We all want to be extra-ordinary but unlike Neo, we keep choosing the blue pill and “the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe”. How about once, just once, we let ourselves see just how deep the rabbit hole goes. Eminem (Half of you are rolling your… Continue reading
Doing It Every Day
There are so many things you want to do. You want to be a scholar, an expert, an award-winning writer, designer, creator extraordinaire. You want to stage shows and sell out concerts. You want it all. Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die for it. Am I wrong? How are you… Continue reading
Write The Books You Want To Read
Ernest Hemmingway once said that all you have to do is write one true sentence, the truest sentence that you know. Just one. Then another. Then another. Writing a book, a novel, a screenplay seems Herculean even by modest standards. How the *bleep* am I supposed to create a work of art that spans centuries, and… Continue reading
10 Crippling Voices You Should Tame Immediately
You know the little voices in your head that tighten the reins when you’re about to attempt something extraordinary? They layer themselves in between your thoughts and paralyse you limb to limb. It’s not personal. They are the offspring of fear and doubt, it’s what they do. What you need is some defensive artillery on… Continue reading
One Harsh Truth That Will Make You A Better Writer
I know dozens of aspiring writers. They think of themselves as writers, they introduce themselves as writers at parties, they know that deep inside, they have the heart of a writer. The only thing they’re missing is that minor final step, where they actually fucking write things. David Wong What is this writing thing, anyway… Continue reading
Rule #1: Never Do Creative Work For Free
We will not solve problems before we are paid. Our thinking is our highest value product; we will not part with it without appropriate compensation. ~The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns. This quote comes from a severely underpriced book that will renovate your universe. You will learn how to charge for your thinking, charge more overall,… Continue reading
You Are Going For Gold But Bronze Might Be Enough
Did you know Ovation comes from the Latin Ovis which means sheep? Think about it. When you put two people in a ring somebody has to lose, right? Often times, that somebody will be you. Blame it on the other guy’s special sauce being more special than yours. Whatever. You didn’t get the gold. It is okay to… Continue reading
Fight Every Battle Everywhere, Always, In Your Mind.
Ever heard of a post-mortem? In Latin, it means after death. If you watch medical or detective shows, you’ve heard this word a lot. A post-mortem can tell you what happened in the aftermath but it cannot un-kill what’s been killed. There are parallels everywhere in the living world. Report cards. Divorce papers. Pregnancy Tests. Failed… Continue reading
12 Lessons I Learned From 2017
DISCLAIMER: This is not about making New Year’s Resolutions. It’s rummaging through the aftermath, reviewing collateral damage and retrieving the wounded. Proceed: *** 1. Self-sabotage is real. Grab that creature’s neck and pin it to the concrete. 2. Focus on habits. Day to day. Moment to moment. Write 500 words every day. Some days… Continue reading
What Storytelling Can Teach You About Seducing Clients (and 5 Ways To Get Started)
A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man. from The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell… Continue reading