My good friend Elizabeth and I have a casual chat about Imposter Syndrome and all the things that come with belonging in the spaces we occupy. We reminisce, we laugh, and sing our way to understanding ourselves just a little bit better. In the end we discover that feeling safe in our work environments and remembering the talent and expertise that we bring to the game are just some of the things that help us deal with Imposter Syndrome.

Imposter Syndrome: Wikipedia
Characteristics
Why Imposter Syndrome Is Worse for Women of Color
Imposter Syndrome in Design: What It Is and How to Overcome It
Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome

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Back out in these streets for the summer and having experience shock! We talk Bears, Bodies, and Road Rage.

You can find us on Twitter and Instagram: @Creative4evr. And if you like what you're hearing and want to donate to the show, I have the link in the show notes -- I would love if you'd buy me a couple of donuts.

Don't forget to be kind to yourself this week. Even if you're not creative! ;D

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Back with a look at a star-studded Golden Girls Event on Zoom that made promises it couldn't keep.

Hey, hi, hello it has been forever forever, I have missed you.

Links:
Buy Jai//Em some donuts!
Gladys Knight has a Verzuz with Patti LaBelle
Erykah Badu verzuz Jill Scott
Golden Girls - Zoom Where It Happens
Golden Girls Episode 21/ Season 1 - Flu Attack
Love And Basketball
Aaron Scott sings Golden Girl theme song
A Black Lady Sketch Show - 227
Black Lives Matter
Breonna Taylor Petition

Read Full Show Notes HERE.

Black Lives Matter, Trans Lives Matter, and arrest the cops that murdered Breonna Taylor.

Don't forget to be creative this week, even if you just think about it. I've missed you so much.

Later.

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Top of show lyrics/song: thankful by meltycanon

But first //
Black Lives Matter at 7 Years...
Must watch #1 // Video: Defunding Vs. Abolishing The Police Explained in 6 Minutes
Must watch #2 // Video: What "defund the police" really means

Main Show - Measuring Success //
7 Ways To Measure True Success
20 New Ways to Measure Success
Measuring Success as a Writer or Artist: A Basic Guide to Happiness
9 Things You Should Give Up to be a Successful Artist
How You Should Really Be Measuring Success
Is There a True Measure of Success? How to Define Your Own
5 Mistakes Companies Make When Measuring Success
Video: How Do You Measure Success?

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Buy Jai//Em some donuts!
Beyoncé's Black Is King trailer
How To Watch Hamilton
Hamilton Is Canceled Controversy
Hamilton's America Trailer - PBS "Making Of" Documentary
The Cast Of Hamilton
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Black Lives Matter

Full Notes:

Hey, hi and hello! Welcome to Creative4evr. The podcast dedicated to keeping you forever inspired, forever motivated, forever creative, and forever YOU. I am your host, Janet, a.k.a. Jai//Em, a.k.a. the voice inside your head, a.k.a. your biggest fan, and together we’re going to get some creative shit done.

Hello, hello! Welcome to the show. What a day! What a week! What a month! What a year! Every moment something new happens, it's a lot and sometimes when I'm working on the scripts for these episodes. I sort of get overwhelmed because there is so much to talk about at any one given time and I just don't know what to do! So today I decided we're gonna talk about Hamilton.

Disney Plus, the streaming service that costs about 15 bucks has released Hamilton for the world to see. Now this is a show that was 300, 400 dollars a ticket even right before covid-19 stopped all of the Broadway shows. It’s a very expensive show that mostly privileged people had access to. So, being able to watch Hamilton from your couch for less than 20 bucks, and then maybe watching The Little Mermaid and watching A Goofy Movie and then four days from now being able to watch Beyoncé's Black is King which is coming out?... I mean, that's worth $20 and I think a lot of people know that, so they either already had Disney Plus or they signed up for it so they could watch Hamilton.

Because so many people that would not usually have access to the this work are getting access to this piece, that's a win for me as an artist…as a former theater major, that's a win for me! That so many people that have access to one of the most hyped, most talked about, extremely unique musicals that has ever existed, that is a win!

Now I had the privilege of seeing Hamilton here in New York City when tickets were $80 and, at the time, I was pissed that it was an $80 ticket. I saw the all of the original cast members, and it blew me away, it really blew me away. Yes, I understand that it's the history of our founding fathers and that it is, you know, not the most historically accurate situation. I am not a die-hard George Washington fan. I'm not a die-hard Alexander Hamilton fan. But, I was blown away and for a number of reasons.

One, I kind of knew what I was going to…but I didn’t. And honestly, I think that's true for many people that experience it for the first time, unless you're one of the people that were listening to the soundtrack before you went, which I didn’t. I like to do things in order. I don't like spoilers, so there was no way I was gonna listen to the soundtrack for musical before I saw it. Anyway, I sat down and was immediately overwhelmed because I just could not believe that this guy and all of these people up on stage. (This guy being Lin-Manuel Miranda who's playing Hamilton who created and wrote everything.) I couldn’t believe they were going to rap for two hours and 40 minutes. I couldn't believe that! And it did not matter to me in the moment if the rapping done by Lin-Manuel Miranda was good or bad, it just mattered to me that this person had figured out how to make an entire two hours and 40 minutes of history (that's pretty accurate) rhyme.

That alone is a reason to watch Hamilton. If you care nothing about anything else, just sit down and watch someone make everything rhyme for three hours while telling you the story of Alexander Hamilton at the same time. It's wild! It feels impossible and yet it is not because that's what LMM did.

I was also blown away by the talent. So again, I don't think Lin-Manuel Miranda is the best rapper, and I have heard that since he left the show as Hamilton and others have taken over, there have been more skilled rappers make his part even more dynamic because it's not only LMM’s words, but it's done by people who are more of the genre than he is. But make no mistake, Lynn had to be the first Hamilton because it was his brainchild. It doesn't matter if he's the best rapper or not, because I don’t think anyone but him could have written those words.

Okay, the rest of the talent on the stage… Everybody came to play. Everybody on that stage knew they were doing something different, that they were doing something special, that they were doing something few people could do, and that they could flex while doing it! And that! Watching other creatives flex, watching other creatives know that they're doing something special that very few people can do. You could feel that energy. When I was in that room, you could feel it. It was dripping all over the place. It was all over the walls. These people knew they were doing something special. They knew they were giving us an experience we had not had before and there's something about that. There's something about that as a creative. That what I want. I want to one day feel like I am connecting with people and providing something that is out of this world and that they almost can't believe is happening. So awesome! I think I will have to become a rock star in order to do that. I don't know that I can do that as a writer or podcaster, because it's not live and with you. I'm not with you right now and if you read a book that I write at any point, I won't be with you but man if I ever get on a stage… That's what I want.

What also blew me away is very obvious. It’s that the entire stage was full of black and brown people. And you know that was part of the flex too because you've got all of these people up there that are triple threats you have to be a triple-threat to be in musical theater, certainly to be on Broadway. You gotta be able to sing, dance and act. But these people were going further than that. They were also rapping. Quadruple threat… is that a thing? To sing, to dance, to rap, and to act? And that was part of the, holy shit. There are even fewer people that can do this.

