{"id":27119,"date":"2026-09-03T09:27:43","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T15:27:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/?p=27119"},"modified":"2026-09-03T09:30:02","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T15:30:02","slug":"james-mccrae","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/blog\/james-mccrae\/","title":{"rendered":"James McCrae On The Art Of You: Living By The Tao In The Age Of The Algorithm"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"27119\" class=\"elementor elementor-27119\" data-elementor-settings=\"[]\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-section-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f7c2e7e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f7c2e7e\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5b30533\" data-id=\"5b30533\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a9220c0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a9220c0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-text-editor elementor-clearfix\">\n\t\t\t\t<p>A sunflower doesn&#8217;t force itself open each morning. It simply turns toward the light because that is what sunflowers do, and James McCrae suggests that human creativity might work in much the same quiet, unforced way.<\/p><p>At Sounds True, we&#8217;ve long believed that creativity and spirituality are close companions, and James McCrae&#8217;s work sits right at that intersection, blending Taoist philosophy with practical guidance for anyone who has ever doubted their own creative capacity. Through <a href=\"https:\/\/join.soundstrue.com\/2026-truly-human\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sounds True One<\/a>, members can explore his teachings alongside a wide range of other voices working in this same territory.<\/p><p>In this piece, we&#8217;ll look at who James McCrae is, what his book <em>The Art of You<\/em> offers, and how ancient Taoist wisdom can help us live and create more authentically today.<\/p><h2><strong>Key Takeaways:<\/strong><\/h2><ul><li><strong>Creativity Is Not A Rare Talent:<\/strong> James McCrae teaches that creativity is a birthright available to everyone, not a scarce gift reserved for a select few.<\/li><li><strong>The Ego Has A Job, Just Not This One:<\/strong> Authentic expression asks us to give the ego a smaller, supportive role rather than letting it drive the entire process.<\/li><li><strong>Ancient Wisdom Still Applies Today:<\/strong> Tao Te Ching principles like yin and yang offer a practical framework for balancing stillness and action in a distracted, algorithm-driven world.<\/li><\/ul><h2><strong>Meet James McCrae, The Poet Behind The Art Of You<\/strong><\/h2><p>James McCrae is a poet, self-described meme artist, and the founder of Sunflower Club, a community built around what he calls conscious creativity. Before turning fully toward this work, he spent years as a creative strategist collaborating with well-known brands, an experience that shaped his understanding of how easily authentic expression can get lost inside systems built for output and performance.<\/p><p>His book, <em>The Art of You<\/em>, grew out of a desire to hand people a practical guide back to their own creative instincts. Rather than treating creativity as a talent some people simply have, and others don&#8217;t, McCrae frames it as something closer to a muscle memory we&#8217;ve forgotten how to use, one that can be recovered with the right kind of attention.<\/p><p>His perspective echoes themes we return to often in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundstrue.com\/collections\/spirituality\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Spirituality &amp; Awakening collection<\/a>, where reclaiming an authentic sense of self is treated as less an act of invention and more an act of remembering.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundstrue.com\/collections\/online-courses?configure%5Bfilters%5D=%28NOT%20tags%3ASearchspring-Exclusions%29%20AND%20collections%3Aonline-courses&amp;configure%5BfacetingAfterDistinct%5D=true&amp;configure%5BclickAnalytics%5D=true&amp;refinementList%5Bnamed_tags.data--parent-category%5D%5B0%5D=Spirituality\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-26769\" src=\"https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Awaken-Something-Greater-Within-You.-Find-Teachings-that-Speak-to-You-With-Sounds-True.png\" alt=\"Awaken Something Greater Within You. Find Teachings that Speak to You With Sounds True.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Awaken-Something-Greater-Within-You.-Find-Teachings-that-Speak-to-You-With-Sounds-True.png 1920w, https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Awaken-Something-Greater-Within-You.-Find-Teachings-that-Speak-to-You-With-Sounds-True-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Awaken-Something-Greater-Within-You.-Find-Teachings-that-Speak-to-You-With-Sounds-True-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Awaken-Something-Greater-Within-You.-Find-Teachings-that-Speak-to-You-With-Sounds-True-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Awaken-Something-Greater-Within-You.-Find-Teachings-that-Speak-to-You-With-Sounds-True-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Awaken-Something-Greater-Within-You.-Find-Teachings-that-Speak-to-You-With-Sounds-True-800x450.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p><h2><strong>What Taoism Creativity Teaches Us About Making Things<\/strong><\/h2><p>At the center of <em>The Art of You<\/em> is a framework McCrae calls the yin and yang of creativity, borrowed directly from Taoist philosophy. Rather than treating the creative process as a single linear task, he divides it into two complementary halves that depend on one another to function well.<\/p><h3><strong>Yin: The Inner World Of Creative Being<\/strong><\/h3><p>The yin half of creativity involves stillness rather than output. This is where intuition, imagination, and emotion are given room to surface before any project takes shape, a phase McCrae describes as cultivating the soil before anything is planted.