Jazz Days

Scheduling your days doesn’t mean you’re simply “busy,” all day. It's VERY easy to be busy without being productive.

It means you give your day a strong sense of structure, but allow yourself to prepare for the unexpected. We don’t have control over what will happen throughout the day, but we can create a framework that will allow us to improvise, or “riff” depending on what the day throws at us.

This allows us to be ready for the unexpected and potentially great opportunities. 

Fear Isn't a Bad Word

A few weeks ago I talked about how the word, "anger," is not categorically bad. I argued that if channeled in a productive way great things can come of it.

I feel the same way about fear. Fear is part of our coding. Human beings are wired for survival so we're constantly on the lookout for  what we perceive to be threats. 

Several thousand years ago they came in the form of something that might eat you, but today they are much broader and for the most part less extreme.

Having fear is not only a natural part of being alive, but can also be an asset as long as we don't allow it to stifle us. Here are just a handful of fears that have propelled me and others I know to strive toward greater heights. 

- A fear of mediocrity.
- A fear of regret.
- A fear of not putting our best foot forward.
- A fear of not living life on our own terms.
- A fear of settling.
- A fear of not allowing our voice to be heard.
- A fear of giving up.
- A fear of not spending enough time with our families and friends.

But having awareness of these fears is not enough. We must mobilize and do something about them.

Lastly, fear and regret have some correlations. (at least in my case) In Bronnie Ware's 2011 book, The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying here's what she stumbled upon:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

Fueled By Anger

We often don't account for how much "grey area" there is in life. In western culture in particular we tend to think things are unequivocally right or wrong - black or white.

The truth is, the nuances of life leave plenty of room for doubt and different interpretation. As one of my friends likes to say, "Two opposing views can be equally true."

I think anger gets a lot of negative airplay. It's an emotion most believe we ought to get rid of. But I disagree.

Anger can be a helpful emotion so long as it does not consume you and is channelled in a productive and positive way.

The American Revolution, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Arab Spring were all byproducts of some form of anger used effectively. 

And as an artist you can use it to fuel your drive, creativity, and determination to reject the status quo.

So be angry towards mediocrity, laziness, griping, not taking initiative, self-pity, and your industry's limited thinking. 

THEN

Use that has fuel to surround yourself with like-minded and positive people who support your vision. 

Use it to nudge you to not wait for the phone to ring and instead create your own films, monologues, plays, murals, songs, books, screenplays, and choreography.

Use it to push you to start something of value.

Sticking With Something

I'm a big proponent of taking breaks when something isn't quite working. Taking a step back from a creative project can sometimes be the most productive step you can take. It allows a broader look at what you're doing and an opportunity to re-energize.

But there's also value in sticking with something just a hair longer than you may want to. There have been many occasions where I've taken my smart phone and scheduled a 45-minute writing block. Around the 40th minute or so, when the well of ideas have seemingly dried up and I'm practically home free, I've been tempted to end the session early.

Yet, it's been those times where I've decided to muscle out the final 5, 10, 15 minutes where breakthrough ideas have often been realized. The actual act of sticking to something and seeing it through can often lend itself to inspiration, or an original idea.

Either way, there's value in industriousness that will not only serve your craftsmanship but begin to shape how you define yourself.