When I first came to New York City, I was 18…? 17. I was gonna be a freshman in college and thought I was gonna be, you know, on Broadway. Not necessarily doing musical theater, but definitely in plays. And I remember just sort of being an awe of people on stage when I would go see plays. I was in awe of the memorization that it took I was in awe that these people did these shows eight times a week, that they were able to play to the back of the house. You know what I mean? So big and larger than life that the people sitting in the back row understand the emotion on stage, understand the pain, happiness, joy or sadness that's happening even if they're sitting far away. I was just in awe of that sort of thing.

But nothing changed my life like seeing the musical, RENT for the first time. When I saw RENT for the first time that's when it clicked. That art could change how you see the world. Change what you think is possible. Change how you feel.

And in a profound way, not just in the moment. Not in the, Oh, that changed how I felt this afternoon for a moment. I mean change how you feel about life. And I have to say, when I saw RENT for the first time felt transported and like my life was changing forever, it wasn't necessarily based on this story that was happening. It was based on my awareness that people were on stage doing this.

I was a creative person. I wanted to be an actor. I was trying to do what these people were doing and they gave me the best example, the most emotional example of that reality right in front of my face. With Hamilton that's not necessarily gonna happen for everyone and certainly it's harder to do on a screen, but it will grab some people in the same way that RENT grabbed me. There are future artists that are watching this show this week and, they're not necessarily worried about the historical accuracy. They are getting proof of concept! That who they want to be can happen, that the type of art they want to create can happen, that rhyming for three hours can happen… That this type of artistry exists, do you know what I mean?

The last thing I want to say about Hamilton is that, being accessible to everyone who gets Disney plus for $13 has started conversations that are so important. We need to be talking about art more, we need to be talking about the stories that are being told more, we need to be talking about the people on stage, backstage, the writers, the dancers, the rappers, the history that they're telling, the way that they're telling it, the way things are being presented or not presented, what can be better, what was perfect and shouldn't change, what is terrible and should never happen again.

I think Art is supposed to start conversations. And what's fantastic about this is no matter how you feel about the show, if you're willing to engage in a conversation, then we win. If you decide that you're gonna say it's trash and, you know, tweet it out and then say, “Don't @ me,” well, I don't know that you care about art at all.

But if you have feelings about it and wanted to discuss it. If you've SEEN IT, have feelings about it and want to discuss it, I think that's fantastic. I'm really excited that we are spending the Fourth of July weekend having a conversation about an incredibly unique piece of Art. I think that's important.

So if you find yourself caught up in a conversation — This shouldn't happen / That history is bullshit… — well yes, absolutely. But bring the conversation back to the people on stage. The artistry, the talent that it takes to write that, to perform it, eight times a week, for three hours. The blood, sweat and tears, the memorization! You really, really have to be in tune with your instrument as an artist to be able to participate in something that intense. As the writer, as one of the dancers, as a person with three lines, as a person with half the lines. You really have to be in tune with your instrument. And that's incredible. And I want to celebrate those people and not forget that.

These artists are the reason that we can even talk about this stuff and almost all of them are of color. That's fantastic.

All right! That's our show this week. You can find us on Instagram or Twitter @Creative4evr. If you would like to donate to me and the show that would be greatly appreciated. I will put the link in the show notes— would love if you'd buy me a couple of donuts.

Finally I will say, Black Lives Matter. Trans Lives Matter. And arrest the cops that killed Breonna Taylor.

Don't forget to be creative this week, even if you just think about it. Later!

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Quick links:
Minstrel Show
NYT: 1619 Project - Blackface, Appropriation & Black music

Show Notes:

Hey, hi and hello! Jai//Em here with a quickie about blackface.

Right now, this week, last week, today, yesterday, probably tomorrow and the day after that… we are canceling episodes of TV shows and canceling movies. When there's blackface, when a white person is playing a black animated character, all of that's going away. And people are freaking out about it.

Tina Fey has requested that four episodes of 30 Rock be removed. The guy that plays Cleveland on Family Guy is a white man (if you didn't know I think his name is Mike Henry). He has stepped down from playing Cleveland. Jenny Slate is no longer playing a biracial character on the animated show. Many British TV shows have had to pull episodes (a lot of British blackface going on, I’m sure many of you are not surprised). The Office has cut a scene from the episode that had blackface in it, so you can still watch the episode, but the scene has been re-cut. Community has removed a black face situation, and the latest is that the Golden Girls has removed the episode “Mixed Feelings” where Michael, Dorothy son, and Lorraine, an older black woman, get together and get married. And that is because in the episode Blanche and Rose walk into the room wearing mud masks while Lorraine's family is in the room, and they have to defend themselves because it's not blackface, it’s mud masks…

Listen, we have a lot of shows with racist bullshit in them and they need to come down. Think about it this way, the writers on the show decided that in the show with the black people they needed some jokes. What could they do?.... Ok, we’ll put Rose and Blanche in mud masks and then they'll defend their blackface as just being mud masks! It will be funny and awkward because, of course, it's not black face!... But now you're writing something that puts them in blackface on the show.

You’re putting people in fake blackface for a non-blackface, blackface joke. And then producers on the show, the people behind the scenes, all the way up to the top, do you know what I mean? All the way up-- it's a Disney produced show right the Golden Girls falls under ABC and Disney! That's bad. It's bad that hundreds of people in each of these cases -- The office, 30 Rock, all of these British shows were talking about, Family Guy, Community. It's bad that hundreds of people are okay with this before we even see it. That's the problem.

We're gonna have to keep remembering that this revolution is going to have a lot of casualties, because white supremacy and systemic racism is everywhere and everything is going to be taken seriously. It's a problem when shows and movies that are predominantly run by white people continually think blackface is funny.

All you have to do if you don't know about blackface is look up minstrel show. You can look up “minstrel show” on Wikipedia. I will put a link in the show notes. Blackface is basically the origin story of appropriation for black entertainers. White people dressed in blackface to make fun of black people, to perpetuate stereotypes about black people, and make money doing so. So, Blanche and Rose in mud masks (because the writer wrote a blackface non-blackface joke) results in the Golden Girls show making money.

And we're talking about my favorite show, right? I haven't canceled the Golden Girls, but I do cancel blackface. It's as easy as that. I haven't canceled Black excellence but I do cancel The Cosby Show.

I haven’t canceled Quincy Jones and his ability to make amazing R&B music, but Michael Jackson for me is cancelled. Simple as that. The world has not exploded because of this, it won't explode if we lose a bunch more of our TV shows and celebrities that we have, up until now, been making excuses for or overlooking the bullshit.

The world will go on. Actually, it'll be a better place because of it. This will go into history books, hopefully, if the right people are writing them, that in 2020 and 2021 we removed blackface and racial stereotyping from the entertainment industry. That would be amazing! So don't fall for the BS that this is going too far. This needs to happen and we want it to happen.

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BlackLivesMatter

Full Show Notes:

Let me tell you something, Black people are in no hurry to get back to normal. We don’t carry a deep nostalgia for things or times. There is only so much black people miss and reminiscence about. There is very little that we’re sentimental about or homesick for. For us back to normal is bullshit.

Back to normal is black people being targeted, killed, violated, wrongfully-imprisioned. Back to normal also means black people going back to being unseen, misunderstood, disrespected, dismissed, patronized, and under-estimated. And I am not just talking about black people that are harassed by police or racist people. I am saying that back to normal for ME on a regular day means going back to being unseen or misunderstood, disrespected, dismissed, patronized, or under-estimated in some way between leaving this apartment in the morning and coming back home at evening.