<\/p><h3><strong>Yang: The Outer World Of Creative Doing<\/strong><\/h3><p>Once something has taken root internally, yang work begins: developing a craft, shaping a finished piece, and eventually sharing it with others. McCrae is careful to note that yang work without yin preparation often produces something technically competent but emotionally hollow.<\/p><h2><strong>Ego And Authenticity: Giving The Ego Its Proper Job<\/strong><\/h2><p>One of McCrae&#8217;s more provocative ideas is that the ego isn&#8217;t the enemy of authentic creativity, but it does need a much smaller and more specific job than most of us give it. Left unchecked, the ego tends to hijack the creative process entirely, chasing approval, comparison, and validation instead of honest expression.<\/p><p>This doesn&#8217;t mean silencing the ego altogether. McCrae&#8217;s earlier book, <em>Sh#t Your Ego Says<\/em>, explores this same territory with humor, pointing out how often our inner critic disguises itself as helpful judgment. When the ego is given a supporting role rather than the director&#8217;s chair, authenticity has room to breathe. For anyone whose ego chatter tends to intensify under stress, our full <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundstrue.com\/blogs\/authors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">roster of authors and teachers<\/a> offers many approaches to working with these patterns, including Deb Dana&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundstrue.com\/products\/befriending-your-nervous-system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Befriending Your Nervous System<\/a>, which explores the physiological side of settling an overactive inner voice.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundstrue.com\/collections\/online-courses?configure%5Bfilters%5D=%28NOT%20tags%3ASearchspring-Exclusions%29%20AND%20collections%3Aonline-courses&amp;configure%5BfacetingAfterDistinct%5D=true&amp;configure%5BclickAnalytics%5D=true&amp;refinementList%5Bnamed_tags.data--parent-category%5D%5B0%5D=Meditation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-26771\" src=\"https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Center-Yourself-With-Meditative-Teachings-by-Sounds-True.png\" alt=\"Center Yourself With Meditative Teachings by Sounds True\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Center-Yourself-With-Meditative-Teachings-by-Sounds-True.png 1920w, https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Center-Yourself-With-Meditative-Teachings-by-Sounds-True-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Center-Yourself-With-Meditative-Teachings-by-Sounds-True-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Center-Yourself-With-Meditative-Teachings-by-Sounds-True-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Center-Yourself-With-Meditative-Teachings-by-Sounds-True-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Center-Yourself-With-Meditative-Teachings-by-Sounds-True-800x450.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p><h2><strong>Living Authentically In The Age Of The Algorithm<\/strong><\/h2><p>McCrae&#8217;s subtitle nods to a tension many creative people feel acutely today: the pressure to shape work around what performs well rather than what feels true. Algorithms reward consistency, novelty, and immediacy, none of which necessarily align with the slower, more internal rhythms that honest creative work often requires.<\/p><p>Living authentically in this environment doesn&#8217;t mean rejecting technology or visibility altogether. It means staying anchored to an internal sense of what feels genuine, even while participating in systems designed to pull attention outward. This kind of steadiness often depends on a settled nervous system as much as a clear creative vision, which is part of why practices like those found in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundstrue.com\/products\/befriending-your-nervous-system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Befriending Your Nervous System<\/a> pair so naturally with creative work.<\/p><h2><strong>Ancient Tao Te Ching Wisdom For Modern Creative Life<\/strong><\/h2><p>The Tao Te Ching, written more than two thousand years ago, continues to offer surprisingly relevant guidance for modern creative struggles. Its emphasis on non-forcing, natural timing, and balance between opposites maps closely onto McCrae&#8217;s own framework for reclaiming creativity.<\/p><p>Rather than treating ancient text as a historical curiosity, McCrae applies it as a living toolkit, one that helps explain why creative blocks often resolve not through more effort but through less resistance. Readers interested in the emotional and somatic dimension of this kind of balance may also appreciate our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundstrue.com\/collections\/self-compassion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Self-Compassion collection<\/a>, which explores related territory from a different angle. For those who want to hear McCrae discuss these ideas directly, our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundstrue.com\/a\/resources\/podcast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Insights at the Edge podcast<\/a> features a full conversation exploring his path and the philosophy behind <em>The Art of You<\/em> in far more depth than any single article can capture.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/join.soundstrue.com\/2026-truly-human\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-26804\" src=\"https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Build-Relationships-That-Nourish-And-Sustain.png\" alt=\"Build Relationships That Nourish And Sustain\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Build-Relationships-That-Nourish-And-Sustain.png 1920w, https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Build-Relationships-That-Nourish-And-Sustain-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Build-Relationships-That-Nourish-And-Sustain-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Build-Relationships-That-Nourish-And-Sustain-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Build-Relationships-That-Nourish-And-Sustain-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Build-Relationships-That-Nourish-And-Sustain-800x450.