Month: September 2019

Creative reinvention progress report…

checklist-timusu--pixabay

Yeaaah, my wife casually asked if she could see some of my recent work.

It was an off-the-cuff comment, by no means a ‘what on god’s green earth are you doing with all that spare time!!?’ request.

But it made me pause [something I’m skilled at] and think [a skill I haven’t yet mastered].

Conclusion: Yep, it’s probably a good thing for me to check in with my work… myself, actually.

And so I pieced together a two-minute jigsaw of my various projects…

What is a ‘retirement concept list’?

Bear_quizzical copy 3
Concept list? What is that?

Readers with retirement/next chapter on their minds…

Here is an exhaustive list of topics and terms related to the subject, in case it helps with any of your creative endeavors. I know it’s been a valuable resource for me.

Retirement Concept List PDF

And a screenshot sample…

retirement concept list screenshot 2

Reinvention Quote of the Day–Put In Your Reps

COOL TEXT INSPIRATION

An excerpt from James Clear’s newsletter today:

Your 1st blog post will be bad, but your 1000th will be great.

Your 1st workout will be weak, but your 1000th will be strong.

Your 1st meditation will be scattered, but your 1000th will be focused.

Put in your reps.

***

And an article on…

The Neurological Benefits of Practice

 

A reminder to readers: This blog isn’t about my preaching to you as much as it is about me getting myself moving in the right direction.
My next post: My wife asks to see some of my recent work…Uh-ohhhh. How do I package all these various creative ventures…and misadventures?

What I’m reading…book on retiring wild, happy, and free

book cover of How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free
Photo of my own book from http://vipbooks.us/

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free: Retirement Wisdom That You Won’t Get from Your Financial Advisor

by Ernie Zelinsky

Some of his section titles: [selected to reaffirm this blog’s intent]

  • Create a new identity because your old one won’t do.

  • Work at something that is not so much a job, but a fun thing to do.

  • Reclaiming your creative spirit will put joyful purpose into your retirement life.

  • An ounce of action is worth a ton of sitting around.

  • Don’t leave this world with songs unsung that you would like to sing.

 

How to Draw Yourself Out of a Creative Funk–New York Times article

faceless man with cloud over his head

Greetings fellow creators.

The title of this piece says it all.

Author and artist Malaka Gharib shares these tips:

  1. Set an Extremely Tight Deadline      She suggests a word count or a time limit.

  2. Take Advantage of How Little Time You Have.

  3. When You Don’t Know Where to Start, Look Around.     Okay, go ahead, call it ‘eavesdropping’ or ‘spying’. Hey, no malice intended. You’re just trying to be an artist!

  4. Draw On Your Memories (Or Just Draw Your Memories)     Think of how evocative the old family album can be. Tap the power of those photos in your mind.