For black people back to normal is us being asked questions we aren’t being paid to answer about all sorts of things! Racism, our hair, our culture and our pop-culture. Back to normal is black people being asked questions we aren’t being paid to answer like, What should I do? What should we do next? How can we help? You know big, vague, philosophical questions. And guess what a lot of us answer those questions, and most of those times our advice is not taken. So, you ask...we answer...you don’t do it... and we don’t we get paid for it.

Back to normal is black people having to be: put together, nice, calculated, strategic, all-knowing, and friendly, and happy, quiet, magical, dope, chill, so cool… All so we can can stay safe! So that we can stay alive and out of prison. So that we can get jobs, keep jobs and get promoted. So we can take walks in Central Park, so we can jog, so we can ride the subway, so we can drive our cars, so we can eat, and sleep and read books.

A lot of y’all know me cuz this podcast is just getting off the ground so I want you picture something. Picture my mother holding me in her arms, I’m a newborn baby. And what she’s thinking about is what can I name my child so she can get a job later in life. THAT is back to normal for a lot, not all, but a lot of black people, naming their children in ways that please others and invite opportunities.

So why am I saying this? Because I want everyone (not just white people), to understand how important it is for us NOT to go back to normal.

Now what that future is….well, we don’t know because we aren’t there yet. But collectively as a community of humans on this planet we have to be OKAY with walking together forward into new territory. We have to be okay with being uncomfortable for longer than 5 days (and I say that to all of you that are not affected by racism but are already exhausted by the revolution). This is not going to be solved tomorrow.

I’ll tell you right now July 4th is going to be very awkward, to say the least. And if that is at all shocking news to you, What do you mean the 4th of July is going to be awkward? I urge you to talk to someone in your life (that is not black) but understands what I mean because under no circumstances should you be celebrating your freedom this Independence day. Now Juneteenth may well be the turn-up this year so you can get hype for that, but depending who you are you will have to stay in your lane on 6/19 as well. So ask all the questions before you start celebrating this summer. :)

What I am saying to you is, we don’t want things going back to normal. We want to embrace this moment and make it count. Opportunities like this don’t come around all the time. And you may think I am being morbid when I say this but something good can come out of Covid-19. My mother would say, the Lord works in mysterious ways, but... Here we are, forced to stay in our homes and shelter in place. We’ve watched all the television. We’ve figured out how to work from home and all that.

And NOW we have time to deal with racism. That can be our story of 2020/2021. If we want to be. Let me correct myself, if non-black people want it to be. Because I believe the only way this works is if black people outline the work and everyone else does that work.

What do I mean by that? The protests are a great example. A lot of people are calling for white people to do the work of putting themselves between police and black bodies. That is the work. Talking to your racist or uneducated family and friends is the work. I can’t call your white aunt and tell her she’s racist, but guess what, you can! Demanding change from politicians and leaders and/or electing new ones. The last time we voted for a President, black people weren’t the problem. Non-black people didn't do the work.

I hope meetings are already happening. I hope non-black people are having zoom calls to organize and see what they can accomplish if they program manage racism. If they get strategic with their funds. If they go through their contact lists to see how many degrees of Kevin Bacon they are away from an ally with deep pockets, or sway. And this shouldn’t sound crazy to you. Everyone listening has sat down and strategized how to get something important done, whether it's for their job and they are getting paid, or if it's personal so they can be hyper productive. I hope that you decide to be one of these people. I hope that you decide to be serious about helping black people. Something that goes way past instagram posting. Something that goes way past giving your money. The movement needs you money, don't get me wrong. Everyone should give and continue to give. Even 5 bucks. if you are listening you can give a little. But it's going to require more than that.

And so many of us...we lie awake at night, 90% sure that nothing is going to change, that we will have to go back to normal, that cops will keep killing black people. That we will keep being afraid. That we will have to spend our lives with energy directed at all of this instead of being able to use that energy on ourselves and on our potential.

I am a person with a lot of potential and this is where my energy has been. I don't want to go back to normal. I don't want to spend my energy and time like this. I don't want to live like this. But what sucks is, it doesn't matter if I don't want to live like this. Because I alone can't change it. My freedom relies on a whole bunch of other people deciding if they have time to actually help. To actually make change. To read books about things they don't know very much about. To invest their money, not only when we die, but throughout the year/// in ways that uplift black people, black voices, black creatives, black business people, black law enforcement, black politicians.

It's a lot of work. Obviously. But we can make great strides in 2020 and 2021 if non-black people are willing.

I don't want to go back to normal. I hope you don't want to go back to normal. I am willing to help. A lot of black people are willing to help. But the burden we carry....that, you all that are not black. You gotta help us with that.

So I usually say, Don't forget to be creative this week, even if you just think about it. But this time I'm going say, Don't forget about black people this week....that is what I am going to say.

Twitter & Instagram: @Creative4evr
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Links:
Lockdown TV: Netflix Dominates, News Surges and Bea Arthur Is Still Golden
Pharrell Williams - Compilation of Songs with Four-Count Start
If Beale Street Could Talk Trailer

Update:

Still in NYC, in Brooklyn, sheltering in place. We are still healthy, still not going anywhere unless absolutely necessary. I’m not going insane, but I’m not, not going insane. I like the working from home part, I don’t like not being able to go run an errand or easily, relaxingly be outside. Even when I take a walk I have such anxiety about... Where is my mask? Is it on right? Don’t touch your face, don’t touch anything. Be mindful about others not wearing masks, or disregarding the 6-foot rule. It’s so hard for me to relax and then I’m like, “Oh, f*%k this, I’m going back inside.” But we are safe, we are surviving and I am making as best use of my time inside as I can, so I stay sane, and feel like I’m not getting behind for my goals for 2020. Let’s be honest, we thought this was gonna be 3 or 4 months, but this is going to be the rest of the year. Definitely the rest of Spring, into Summer. I am probably going to be working from home for the rest of 2020. And that’s a different situation.

The idea of working out of my home office for a few months was fine. I prefer to work from home. I am very productive at home, doing my stuff— writing, podcasting, gaming, streaming, all the things I do for work, that fulfill me outside of my day job. And fine, my day job can come hang out in this office for a few months… But absolutely the f*%k not for the rest of the year. I don’t want this room to become my day job. Once I realized that was happening—first I panicked, then I got depressed. Now I am in the action stages, I’ve figured out a way to work in here without the day job stuff taking over the space. It has its own corner now. But knowing that the rest of the year is going to be some version of this. This no routine/new routine. I really want to make sure that I still accomplish some of the things I wanted to accomplish in 2020.

Main Show:

We are gonna talk about TV today. As you know, the world is watching a lot of TV.

The Coronavirus crisis has led to a worldwide spike in viewership in March. TV consumption was up 60% in the US for March with a spike in middle-of-the-day viewing and a decrease in primetime watching. And I read that India’s non-primetime viewing had an 81% increase. And this just proves what I have been feeling about TV consumption for all of my adult life. WHHHHHHY we gotta wait til 7, 8, 9 pm to watch the shows we love?! I think I may have mentioned this before, but I am not at my best in the evening. The evening is a time for me to be tired and generally unfocused and disappointed with life. I mean it— I am not in sync with my mind, body and soul in the evening. All the superpowers I feel starting around 5am, are gone by 6 pm. I used to watch Game of Thrones first thing in the morning on Mondays instead of Sunday night at 9 PM! Because THAT is when I was ready to truly experience the excitement, drama and bloodlust of Game of Thrones!

