you tell us how you organize the notes in Bear? Do you use as many tags as possible or do you prefer to use less? Do you use nested tags?
When I started my collection of notes I fell into the ‘more is more’, adding a tag for almost everything, big mistake. It is also true that at that time I used Bear for more things than I do now. This is because right now I combine Bear with Instapaper (simply for articles that I want to read in the short term, without distractions) and Notion, to write and structure what I write. I think it is better to use fewer tags, but have them well thought out instead.
How does Bear fit into your workflow? Do you use it in specific tasks or places?
I use it mainly in two scenarios. Firstly, when I find memorable written content, which I know I want to keep for the long term, and that I will return to at some point. An example of this would be; the best Syrah of the Rhône with the tags #wine and #Hermitage. Second, I always have some notes anchored to which I constantly return to. These consist of ongoing projects, notes on restaurants, items I have in mind etc. Let’s say these are the notes which I ‘work’ on, and those that replace the Ecosystem Notes application Manzana.
What’s your favorite trick or feature when working with Bear?
I really like how Bear shows the links: simple, nice and useful.
Now for some other questions
What has been your hibernation routine during quarantine?
My opinion is not a very popular one but, I have been tremendously happy during the quarantine, especially in its first stage (the hardest). This is because I have realized that I was involved in too many projects, in a life without time to enjoy the little things. Time throughout those weeks of hibernation added another texture and I hope I know how to keep it.
Do you normally prefer books, movies, comics or video games?
What interests me are good stories, the format is the least important part of it.
But if I have to choose, without a doubt, I would choose the book. I think it is one of the most beautiful and useful objects created by man. It is warm, portable, timeless and magical. Some of the best moments of our lives have undoubtedly been captured in this almost perfect artifact. Sometimes I think about how the world can go down the drain (climate change, humanitarian crises, etc) but the books remain. We have done something right.
Coffee, tea or something else?
One of the things I discovered during the pandemic is the precise ritual of a good filtered coffee. Selecting a specialty coffee, grind the grains (enjoying its aromas), and the filtering process, drop by drop. Slowly the world seems more beautiful. My favorite is a washed coffee from Kenya that comes from the Kirinyaga region on the southern slopes of Mount Kenya (5199 m) from small farmers from the villages of Kagumoini.
Where can people follow you on the internet?
You can follow me on Twitter, see my trips (and much more) on Instagram and subscribe to my newsletter, from where I send intimate letters and a weekly report where I try to decode the present. I also write regularly in various media, and you can see some of those collaborations on my website.
Anything else you want to share?
Congratulations to all the Bear team, you make our life easier 😉