Maria Popova is a self-proclaimed “curator of interestingness.” Her blog and Twitter feed is read by the Who’s Who of the media, marketing, and ad worlds. Here’s how Popova shapes her daily output:

Timeline
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1991
Receives first encyclopedia from grandma
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1998
Gets first computer
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2003
Moves to the U.S. from Bulgaria to attend the University of Pennsylvania
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2005
Starts Brain Pickings as an email newsletter going out to eight people
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2007
Learns to code; creates BrainPickings.org
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2009
Bulgarian Grandma starts reading Brain Pickings with Google Translate
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2010
Moves to New York