Do You Know Why Working is Insufferable?

It's because you (and I) aren't leaning into our work.

The people who make a difference are really in to what they're doing. If they don't feel energized about a task or a job they quickly say "no" or find another job.

Distractions

How many breaks do you take while you're working?

Do you focus in and work for hours at a time, or do you stop every 5 minutes to grab a soda, check Facebook, read the news, look at email, etc., etc.

Distractions you don't choose (a phone call, a knock at the door) can be obnoxious and keep you from getting work done. But distractions you do choose -- the fun distractions -- can be an easy way to keep yourself from focusing in on the work.

If you gave 100% of your attention to the work how would it change?

Dollars and Sense

Steve Pavlina just started a series of posts about passive income. The idea is to create multiple streams of revenue that will allow you to get paid when you're not working - you know, like royalty checks, ebook sales, etc. Sounds like a good thing to me.

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2012/04/passive-income-series/

Want to Be Better?

Being better isn't about trying harder. It's about thinking differently. It's about thinking better.

Change the way you think.

Universal Truth - We are all Dorks

This post isn't about art.

I was in Atlanta a couple weeks ago during Dragon Con. For those that don't know, "Dragon*Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the universe!" I got that straight from the website.

All of this sci-fi, pop culture convening translates into lots of people in costumes walking around the streets of Atlanta.

You probably feel comfortable calling someone who dresses up as Captain Kirk a dork. I understand and so does the person who's dressing up.

Fast forward a week...I'm flipping stations while driving to the store and stumble across a country song. The chorus goes something like, "She cain't even bayeeet a hoook!" It was dorky. But to country music fans it's great.

We're all dorks about something. We accept our own brand of dorkiness and make fun of every one else's.

Let's return to our Country Fried Good-Ole boys. It's Friday night and they decide to go to a bar, so they put on their country western costume...boots, big belt buckle with an eagle or a Rebel Flag and a cowboy hat. This is perfectly acceptable to Good Ole' Boys and it's dorky.

I was at Arby's the other day. I saw a guy in his rapper uniform wearing a hat with the tag still attached. Rap fans think rap swag looks great. It's dorky.

Punks wear safety pins, mohawks and combat boots.
Football fans paint themselves and go crazy at games.
Gamers play for hours a day.

Etc., etc., etc.

Everyone has their own ideas about what kinds of Dorkiness are acceptable and cool.

Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't knock other people because they're dorks for something we aren't?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Good Artist?

I've been told my entire life that comparing myself to others is a waste of time, and so have you.

At some level you see the truth. You have a certain set of genes. You were raised in a certain place by a particular family. Did you choose your neighbors? Or your appearance? Or the place of your birth? Of course not.

In my fits of pique I whine that I'm not a prodigy or a genius. A genius would have picked up this art business waaay faster. He would be out there making cool stuff instead of strapped to a drawing table making crap.

All this makes me wonder, "How long is it supposed to take to become a great artist?"

Yes, there are prodigies. But prodigies don't spring from the womb with their skills in place. Rather, prodigies exhibit an obsessiveness with their particular art that compels them to work work work work work. If you were obsessed with your art as much as Picasso with his, or Mozart with his, you would find yourself massively skilled in a relatively short amount of time.

Malcolm Gladwell suggests, based on a study by Anders Ericsson, that becoming great takes about 10,000 hours of deliberate practice, which is equivalent to 20 hours a week for 10 years.

That's a lot of work.

Regardless of whether you need 10,000 hours of practice, the point is that becoming great takes a lot of effort over a long period of time. If you're obsessed you'll practice more often and learn faster, and vice versa.

The takeaway is this:

Becoming a great artist takes as long as it takes. Getting angry about the process only slows it down.

There isn't an easy path, only the grind.  You might as well learn to love it.

How to Stop Being a Frustrated Creative

If you're like me, you have a desire to create things.

