“All one needs to do is read – books, magazines, research the Internet – and pay attention to the influencers in their lives to discover the myriad people of strong moral character who have and still are making positive, meaningful contributions and differences in our world.”
-Zig Ziglar
I spent much of 2013 and 2014 delving into the works of Seth Godin. A lot of what I read at that time has stuck with me, and many aspects of my creative life are a result.
Sadly there are deficiencies that, like many people, I turn a blind eye to. Resistance, as attributed to Steven Pressfield.
At the same time, there is a market for being authentically you. We search and search for it, while at the same time being afraid to reveal ourselves. How hard is it to find lights of the same color when your own is muffled or covered all together?
In short, it’s important to let your light shine. To be authentic in all that you do. Otherwise, you’re missing out on your tribe.
Oh, right. Now that COVID has canceled my summer season, I’ll be looking for work once again.
The thing about job hunting is that it was unpredictable before the outbreak. Now, well, I’m sure I find myself like many Americans.
But hey, opportunity from adversity! Good luck to all, and to all a good night.
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.”
– Mary Anne Radmacher
Another week without work. Another week of soul-searching. Another week of pandemic fears and of normalcy obliterated.
I’ve worked consistently in at least one job (usually two or three) since I was twenty years old. Not having to report to work has been playing mischief with my… well, my everything.
I wish I could say that I’ve stuck to the routine I established for myself while staying up in Alaska. I did not. Between traveling and avoiding people, I feel like a clandestine operative sneaking back into my own country.
Likewise, fishermen are looking at returning to Alaska, but there are concerns over whether the smaller fishing villages will be able to handle an outbreak. That means the state’s top three revenue streams (oil, tourism, and fishing) will have all suffered this year.
Back here in the lower 48, one thing I’ve noticed is my sleep schedule is currently all akimbo. I’m anxious to make it somewhere consistently and attempt to hack my sleep. That’s been my focus for much of this week.
To remove distractions while writing, I’ve been utilizing the app White Noise. Between that and my noise-canceling headphones I can usually omit any superfluous noise around me.
And, Andrew Lloyd Webber has been showing one filmed show a week, which I’ve caught a couple of. Not to mention National Theatre’s productions on YouTube. Lots of theatre to take your attention, if only for a couple of hours.
On investing your time wisely.
On starting (and keeping) a journal. I bought my first Moleskine circa 2006. While my writing was haphazard at best to start, I eventually found a rythym. In 2015, when I first began The Artist’s Way, I wrote my morning pages with a religious zeal. Admittedly, I fell off the wagon time and again, having to start anew and began collecting continuous days of writing behind from scratch. I’ve now been journaling the better part of six months daily, and have every intention of continuing.
When the smartphone starts taking over your life, here are some ways to curb its useage.
And finally, when burnout sets in, it’s time to recover.
Why time is so distorted in our minds right now. (In all fairness, my sense of time is usually distorted, but I guess even more so now.)
With the time you have, art Critic Jerry Saltz writes on how to stay creative during isolation. It’s been a challenge for me, but not only me, and as Jason Diamond writes, “…there is still something to be taken from this: we are all lacking for sources of inspiration these days.”
Changing your routine is likely necessary right now, and here are some tips from Life Hacker.
When it’s difficult to fall asleep, try these techniques from Art of Manliness. Again, a constant problem for me which I’m trying to tackle even now.
And for when getting outside seems impossible, virtual hikes that you can enjoy from anywhere.
It doesn’t matter that we fail from time to time. In fact, we should know failure. That failure creates an opportunity to learn like no other.
If all we had known was success then we aren’t pushing ourselves. We’re doing a disservice to the world that can influence, and a disservice to our own well-being.
Certainly, I have failed. Made decisions that ran counter to my own best interests. I’ve lied, cheated, and stole. I’ve broken laws and misused trusts that were placed in me. For the pain and suffering I’ve caused I am deeply sorry. I hope that in my failure I’ve learned enough to make amends.
And still, it is my desire to do better, to be better. There aren’t many opportunities in life that don’t require the rocking of the boat from time to time. Safe sailing yields no new treasures.
So fail, then. Live openly, live truthfully, and live bravely. You’ll get knocked on your ass from time to time. But all you can do is get up, dust yourself off, and try again.
Some thoughts about the week:
Traveling now is crazy. Surrealism at its worst. A mixture of mask-wearing and social distancing; half-empty airports and planes. I don’t know if the extra room is nice or discomforting.
Parts of the country are reopening. It’s another mixture of weighing safety and practicality. Are we ready to resume eating out? Or is it still a bit too nerve-racking? With limited seating, maybe it too feels entirely surreal.
Essential work is something of a double-edged sword. While I miss working, I’m thankful for the security of having seclusion. Those who are out still and doing jobs that need doing – you can’t help but hope for their safety.
Models for assessing the scope and fatality rate of Covid-19 are constantly evolving, and the only thing certain is that no one seems to know anything. It’s a lot of conjecture as the science catches up with reality, but it is a public health threat and we should be careful.
The post-pandemic world is one that is highly anticipated, even if we’ve no clue what it’s actually going to look like. For now, I guess, we stay safe and try to remain creative and hopeful.
The country is in the process of reopening, but some people have been working nonstop during this crisis. When we are so focused on our own internal strife, it’s seems possible we may neglect thinking of those who are working and have been
So thank you to them who have kept us going all along.
Michael's Musings 