Be wonderful today, like a buttered biscuit w/ gravy on the side, on your favorite small plate, with thousands of fans around you cheering you on in your kitchen.
Author: Seth Werkheiser
Dealing with Writers Block
Reading a handful of books by Steven Pressfield sort of kicked my ass in this department, the main point being this; sit down and work.
Don’t wait for inspiration to show up, that’s for amateurs. Turn pro (the title of another one of his books), and get to work. Work on your craft by working on your craft, not reading more tips on Medium or scrolling for inspiration on Instagram (or watching my videos).
My best work comes at an almost unconscious level. I sit down, usually completely uninspired to do anything, and start, let’s say, recording a dumb bass riff.
Before I know it, I’ve layered a few lines, maybe added in some keys, and now I’m dancing in front of my computer. There was no plan, no agenda, it just happened.
By showing up, being available, these energies can flow. Again, not by looking up more hints and tips on using a particular program, or downloading another book on the Kindle, or watching more YouTube videos – no – just putting in the work to get somewhere.
How I Freelance
Since I’ve been freelancing since 2011, and haven’t had a “full time” job since 2006, I figured I’d share some of strategies for staying focused while working from home (or anywhere, really).
- Get out of your inbox. There’s too many distractions in there. Get the info you need, then close it down and focus on your work. Check back when the task at hand is done.
- Track your time. Don’t let all the hours get away from you, driving your hourly rate down. This also lets you gauge how busy your day will be, since you’ll know how much time it usually takes to complete a task.
- Parkinson’s Law. If you’ve got all day and night to get something done, it can take that long. Don’t let that happen. Commit to completing tasks in a timely manner so you’re not working around the clock!
Get in touch if you have questions about freelancing and remote work!
Don’t Sweat Streaks
So I missed publishing a video the other day. My 10-day streak of posting gone just like that. No excuses, but it is what it is.
The challenge now is getting back on that horse, and not letting “not posting” to become the streak, which can easily happen! Getting back to recording, editing, and publishing, even when not inspired, or not feeling well – that’s the battle!
My reasoning behind all this posting is learning. If I only posted once a week, I wouldn’t learn much. But this way I get a feel for how to share them effectivley, what subjects to hit, and so much more. Each video hopefully gets better than the last, and now at #15 I feel like they are! There’s a small bit of growth, and I’m okay with that.
If I had taken the last two weeks and only made two episodes, I would not have learned nearly as much, which I why I believe it’s a good idea to just keep making content, no matter what you’re doing.
Worried that you’ll be annoying? People post about which TV shows they’re watching, and complain about the weather, and they do that 50 times a day. You’re posting one thing a day, a thing you made and built and created from NOTHING.
Don’t worry about being annoying, focus on putting more of YOU out there into the world.
Over and Over
Do things a little, and then do them a lot!
Like, I started off barely able to run 5 minutes at a time. Almost three later I can run like 2.5 hours and not walk weird afterwards.
Same with music! Ya might suck today, but keep at it and a few years later you’ll be okay!
Not about QUIT YOUR JOB FOLLOW YOUR PASSION. Do your stuff when you can, and maybe a decade from now it’s what you do.
Lots of the artists you see out there touring and stuff and recording have been doing it since they were teenagers. Objects in motion stay in motion.