If you're like me, you also have a particular nagging problem:

When I'm creating something, I get aggravated because I'm not getting the result I want, and I'm not talking about feeling frustration at the end of a project.  I get frustrated in the middle of the project!


I've always looked to the end of things too quickly.  My 12th grade Calculus teacher told me I messed up math problems because my mind got ahead of itself.

But watching a friend of mine on the computer a month ago helped me realize what I've been doing wrong.

He was designing T-shirts on the computer.  I got to see his process.  He would quickly start with an idea instead of taking a long time to think about what to do.  He would just get started.  Then, once he had a rough draft down, he would correct issues he didn't like one at a time.

That was the clincher for me.

I've always thought about designs in total, and I would try to manipulate too many variables at once.

Instead, my friend would find one thing that irked him and fix that.  Then he would fix something else.  Then something else.  Before too long, he ended up with something he liked.

This change in thinking represents the difference between enjoying the work process and trying to get to the finish line as fast as you can.  Ironically, in trying to finish your work too quickly you slow yourself down with frustration and mistakes.  When you enjoy the process and fix your problems one at a time, your work is completed faster.

This mindset can be applied to anything.  You could be writing a song.  Instead of getting frustrated because the song sucks, fix the problems with it one at a time.  This melody isn't catchy enough...this turnaround is boring...this chorus is too long...etc., etc.  Before too long, you've got a much better song.  More happily, you have a much better completed song.

Don't think about how much you dislike something you've made.  Just fix what you don't like about it one little issue at a time.

2 Kinds of Creatives

There are 2 kinds of creative folk.

Number 1 is the Happy Creative.  This is the person who creates from a place of curiosity and fun.  He enjoys making things.  He's happy with what he makes.  He likes to try out techniques and solve problems.  Creating things makes him happy.

Number 2 is the Frustrated Creative.  He is motivated by a need for accomplishment and haunted by feelings of incompetence.  He's dissatisfied with most things he makes.  He's compelled to get better because he can't stand being bad at something.  Creation for this kind is frustrating.

Both kinds of Creatives feel compelled to make stuff.  The difference is that one enjoys the process and the other is frustrated by it.

I'm a creative of the second kind.  I feel compelled to make things.  I like to make things.  But, making things is extremely frustrating to me because I can't stand my own incompetence.

I've decided that I'd like to be more like the first kind than the second.

Cross your fingers for me.

The Truth About Success

I've read a lot of material about succeeding and following your dreams.  While there is a lot to be learned about both from reading, ultimately I've learned...

...there is no clear path for success.

There are too many variables in a person's success to replicate another person's formula.  A person's journey in life is affected by natural gifts, upbringing, circumstances, personality, friends, temperament, the times in which you live, etc. ,etc. etc.  A lot of these things can't be chosen.  You get what you get.

The mediocre can rise to the top and the prodigious can self-destruct.

I know we've been taught from a young age that we can do anything we set our mind to, but we can't.  That's just a fact.

I couldn't be a jockey.  I'm 6' 3".

What we really need to learn is something I picked up from Robert Greene.

The ability to see life and ourselves exactly as they are...that is a truly great skill.

We're often so blinded by our desires and frustrations that we don't clearly see things as they are.  We spin our wheels trying to do something we're better off not doing.

That doesn't mean you'll have instant success in the areas you excel.  It means you have the will to persevere because you know you have the ability to succeed.  You know you have the tools and the ability to learn what you need.

I would never try to discourage someone from following their dreams, but I would urge you to clearly and realistically assess yourself and what you can do.

Do you ever play video games?

In a lot of games you have the ability to upgrade your character's abilities.  You can make them stronger, faster, etc.  If you're a warrior you need strength and fortitude.  If you're a magician you need intellect and willpower.  You wouldn't choose a thief and boost his strength more than his other traits.  That's not what he needs.

I have this natural desire to be good at everything, so I often try to improve things I would be better served ignoring.  My advice would be to improve what you're good at and forget what you're not.  Life is too short to try and be good at everything.