Anyway, all of this TV consumption, especially the daytime TV watching has been made possible by streaming services which allow you to watch your favorite shows whenever you want. First-time installs of the Netflix app on devices surged in Italy and Spain in March and the NYT reports that 74% of American homes now subscribe to a streaming service. That number went up by about 2.5 million subscribers between January and March of 2020.

What are people watching!? Everything! And that makes sense. If you’re stuck at home forever, you’re more likely to take a chance on something you wouldn’t normally watch. You don’t have to prioritize your viewing as much, you’re open to being surprised or disappointed, right? If you’re like me, you’re open to feeling anything other than the crushing weight of anxiety, and the overwhelming desire to get into a Best Buy or an Apple Store. I have NEVER in my life gone this long without sauntering down the aisle of a gadget store and it’s freaking me out. Ugh.

My point is, a lot of folks are opening up their viewership circles and trying some new stuff because they have nothing but time. People are also doing a lot of rewatching or as a Hulu spokesperson calls it, “comfort watching.” Did you know that 11 million hours of "The Golden Girls" were watched on Hulu in April? 11 million hours of The Golden Girls! That makes me so HAPPY! You know what else people are apparently confort viewing on Hulu, ‘cuz it has really high watch numbers right now? "Law And Order: SVU." ‘Cuz there’s nothing more comforting than watching Oliva Benson capture sex offenders, rapists and killers.

All of this has got me thinking about what I want to watch again on TV. So I wanted to talk about how we as creatives can use Repeat Viewing to our advantage. We can, with strategy, with intention, work on our creative observation skills as well as come to a better understanding of our own creativity, what we are and are not responding to, and what others are responding to.

First, you already know I am a big advocate for reading the same book more than once. And I feel the same way about repeat consumption in other forms of media. Watching a TV series, or movie, or experiencing any type of content multiple times is a great way to discover things you didn’t notice the first or 2nd time. And often the material will connect with you in different ways depending on the place you are in your life during that time. Something you didn’t even realize was happening when you experienced it at 15, will be very clear when you experience it again at 22, and the same thing will happen again at 45, or 60 or 80.

We respond to creativity and work based on who we are in the moment, based on memories from the past. So these things are always changing and evolving, and when you experience something multiple times you get a sort of check-in with who you are. A flag in the sand about how you feel about certain ideas, material, people, music, anything! You are experiencing it again for technically the 15th time, but in that moment, for the first time.

Another great thing to do if you decide to repeat view something is to pay attention to how others are reacting to it. This is good because sometimes we get so tunnel-visioned about how we feel about something, or how we think the world should think about it, and we aren’t right all the time. And when you watch something and you’re laughing but the people next to you are not, or you don’t understand it, but everyone else is really plugged in— that’s informative. That’s telling you about something you respond to that others don’t. It could be across race, across gender, it could be age related. These are interesting things to keep in mind as a creative- Hmmm I didn’t laugh, but they did. I wonder why? Watching something actively a 2nd or 3rd or 15th time, but with someone else (short of drilling them with questions and making the experience not fun) can you tell a lot. Otherwise we often get in our heads creatives — What’s funny, what’s not funny, what’s gonna make them cry? You ask 3 people about the best part of a movie, often you get 3 different answers. So if you’re gonna repeat view something and you’re gonna do it with someone else, you might as well get a little intel while you do it.

The last thing I want to talk about— and this is sort of a deeper dive for people — but it’s something I do and I really like and I think you might too. It’s called Focus Viewing. You pick a theme, character, or behind the scenes role (like the set designer or sound designer) and watch only through that lens. If we are talking about TV, this can be educational because if you watch one character only through an entire TV series, you are absolutely going to learn more about that character because you are focused only on them. This is what led to my understanding that Betty White is the hardest working actor on the Golden Girls because I have spent countless hours watching that show focused only on her character Rose Nylund. And doing that helped me see that her character has to be whatever the other characters need her to be for that particular episode. That’s a whole different conversation for another time but when you do a focus viewing you can really put on your creator hat and draw some interesting conclusions about story arc, character traits, and overall creative inspiration behind the work. So the Golden Girls is just one example, but all TV shows, especially ones that were on for 3, 4, 5, 17 seasons are great for character focus viewing. Pick a character and watch the show focusing only on them, their strengths, weaknesses, faults, how others perceive them, what role they play in each episode — villain, shoulder-to-cry-on, comic relief. Even things like how often they appear in an episode, their catch phrase, or a word they use often. And if you do it right, you will start to see what the storyteller/show creators are trying to do with that character. You will start to see what the actors themselves are trying to do with their own characters and how it evolves over time.

Now for the movie enthusiasts and future filmmakers, focus viewing on the BTS (behind the scenes) stuff is where it’s at. For example — the movie If Beale Street Could Talk is an excellent movie to watch, focus viewing how costume, set and lighting designers use color. Barry Jenkins is a great filmmaker to consider focus viewing if you want to study color. His movies Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk use the color of the costumes, set and lighting to tells the entire story. Red and yellow comes to mind immediately when I think about If Beale Street Could Talk. Without any words and music, that story is still there because the color symbolism is so strong. And sure you can absolutely read about color theory and be taught how best to wield color to tell story. I suggest that you do that research, but there is nothing like experiencing it in different pieces of content, trying to figure out yourself how color is used to tell a story. The TV show Fringe that use to be on is another great candidate for this. If you watch that entire series focused on color and light you honestly will be able to predict what is going to happen sometimes. I am not kidding. The use of color on the show "Fringe" provided endless easter eggs for viewers in every episode.

And it doesn’t have to just be movies and TV — you can focus view anything creative. A series of art by one artist, studying their use of framing or subject. You can focus view a specific musician and how they use sound. Like Pharrell Williams and his signature four-count start that he uses in many of hit songs he produces. Don’t know if you know this but Pharrell loves to start his music with a four-count beat. You probably can hear it in your head for his hit song "Happy," but it's also there in music he’s produced for Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce, Missy Elliot, Post Malone, Robin Thicke, not to mention a lot of the music he preformed with his group N.E.R.D.. The song "Milkshake" is a Pharrell produced hit from 2003 and it has that four-count at the top. Link in the show notes if you wanna hear all the four-count openings for all these hits produced by Pharrell. But it’s a cool thing to know.

What I hope you are understanding is that repeat viewing/experiencing creativity with your creator hat on and a focus on one specific element can teach you a lot. You could do a focus view of one dance move in a collection of choreography. You can do a focus view on the type of lines given to people of color or queer characters in your favorite shows or movies to research what works and what doesn’t. On how often women apologize in a script or book, how often women apologize in your own script or book! That’s something worth mentioning too. You can do a focus view of your creativity. How often do you use a certain color in your artwork or crafting? What mood or word continually pops up in your music? You can do this for any element of creativity you are curious about or want to learn more about.

Since we talked so much about The Golden Girls I would like to know who your favorite character is and who you think is working the hardest on that show. Obviously they were all working hard, and obviously the correct answer is Betty White, but I’d love to know what you think. :) I would definitely like to know who your favorite character is. One of the best shows in the world. 11 million hours in April!!!!!

We are on Instagram or Twitter @Creative4evr. You can send me your favorite Golden Girl at hello@creative4evr.com.

Don’t forget to be creative, even if you just think about it. Later!