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p><h2><strong>Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/h2><p>James McCrae&#8217;s work suggests that reclaiming creativity has less to do with acquiring new skills and more to do with removing what has been blocking an already present capacity. Whether through the yin and yang framework of <em>The Art of You<\/em>, the humor of <em>Sh#t Your Ego Says<\/em>, or complementary practices like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soundstrue.com\/products\/befriending-your-nervous-system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Befriending Your Nervous System<\/a>, the invitation remains consistent: slow down, listen inward, and let authentic expression emerge in its own time.<\/p><h2><strong>Frequently Asked Questions About James McCrae And Taoism<\/strong><\/h2><h3><strong>Who is James McCrae?<\/strong><\/h3><p>James McCrae is a poet, meme artist, and founder of Sunflower Club, a community centered on conscious creativity. He is the author of <em>The Art of You<\/em> and <em>Sh#t Your Ego Says<\/em>.<\/p><h3><strong>What is The Art of You about?<\/strong><\/h3><p><em>The Art of You<\/em> offers a guide to reclaiming creativity through a Taoist-inspired framework of yin and yang, balancing inner reflection with outward creative action.<\/p><h3><strong>How does Taoism relate to creativity?<\/strong><\/h3><p>Taoist principles like yin and yang suggest that creativity requires both stillness and action, and that forcing output without inner preparation often produces work that feels hollow.<\/p><h3><strong>What role does the ego play in authentic creativity?<\/strong><\/h3><p>According to McCrae, the ego isn&#8217;t inherently harmful, but it functions best in a supporting role rather than driving the entire creative process through comparison or validation-seeking.<\/p><h3><strong>How can I live more authentically despite social media pressures?<\/strong><\/h3><p>Staying anchored to an internal sense of what feels genuine, rather than shaping work primarily around algorithmic performance, is central to McCrae&#8217;s approach to authentic living.<\/p><h3><strong>Why does McCrae reference the Tao Te Ching?<\/strong><\/h3><p>The Tao Te Ching&#8217;s teachings on balance, natural timing, and non-forcing offer a framework that McCrae finds directly applicable to overcoming modern creative blocks.<\/p><h3><strong>Do I need to consider myself an artist to benefit from this work?<\/strong><\/h3><p>No. McCrae frames creativity as a capacity available to everyone, not a talent reserved for people who already identify as artists.<\/p><h3><strong>Where can I hear James McCrae discuss his own creative journey?<\/strong><\/h3><p>Sounds True&#8217;s Insights at the Edge podcast features a full conversation between Tami Simon and James McCrae exploring his path and the ideas behind <em>The Art of You<\/em>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-fbf9e6f elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"fbf9e6f\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3804c85\" data-id=\"3804c85\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-61188d5 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"61188d5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f9151ba elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f9151ba\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-89ec855\" data-id=\"89ec855\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-71685d0 elementor-position-left elementor-vertical-align-top elementor-widget elementor-widget-image-box\" data-id=\"71685d0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-box-wrapper\"><figure class=\"elementor-image-box-img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"898\" height=\"1306\" src=\"https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Amy-Michelle-Photo.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"elementor-image-box-content\"><p class=\"elementor-image-box-description\"><b>Michelle Cassandra Johnson<\/b> is an author, activist, spiritual teacher, racial equity consultant, and intuitive healer. She is the author of six books, including <i>Skill in Action<\/i> and <i>Finding Refuge<\/i>. <b>Amy Burtaine<\/b> is a leadership coach and racial equity trainer. With Robin DiAngelo, she is the coauthor of <i>The Facilitator's Guide for White Affinity Groups<\/i>. For more, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michellecjohnson.com\/wisdom-of-the-hive\" target=_blank\">https:\/\/www.michellecjohnson.com\/wisdom-of-the-hive<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6f9afa6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6f9afa6\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-d86bded\" data-id=\"d86bded\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fd6acfc elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"fd6acfc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<script>\r\ndocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() {\r\ndocument.querySelectorAll('.progression-studios-blog-excerpt')\r\n.forEach(el => el.remove());\r\n});\r\n<\/script>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A sunflower doesn&#8217;t force itself open each morning. It simply turns toward the light because that is what sunflowers do, and James McCrae suggests that human creativity might work in much the same quiet, unforced way. At Sounds True, we&#8217;ve long believed that creativity and spirituality are close companions, and James McCrae&#8217;s work sits right [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":27120,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_expiration-date-status":"","_expiration-date":0,"_expiration-date-type":"","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1085,386],"tags":[],"contributor":[1157,1156],"class_list":["post-27119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-personal-growth","category-spirituality","contributor-amy-burtaine","contributor-michelle-cassandra-johnson","slider-tags-blog"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Learn About James McCrae on Taoism and Creative Living<\/title>\n<meta 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