The truth about success is that you can succeed.  Your path will be your own.  You'll have to take stock of what you have to offer, what you can learn and do, and use that knowledge to make your own way.  Don't compare yourself when there is no true comparison that can be made between two people.

3 Excellent Blogs for your Consideration

There is so much to learn from other people.

Think about this:  You are who you are.  You've got a brain that is good at a few things.  You have a temperament and a personality that guide your thinking.

You're stuck in a You Box.

And that's fine.  However, I came to the conclusion long ago that there are deficiencies in my life I won't solve on my own.

Why take more time learning than you have to?  Why look for solutions only in yourself when there are so many others who have conquered your problems?

Hence, I read books, blogs, and articles constantly.

In the spirit of learning, here are 3 of my Favorite Blogs:

Seth Godin's Blog
Seth is a particularly insightful marketer and idea man.  Read his blog.  Read his books.

Gaping Void
Hugh Macleod is a cartoonist / marketer / writer.  He's also wicked smart.  If profanity really bugs you, go anyway.

Raptitude
David sees life in ways that you and I don't.  You'll feel more insightful and creative after reading his blog.

Now, go checkemout.

Value Blindness

Have any of you had the experience I just had?

I just finished a sketch of a book illustration.  My client loved it...and I was a shocked at the approbation.  I spent some time on the image.  I tried to do a good job.  But, I'm rarely pleased with what I make.

I held up the drawing and thought to myself, "I don't understand why he likes this so much."

And I realized...I've reached the point where I can't see the value in my own work.  I am blind.

I've had this thought before, but it struck me today.

Perspective is funny.  We buy into delusions because we don't see situations as they are.  Every experience we have is colored...is skewed.

When we look at our own artwork, our opinions are warped because of our insecurities.

Some of us underestimate our ability.  We think our work is terrible and don't understand why anyone would like it.

Others of us overestimate our ability.  We're convinced that we are far better than we actually are.

I'm actually glad that I skew towards undervaluing my work.  The result is that I can under-promise and over-deliver.  Those who boast of skills they don't have tend to underwhelm.  I would rather let others brag on me than to brag on myself.

My goal is to look at my work, and everything in life, with an objective lens.  I want to see things as they are, not as I want or fear them to be.  What a rare skill.

Stuck in a Rut - What I've Learned From Frustration

You live in a bubble.

You grow up and learn how to do things.  Expectations and experiences mold you.  The same thoughts travel the same paths in your brain, carving deep ruts they can't easily escape.

Artistically, you live in a bubble.

You solve problems in the same way.  You approach your projects with the system you've designed...a system that is proven to work for you.

The funny thing is, other people may have worked out better solutions to your problems.

I was thinking about this today as I was scratching out a drawing on a piece of paper.  I wasn't pleased with the results, and I didn't know what to do to get the results I wanted.  In a tiny fit of frustration, I found some artwork that is similar to what I had in mind, then imitated the pen strokes.  It helped a lot.

I doubt I would ever have thought to solve my artistic problems in the same way that artist did.

Now I know that I can look for solutions to my artistic problems outside of myself.

This is the definition of "influences."  Who did you look to when you were trying to solve that artistic problem and didn't know how?  Who showed you a different way of doing things?

The beautiful thing is that I'm not teaching you to rip off another artist.  I'm teaching you to expose yourself to new artistic solutions.  Expose yourself to techniques and ways of seeing the world you would never try on your own.  Expose yourself to lots of things, and, equally important, try those things out for yourself.

You can read all you want.  You can look at stuff all you want, but you don't really learn unless you try things out for yourself.

Copy techniques and compositions.  Throw different perspectives into your pot and see what kind of artistic gumbo you come up with. 

To become the best artist possible, you have to get outside yourself.

None of us succeed in a vaccuum, which is a hard to for someone like me to accept.

We Hate Art - We Love Art

Artists are creators.