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Links:
Travis Scott - Fortnite Concert - YouTube

Quick Notes:
Janet and Kate go to a Travis Scott concert during Coronavirus. The talk about Fortnite, their office revamps, and the future of concerts. Travis Scott - Fortnite Concert - YouTube

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Quick Notes:

Graham & Brown Wallpaper
Jarvis Standing Desk

Full(ish) Show Notes:

All right, so today we are recording in a new room in a new way. Long story short, Covid-19 has changed our routine, and in changing our routine we have come up with some creative ways to... I don't know...LIVE, right?

I think this is so interesting, and I never really thought about it until this 30 plus day shelter-in-place. When your routine goes out the window, when everything changes and ‘normal’ is just a word you can't hold close to your chest. That is when it's easier to do things you wouldn't normally do! It's easier to do things you kind of thought about doing, or thought maybe were too risky, or you were even too bored to do, you know what I mean? Too busy to do, too in your head about. There's something about all of my routine having gone out the window that has opened up my life to do things that I wouldn't normally do.

What we ended up doing here in our house is rearranging the whole motherfucking thing! So let's see, how do I set this up? Our apartment is not very big. I would guess 900 square feet, maybe a thousand probably nine hundred and there are two bedrooms and a living room in a kitchen so when we moved in we put our bed in the smaaallest bedroom. The smaaallest bedroom! The room was big enough for a queen bed with a foot and a half maybe so basically in the middle of the night, you’re getting up to pee, sort of doing the basketball guarding shuffle drill around the bed….

And the room that should technically be the master bedroom, we will make that a big office.

That's where we're gonna be spinning a lot of time. We'll set up our desks--everything that we need for Kate's work, for my work, for our hobbies, in that room and then there's a walk-in-closet which is awesome, so we'll just put all of the clothes in there….

But with Covid-19 we were both needing to work (and do serious work) at the same time…. Okay, I'll do my call in here. You can do your call on the couch? You're good for that just for this call? Okay, and then we'll switch. And it wasn't bad but it wasn't fun. So we were like what if we change this around? What if we take the walk-in closet, which is small but definitely could be an office. And the bedroom which is a much better office than a bedroom. And make ourselves separate offices. Pull the bed into the room that it was meant for but also make sure our dressers are in that room too and just have clothes and bed in this giant room and prioritize separate offices instead of one big giant office?

It's awesome. It's awesome! I'm happy, I know Kate's happy. She had that room set up in like 20 minutes. When we started moving stuff around she had a vision she knew what was happening in her office and it is set up beautifully. I really love my space as well, but I did the very Janet thing which is... I can't just move in there and figure it out later. I need to kind of move in there how I'm gonna move in there. I don't like big projects or tasks sort of looming over my head. I like to see the landscape, see the gameplan, right? And then execute that. That makes me feel better. Otherwise, I just obsess about things I shouldn't obsess about. We talked about me obsessing about things I want to obsess about, but there are things I need not obsess about. So if I can just see it all in front of me, make the plan, make some choices... When I built my computer I was like, I'm gonna do this, but I needed to focus and get it done. I can't be like, oh I'm gonna build a computer and then do it three months later. I’d drive myself insane.

So, this time I was like… I wanna wallpaper the room before I move in there. So I went online and ordered some wallpaper. Then I was like, well, I always said that when we did move out of this apartment that the next apartment I would dump my IKEA desk and get a sit & stand desk. Why don't I just do it now?...

I wallpapered the shit out of this wall. And it looks so good and I’m really, really excited about it.

I watched a couple of YouTube videos. I got super excited and inspired and I did the thing!

Kate had to help me get the first one up because... So the first strip of wallpaper, they want you to go across the corner. So even though your wallpaper is straight, your walls aren't straight and certainly these walls aren't straight. So you have to put the first with an overlap in the corner of about I don't know 10 centimeters. Just a little bit of a flap and then that way when you cut down the corner line, your wallpaper matches whatever the actual “straight” line of your wall is. I will leave a link in the show notes so that you can see it. It's a dark gray or dark silver, wood/bark pattern. And it's really cool….I wallpapered this bad boy in 4 hours and it was great!...

Building the desk almost killed me. I will never build a desk again. I won't…. One-- it was so heavy! All of the pieces are so freaking heavy. The leg, the arm, the moving mechanism, the top piece. All of it was so so heavy.

The first day with the wallpaper I got my arm above my head exercises. You know, the shoulders, the neck, the upper back. The next day it was like squats and what is it called? Dead weight lifting? And getting down on the floor because you have to build a giant desk on the floor, you can't build a desk on a desk, which is really what you need. You need a desk to build a desk! It’s a lot of getting down on the floor and up and down and up. At one point I was just sitting on the floor and was like, I don't care. I don’t care about the money. Just take it away and we'll pretend this never happened. But I got through it. I have this amazing sit & stand desk by Fully….not by fully, it's a Jarvis desk. So I think it's by the Jarvis people, but I bought it on the Fully website….Look, Jarvis, Fully. I've said both words-- one of them is correct. It's really cool….

It’s amazing to me that this happened now because I have been talking about this standing desk for I don't know, three years. I'll get one when we move, I need to get one, I should get one. But I didn't make it happen until everything was thrown into chaos, all of my routine was gone….

Wallpapering is the least messy situation I've ever experienced with a wall and I have painted walls. I have put holes in walls. I have spackled walls. I have hung things from walls. The wallpaper paste was clear, so it didn’t show up on my walls when I got it on the adjacent walls, it didn't show up on the top-side of the wallpaper when I got it on there. I got it on my hands, it got on my clothes. I think some got my eye. I'm fine…. It was messy and yet not messy at all, so I highly recommend it.

I'm gonna try to do this more and I hope that you do too. If you're itching for your routine you want to get back to normal, that's great and totally expected, but maybe also we could lean into what the non-routine brings us because my regular routine is not working.

I'm not recording the way I usually record, I'm not writing the way I usually write. I'm not even eating like normal! We are going to bed at like 11 every night and that is not normal for either of us, we're usually in bed at nine. But I’m leaning into the non-routine and I encourage you to do the same. You won't end up wallpapering probably, but you might end up doing something else, that's good for you, that you are gonna look at when you're done and be like, Oh my god. I'm so glad that I sort of was in the situation to be able to pull the trigger on that. Maybe it'll be creative but maybe it'll just be something you need to do personally for your well-being.

So yeah that is why I am recording in a new way. I might sound a little different and it's because my usual setup is on the floor and not plugged in. Now that have gotten into this room and got the desk built in my pretty wallpaper up, I need to plug everything back in and set up the mic and all of that stuff. But I hope this sounds good. I think it sounds fine, the playback sounds fine in my ear right now. Who knows, I might have also discovered a much easier way to record just plug into the laptop and not worry that it's a digital connection and just go for it.

I tell you what I do like recording while I stand up this is the first time I'm recording from a standing position where I can kind of move around. I'm digging it! It's pushing blood through my body, you can't see me right now, but I'm I'm cagey like a tiger, ready to pounce.

So, there you have it! Maybe you want to embrace not being in your routine because it will lead you to doing something that you've kind of been wanting to do, kind of been nervous about doing, kind of been too busy to do.

You can find us on Twitter or Instagram: @Creative4evr. Don't forget to be creative this week, even when you have no choice but to just think about it. Later.

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Full Show Notes with Links:

So today (and you'll hear more about it later), we're kind of just going with the flow and letting me talk into this mic, which is a little scary but before we get to my explanation for why, a few things I just want to put on your radar.

