Retire, Renew, and Reinvent

One of the books by Todd Henry.

Take a look at the preview pages in Goodreads.

My favorite points:

• “Cultivating a love of the process is the key to making a lasting contribution.”
• “Don’t be a mirror, passively reflecting the priorities of others.”
• “You possess a one-of-a-kind combination of passions, skills, and experiences; there is something that you bring to your work that no one else could. If you relinquish that power, then it will never see the light of day and you will always wonder ‘what if?’ The price of regret is incalculable.”

For our purposes, let’s clarify the word ‘work’. While Todd might be directing the last quote toward the working world, it also applies to those creating for themselves.

Which leads to Srini Rao’s Audience of One. This book’s subtitle says it all:

Reclaiming Creativity for Its Own Sake

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Thanks for reading.

And keep creating. And trying ‘new stuff’. [Any little change counts–a new ingredient to a recipe, a new walking route, a new restaurant. Anything that shakes your day, adds interest to your waking hours, even just a little.]

If you hear yourself uttering the words, “I’ve always wanted to try…”, well, that’s a sign.

I’m in the middle of a self-imposed month-long ‘sketch-a-day’ challenge.

What for? It pushes my observational skills, for one. And it’s contributing to this project.

Honestly, while there is a price tag attached, it really is an ongoing work directed toward that ever-present ‘audience of one’. Take a look at the items available for free preview and if you know any teachers, feel free to pass along the URL.

I also posted this yesterday: Finish Your Words and Then You Can Feed Me!