Tag: work
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Do different to get different
The experimental spirit may or may not lead us down the right path. Even if we bend to our hunches, things may turn out in error. But we have to do different to get different. By probing the weakness of human insecurity, we get a little closer to an ideal goal. The rhythm of life…
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The two essential phases in the creative process
There are two essential phases in the creative process. The spontaneous phase is where ideas sprout, unintentionally and seemingly out of nowhere. Everything interesting goes in the hopper, including the slightest observation, things seen, imagined, overheard, or misheard. Whether it’s a notebook or your phone when you’re gathering string, the medium is less important than…
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There is a time for everything
The time you spend away from your task still qualifies as work. That includes doing the dishes, running errands, and taking care of the kids—whatever responsibilities you think to impede your central occupation contribute to its success. British novelist Jon McGregor gives a good example of how he manages his writing despite making time for…
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The pursuit of clearer signals
Why not head toward our ideal self? At the end of the day, how close we get to who we want to become is the prism with which we’ll grade our lives. Yet, the schism persists. What we believe is often at loggerheads with what we do. Chasing our ideals is tough business. As we…
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The young/old dynamic
Younger people are generally more obsessed and driven. Older folks are generally more accepting of the status quo, albeit through jadedness rather than experience. The juniors depend on the adults to help guide them through operational jungles. The seniors lean on younger folks to remain naive and use their lofty dreams to gather raw material.…
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A coherent me
When we are stuck and predictable, we stop beating the heart to our own drum. Instead of chasing our dreams, we ride on the coattails of others. We become a cog that seeks to please rather than to push. How we align our attention — to mimetic desire or to the clusters of individual freedom — is…
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Material to hone
It starts with something to play with. Then it builds into an enormous flower of connections and surprises. The problem isn’t speeding up — it’s calming down the circuits of the brain that are overworked and over-wired. A prompt here, a rough sentence there, stock phrases, we inject certainty onto the page. But the dominance…
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How to prevent grit from becoming the grind
We need passion to prevent the grit from becoming a grind. It might take years to discover what occupation or hobby ignites our interest. Our intuition tells us if something is there — there’s no need to manufacture a vocation that’s missing a calling. That hustle muscle Enthusiasm is an extra muscle. It provides added…
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Play by keeping score
Disorder creates progress. It is within the mess we find out what needs to be cleaned up and what needs to be improved. The same goes for failure — it’s a motivator in disguise, telling us to make improvement more present. A crash adds more wisdom to our craft. Unlike sand, problems never escape counting.…
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A still inchoate creator
The blank page doesn’t write itself. It stares at you, pleading for you to quit and move on to something else. Those who persist pace themselves into unfamiliar territory. A big bang does no artist any good. What matters is not the end result, but pushing through in a gradual approach. Slow and steady wins…
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You can be anything you want and then some
“You can’t be anything you want,” said comedian Chris Rock. “You can be anything you’re good at, as long as they’re hiring.” You need the cash. But you also need to expand your cognitive horizon and let your mind search for its own stimulation. The artist thrives on autonomy and control. But they also benefit…