First thing: Animal Crossing is out! Very excited about this game-- lots of people are talking about it. If you know what it is, I'm sure you're playing right now. If you don't know what it is, someone you know, knows what it is and they can tell you all about it! But um, I'm very excited to play it and will definitely give you an update on how that is going in a future episode, but Animal Crossing: New Horizons is out!

Second thing: If you are able to donate money to people in need during Covid-19, please do. But I urge you to not only look into big organizations like Red Cross or your local hospital, but to also look locally and within the communities and bubbles you live in. People in the service industry, people with hourly jobs that work on weekends, people that have been laid off or been told that when work resumes they will be contacted, so they are not making income now... If you know somebody in that situation you're making just as big a difference giving them money directly then giving it to a gigantic organization to help with the health crisis part of it. You can also help with the local, human, financial situation part of it. I urge you to look through your Twitter and Instagram feeds, think about the people in your rolodex, in your cell phone address book. Oh, I know this person works retail. Oh I know this person is a waiter, let me reach out to them, see if they've got something on their Twitter page that says they're collecting money and if I can donate there.

Number three: And this is just sort of a little bit of a warning. I know everybody's using conferencing apps right so that we can video chat with your friends or do business if you're working from home. I've never been a fan of Zoom because I worked at a company that used Zoom and it was a pain in the ass. But, I just read today that Zoom is actually having some trouble. The fun articles are calling it zoombombing, but the serious articles are saying Zoom has security risks that everybody needs to watch out for. Also these others like third-party, fun apps that you're finding on your phone and in the Google Play Store and and things like that, let you talk with your friends and put stickers up-- the fun apps that your kids might want to use be. Be wary of those apps, please. You never know what exactly they're doing on the backend, and a lot of this stuff is sort of just being overlooked because everyone needs apps to video conference with and we're not really thinking about it, we're just using them.

And lastly there has been some really, really great creative stuff coming out of people's brains lately that is Coronavirus related. Lots of songs and musical parodies and dances and poems and things like that. I've been reposting stuff on the Creative4evr Instagram page and I encourage you to jump in and enjoy that content. It's a relevant, healthy way to engage with what's going on in the world. There's so much bad about Coronavirus because it is bad, but if you pepper in a really clever song parody, you know, it will help, I promise. There are a lot of people out there doing some pretty inspirational work based on this tragedy, you know, bringing us laughs when we need them most. Check them out on the Creative4evr Instagram page, and a lot of other people are posting these items too.

So you know, how at the end of each episode I say, Don't forget to be creative this week even if you just think about it…? Well, this is my week to just think about it. It has been a week! You know that saying (and maybe it's not even a saying I've heard it said, does that count?) life gets in the way?

Well life has gotten in the way this week for me. I am certain that life is getting in the way for you as well. It has been so difficult for me to execute lately and it's because my stress level is high, my energy is all the fuck over the place, my emotions are all over the place... We talked about compartmentalizing last week -- I never was good at it, and I'm certainly not now. There's just so-so-so much happening.

I am able to work from home. I'm fortunate enough to be able to work from home, but that also means that for the last month. I have been working from home, like full-time working from home. And of course that changes things a little bit. It's not exactly what it would be if I were in the office, but it's a lot to be doing from home, full-time Monday through Friday, normal business hours. And there's a lot to do! So, I've been doing that...

I've been trying to be a person, right? A normal person. I'm not showering as much as I would usually shower. I'll tell you that right now. I’ve been trying to eat when I'm supposed to, trying to go to bed when I'm supposed, trying to be creative when I am supposed to. All of the things!

As you can guess because you're probably going through it too, I'm talking to family a lot more. I think that's gone up by a thousand percent. I'm talking to friends and extended family in a way that I haven't before. I've also been having nightmares, which is not great. I'm a dreamer, right? Like I actually, literally dream at night, but usually even when they are vivid dreams, it's not every single night that I have a vivid dream or something overwhelming is happening in my brain that when I wake up I'm like wow, I didn't sleep at all. I was just sort of dreaming and freaking out while my eyes were closed for eight hours. Anyway, over the past month slowly, more and more, I’ve been having vivid dreams and this week they turned into flat-out nightmares. Really, really bad one on Tuesday morning. Shit's just getting real.

It's very hard to handle. On top of all of this...migraines! Yes, indeedy! Because I'm a super sensitive soul, my body is super sensitive. I haven't had caffeine in years now because I can't have it, my body freaks out. I can't have too much sugar. I can't have milk or cheese, all of this shit started happening to me. The caffeine has been for a long long time, but the lactose intolerant part is new this year and it sucks. What I'm trying to say is if any of that stuff gets off… If I have a little too much sugar, don't get enough sleep, my workout habits change... Wine! I start drinking a little too much wine consistently, meaning having a glass on Monday night, and then having a glass on Tuesday night, and then having a glass on Thursday night… It begins to be too much for my body. So anyway-- migraine today! Migraine yesterday, migraine two days ago. It's a lot.

So I have to be okay with (and obviously you can tell I'm not, but maybe you can help me). I have to be okay with not being creative this week, with releasing this podcast episode which is really gonna be hopefully just me posting it like this with barely any edits because I don't have time for edits. I literally need to stop doing this and do some other things that have to be done this week. But it is what it is and I have to be okay with that. I have to be okay with no writing getting done this week. I have to be okay with thinking about creativity. What I say at the end of each episode, because life got in the way.

So here's what I got for you this week. Do what you can. Learn from me, don't put yourself in a situation where all of this stuff is happening-- migraines, nightmares, work, your family-- all of this stuff is happening and you are still trying to make something creative happen. Don't put yourself in that position. Take care of yourself, just think about being creative if you have to for a little while and try to be okay with it.

I promise I'm trying to be okay with it and we will get through this.

You can find us on Twitter or Instagram: @Creative4evr. Don't forget to be creative this week, even when you have no choice but to just think about it. Later.

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Links & Quick Notes:

Compartmentalizing, Obsession and Time Blocking. This week I want to walk you through my experience with these three things, share how I think they are related, and strategize how we can use them to get creative shit done.

Complete Guide To Time Blocking
Time Blocking 101
Best Time Blocking Apps
Obsession: Your Key...
Obsessive People Likely To Be Successful

Final Scene, Six Feet Under, featuring "Breathe Me" by Sia
Is Six Feet Under's Finale the Best Finale of All Time?

Oxygen Not Include Game Trailer
Life-Changing Habit of Journaling

Full Show Notes:

The X Factor: Australia, Food Network Star, The Tyra Banks Show, The Apprentice:UK, Deal Or No Deal, Noah's Ark, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Go Diego Go, So You Think You Can Dance, Intervention, Mock Of The Week, The Colbert Report, Entertainment Tonight: Canada, Dancing With The Stars, The Deadliest Catch, The Boondocks, Everybody Hates Chris, Ghost Whisperer, The Sweet Life of Zach And Cody, American Dad, Avatar The Last Airbender (Nickelodeon), Bones, America (Brazilian drama), How I Met Your Mother, Dr. Who (reboot), Criminal Minds, Grey's Anatomy, and The Office…. All shows that premiered in 2005.

All right! First, I want to make sure that everybody is staying safe and doing what they need to do to take care of themselves during this terrible time of Coronavirus (Covid-19). This outbreak is worldwide, as you know. Please continue to take care of yourselves, be safe, stay inside as much as you can, please, please, please so that we can #flattenthecurve and get through this.