We make things.  We take pride in our ability to have an idea, and bring that idea into existence in the form of a painting, drawing, website, article, or whatever.  Theoretically, creation and creativity are fun and exciting.  Realistically, creation is frustrating; at least, it is for someone like me.

Maybe you're like me.

Idea generation is a skill.  I'm improving, but, for a long time, I haven't been the sort of fellow that comes up with ideas while I'm living.  So, when I need to generate ideas, for a commissioned work or a personal project, I sometimes have a very difficult time deciding what to do.  I second guess myself.  When I decide on an idea and bring it into the world, I'll get frustrated with my execution.  I often miss fundamental errors until I'm finished with the work.  Does this sound familiar to anyone?

For me, then, the entire process is fraught with frustration and failure.

I've discovered that the reason for my frustration is that I have a 2-bit approach to my work.  I either like it, or I hate it.  Success or failure.  Good or bad.

Instead, we can develop, as I've mentioned before, a healthier attitude of curiosity towards our work.  We learn from both success and failure, and always enjoy the process.  It's a process that's focused on discovery.

Why do we love Art?


Because we have the opportunity to contribute.  It feels good to bring beauty into the world; to spread ideas; to be appreciated and respected.

Why do we hate Art?


Because to create is to be criticized, misunderstood, or ignored.  To make art sometimes means to try your best, and to find out that your best isn't good enough.  It may be someday, but not today.

Hugh Macleod has the best advice about making art:  Ignore Everybody.  Do your own thing in your own way.  He draws cartoons on the back of business cards.  He did that for 10 years, just for fun.  Now, he's selling prints and spreading ideas.  Did he ever think that drawing on business cards would become such an important part of his life?  I doubt it.

We can choose to love art instead of hating the process.  We can learn to contribute to the world in our own ways, without listening to the legions of people who don't really know what they're talking about.

We can enjoy the process.  This is your life.  You might as well like it.

3 Thoughts on Improvement

You know...getting really good at something takes a long time.

I'm not talking about a few months, or a year, or three years.

I've heard about Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers, which apparently claims that success in a field takes around 10,000 hours of practice, or, on average, 10 years.

I don't know about 10,000 hours or 10 years, but I agree that success often takes a long time to achieve.  Getting really good at something takes a long time and a lot of practice.

But that's okay.  How insulting would it be to those people in their various fields if anyone could learn anything in a short period of time?  Besides, the long learning curve of a craft makes it more valuable, both financially and personally.  We despise what comes easily.

Working on my caricature book project has been a love affair with improvement.  I've been improving myself while trying to teach other people how to improve more qiuckly.  So, I have some thoughts on the subject:

Get a Teacher (At Least, Read Some Books)
I'll admit that I romanticize independent learning.  The path of the lonely genius.  That sounds good to me.  The problem is that learning things on your own takes too long.  You'll miss out on better solutions to problems.  You'll get stuck on things that a teacher could immediately point out.  You'll possibly develop bad habits.  Basically, you're just going to cost yourself a lot of time, and who wants to waste that?

Quit being so independent and stubborn.  Learn from other people.  No one succeeds alone.  You might as well embrace that now and save yourself a lot of grief.

Don't Practice on Autopilot
This is a big one for me.  I live on autopilot.  Think while you practice.  Analyze.  Experiment.  Write things down.  Figure out what works and what doesn't.  Root out the bad habits.  Practice deliberately, and you will learn much more.  Learning doesn't have to be an accident.

Cultivate a Curious Mind
This is another big problem for me.  I think in terms of success and failure.  If I succeed I am happy (maybe), and I'm angry if I fail.  A much better way, which I've learned from my friends, is to cultivate an attitude of curiosity.  A person who is curious doesn't get angry if something "fails."  They make a mental note and continue being curious and having fun.  There is no bigger impediment to learning than anger.  Anger causes you to lose lessons.  It causes you to stop working, because your emotions build up like a dam.  Be curious, not angry.

I've learned that, most of all, we need to chill out and enjoy the process.

Man, that's tough.