I thought it was going to be maybe a month, but it looks like it could be much longer than that. But we can do it! Take care of yourselves, take care of each other. I'm thinking about you.

All right, so this week we're going to talk about three things: Compartmentalizing, Obsession and Time Blocking. I've had to get very serious about these three things so that I can get out of my own way to be as productive and creative as possible day-to-day, week-to-week. I thought this would be a great thing to share with you. How I think compartmentalizing, obsession and time-blocking are related, and strategize how you can use these things to get creative shit done.

COMPARTMENTALIZING

Do you compartmentalize? Do you do it all the time, most of the time or occasionally?

Compartmentalize means to divide into sections or categories. Most often associated with emotions and feelings. The best example I guess would be someone that is in a relationship and yells at their partner, You never tell me what you're feeling. I never know what you're going through because you never share, it never comes out of you. You are compartmentalizing and I'm not a part of those areas of your life and I want to be…

I'm just making something up right but basically, when we think of “compartmentalizing” we usually think about emotions and feelings and whether people are dividing those emotions and feelings into certain categories of their lives and not sharing them outside of those categories. Or if they do, feelings and emotions from all sections of their life affect all other parts of their life.

When I started writing this episode, I immediately wrote the words, "I compartmentalize all the time.” And then I was like, you damn liar. You absolutely do not compartmentalize all the time, not even most of the time. I already said the word is most often associated with feelings and emotions, and…have I met myself?

Remember back when Six Feet Under was the HBO TV show that everyone was obsessed with? Well when that show ended in 2005… And I remember watching the finale (crying the entire time). I then immediately downloaded the song "Breathe Me" by Sia, which plays over the last 10 minutes of the finale, and then fell into a deep depression. This tells you right from jump, I wasn’t compartmentalizing my emotions because I let this made up story, I saw on TV depress me. Then I let those feelings bleed into my actual life. God help someone if they hadn't watched the show and I found out about it. I was immediately like, What do you mean, you haven’t seen the show?! What are you watching instead?.......... Ummm, so I don’t know what you are doing with your life, but no one is gonna be thinking about those shows you just mentioned in 15 years. You need to watch Six Feet Under so you understand WHY I’m so upset, WHY I’m attacking you at work…

So, I’m being hyperbolic (but only a little a bit). My point is, I don’t usually compartmentalize. I carry emotions and feelings from one situation right on into the next one. And you know what? I am okay with that! Notice when I initially asked you the question, I did not say, Are you GOOD or BAD at compartmentalizing? I don’t want you to judge yourself if you don’t do it, nor do I want you to praise yourself for doing it. Too often we assign value to our personal characteristics or habits for no reason. Thou shall not compartmentalize! is not a thing. Compartmentalizing is Golden! is also not a thing. You either do it often or you don’t. Simple as that.

And what I have discovered this week through asking other people about their compartmentalizing habits, is that most of the time when someone does compartmentalize, it’s to section-off the bad feelings and emotions they have. Example: After a shitty day at work… Well most of us ATTEMPT to compartmentalize the feelings and emotions associated with that bad day and leave them at work. We try not to bring that energy home with us. I’m not saying we’re successful, I’m saying we try. However, when most of us have a great day at work, we want to bring those positive emotions and feelings home with us. We try to take that good energy with us everywhere.

And thinking about it this way, leads to me to believe that the closer each of us gets to living our best life, the less compartmentalizing of emotions and feelings we’ll do because that energy, those emotions and feelings will be positive and we’ll WANT to them to affect the other areas of our life! I dunno, I never thought about it that way, but after talking to other people about it, I think it’s interesting and a new life goal for me. To get to my best life and so I will never really compartmentalize because I'll want those emotions and feelings to go with me wherever I go.

OBSESSION

Next up! Obsession. You know what I can do!? OBSESS. I can get wildly obsessed with something and then focus on it for hours, days, weeks, months. I can spend every fiber of my being thinking about 1 thing from all angles whether that be a crush, or a new computer I want, a new project, or even 1 paragraph of something I'm writing. When I get into the zone of obsession, NOTHING but death can keep me from it.

Now this, unlike compartmentalizing should probably have some value assigned to it. Obsession is not necessarily a good thing, and in extreme circumstances is very problematic, but I am gonna keep it real, my amount of obsession has served me well. I end up spending such a considerable amount of time and focus on projects and ideas or whatever that I am usually successful. Let's put it this way, it's good when I'm obsessed about something career oriented. It's bad when it's about Harry Potter because I fall deep into the rabbit hole and ultimately waste time. Right now, I am currently obsessed with the video game Oxygen Not Included. It’s a space-colony simulation game. You land on a rock and you and your crew have to survive with the equipment, tools and little food you have. It’s a resource management game. You dig out coal and metal ore, etc. and use these things to power your generators and keep oxygen in your base otherwise everyone will suffocate. You can build very elaborate worlds over time. Right now, I am trying to master hydrogen power plant designs that provide power to the whole base without too much carbon dioxide output. I bet I am losing half of you with this video game tangent, my point is, I’m obsessed.

WHAT HAVE LEARNED SO FAR?

So, what have we surfaced about me so far? That I carry my emotions and feelings across all facets of my life, and I don’t mind it! It's a part of who I am.

And that my ability to obsess is also something I don’t mind either. I like being able to focus on things intensely.

So, the question becomes, how can I use this, how can my lack of compartmentalizing and my obsession help me, give me an advantage?

JOURNALING

So, I've been trying to answer this question for years. How do I do it. Take my emotion and feeling and obsessions and use them to get creative shit done. And I've tried a lot of things.

I tried tough love. Having conversations with myself where I lay down the law and demand that I get my act together and focus! Janet! Take this feeling, explore it, write something and finish it. Do it now. Do it! -- I don’t have to tell you that this approach didn’t work for me. It’s scary and mean and didn’t do anything for my confidence or inspiration.

I tried letting it happen organically! Relaxing into the idea that good things will come to me if I don’t try to force anything and I just remain open it and positive. Janet, if you get inspired to take an emotion and do something with it, great. If you don’t know worries, no pressure. It’ll happen eventually. -- I don’t have to tell you that this approach didn’t work me either. I had more ideas and dreams than I did when I was trying to tough love them out of me, but nothing materialized after that. And that’s because we, as creative people, have to assume a base level of effort in order to start and finish a project. Remember dreams and then steps toward those dreams? Trying to let it happen organically was all dreams and no steps.

I tried journaling and…this has really worked for me. I usually do it in the evening and it helps me tremendously because I can get my emotions and feelings out, and I can get them all out, unfiltered, without worrying how I sound, or how I might be perceived. Journaling allows me to focus my emotions and feelings on a piece of paper and then I am able to go back, understand myself a little better, find the seed of an idea or dream, and sometimes I’m even able to pull directly from my journal. I have found a lot of dialogue for characters in my journals.

So journaling is good, and I highly recommend it. However, and we’ll talk more about it in another episode, journaling acts more like a database or library of feelings and emotions that we can then explore to find something to focus into action. But we don’t want journaling to hinder us by being our only door to creative action.

We need the option to skip journaling and jump straight into channeling emotion and feeling into something more. Example: There have been times where I have strong feelings about something going in the world politically. And politics move fast, right? So, it doesn’t serve me to have strong feelings about something, write them down in a journal and then come back later to write an opinion piece for a blog. By the time I do all that the emotion and passion I felt has started to dissipate, not to mention because hot topics like politics move so fast if I don’t act immediately, it may be old news in a matter of hours.

Another example of this comes up for me at certain times of the day. I am a morning person so that is always a great time for me. I feel good, I feel happy, I feel alert and confident. I’m always in the best position to use my feelings and emotions to take steps toward my dreams in the morning. So yeah, I could start my mornings journaling and catalog my thoughts, but it would be more efficient if I just dived right into a project a took advantage of my morning-personness. Is that a word?

TIME BLOCKING

So, here is what I’ve started to do and what I encourage you to explore and try yourself. Time blocking.

So, time blocking is a productivity management strategy that challenges you to divide your tasks, actions, responsibilities into blocks of time. And for those of you thinking, Jai//Em, I already my meetings and appointments scheduled in my phone. Well this is a little more aggressive than that. This is not just adding your 3 pm call to your calendar, this is scheduling ALL your calls and meetings to happen during a specific block of time so that you are focused only on that. No checking emails during that time, no eating lunch during that time, just all the meetings and calls back-to-back.

Complete Guide To Time Blocking
Time Blocking 101
Best Time Blocking Apps

Now the reason I have had success with time-blocking as a creative is I have been able to provide structure around the most optimal parts of my day – my mornings. Of course, the way you choose to time block will be based on your own life. In my case, I don’t have kids or pets. I have access food at my day job, and I don’t have to operate transportation to get to work, I just ride the subway. So, with all of this in mind, here is how a great week usually goes for me.

I typically have 3 blocks of time in my calendar each morning during the week. 2 are called Morning Focus and the other is technically Self-care but usually I just label it as gym. Alright, first Morning Focus block. This is very early in the morning 5 am – 7 am. And during this time, I do creative work, whatever that may be. Writing a podcast episode, researching topics for future content creation, getting a portion of a book chapter out of my head, creating musical interludes for the podcast. What I can tell you is, during this time, I don’t check emails or social media. I don’t read or listen to books; I don’t even have breakfast during this time. I may have some tea, but that is it.

2nd block of time -- Self-care or the gym block. It’s usually 90 minutes long and includes 1 hour for physical activity, and about 30 minutes to get ready for the day with a yogurt or bowl of cereal squeezed in. During this time, I listen to podcasts, an audible book, music or even a rough cut of something I’ve recorded to make sure sound quality is good. Now I always use these 90 minutes to listen to something because it is very easy to do so while working out or showering, I have headphones at the gym, and I blast the phone so I can hear it in the shower. Anyway, 90 minutes later that block is done and am good to go.

Third block of time – Morning Focus again! Now, this one is a little different because I sometimes record an episode during this time, and sometimes I use it for my day job. If my day job workload is crazy, then this is when I start the day working from home before I go in. It’s easier to focus and it brings my start of the workday stress level down. You know that feeling when you walk into your day job and there is sort of a panic in your heart because you sit down and think to yourself, Where, do I begin today? Oh, good morning Steve. Okay, I guess I’ll look through—What? A meeting when? Okay, sure, okay I’m gonna-- Oh, hi Lisa, yes good morning, okay, wait an email….

I hate that shit. And having a morning focus block at home really helps me when my day job workload is large. However, if things are going smooth at work, I usually record. I have the house to myself by this time as my spouse has gone to her job, and often I am recording what I wrote in the first focus block. It’s funny because recording takes the least amount of time for the podcast, if I finish quickly I will either start editing or jump back to whatever I was doing in the 1st morning focus. The best part is, I can literally walk out of the door at any time because I am already ready to go.

I end these 3 blocks of time by getting on the train. This is where I will read a book on my phone, watch a TV show I downloaded on my phone, or listen to music, a podcast, audible or another rough cut of something I’ve recorded to make sure sound quality is good. Usually I chill out and watch a TV show.

So – during a good week, I am able to use time blocking and my good energy morning-person emotion and feelings and focus it into action, into steps toward my dreams. By the time I’ve walked into my day job --- I’ve had 1, usually 2 opportunities to focus on creativity, and at least 1 opportunity to focus and get a head start on my workday if I needed. I’ve worked out, and I’ve indulged in an activity I enjoy like a tv show, book, or podcast. All this by 10 am.

The rest of the day, once I get to work and everything after that, I don’t time block anything except my sleep which I almost always happens from 9 pm to 5 am. This is because I usually have a variety of things going on the rest of the day and evening which doesn’t work well with time-blocking. When I was trying to do it, I was just setting myself up for failure and disappointment. I could never guarantee that I’d be home and done with work by 7 pm, or that my day wouldn’t have my emotions and feelings all over the place leaving me tired and unmotivated. So, in the evenings, I get a journal entry done! I take my emotions and feelings and focus them on the page, try to get them out of my heart and mind in order to save them for another time when I can successfully focus them into something actionable. Outside of a journal entry in the evenings, I let life happen and get in bed by my sleep time block at 9 pm.

Now Saturdays and Sundays, my favorite days as a creative person, are my obsession days! And I love it! On these days I pick something and just obsess. It can be trying to master that video game I was telling you about earlier, jumping into a book and finishing it the same day, teaching myself how to use Adobe After Effects, or a marathon podcast editing session. The fact of the matter is, I always get so much done during this time! I think it’s because I allow myself to really enjoy whatever I decide to obsess over. I never pick something I hate, you know? It’s never taxes or paying bills or doing the dishes. I do that stuff in the evenings when I’m not at my best. HA! On the weekend days I obsess and conquer and obsess some more.

So, what if you time blocked a portion of your day? What if you allowed yourself an obsession day or hour? Do you think you would be able to focus your emotions and feelings during this time into something fruitful? Into creative action? You may not have the same lifestyle as me, you may have kids or a night work schedule or Tuesdays off, not Saturdays, but whatever your week-to-week is, I bet you can find some consistent time to block off and take advantage of. So many of you are night owls. You could do your time blocking between 10p and Midnight. And remember when we talked about making sacrifices for your creativity in a previous episode? That I often pass up drinks after work, etc. so I can stay on schedule, not be hungover and have time for more creativity? Well, now is a good time to try this out while we have to social distance. You have probably found a few free hours of time in your days now that you’d usually be out in these streets. What if you time block them to get creative?

Of course, it will take some time get into the habit of time-blocking and you will never be 100% at it. I have 7 Self-care, a.k.a gym, chunks blocked out of my schedule each week and I usually only do 4 of them as I described above. The other 3 I dedicate to laundry or cleaning up which is also self-care… or I sometimes I just have a half-assed work out, which I am okay with. No matter how intense that block of time is, it’s still a self-care time block and I use it as such. Same with the morning focus time block. It’s never about HOW MUCH or HOW INTENSELY I use that time, it’s simply that I use that time to focus my energy, emotions and feelings on creativity, every day.

So I encourage you to try time blocking out. I'm gonna put a bunch of links in the show notes so that you can read some more about it.( See above) Do what works for you start slowly start small.

I also urge you to embrace not being able to compartmentalize embrace having emotions and feelings throughout the day from all parts of your day and seeing what you can do with those if you focus it into work into. Something creative into a project or business and that you also obsess and obsess freely when you have time to and see what that does for your you know heart and soul because I'm telling you makes me feel good.

All right, it's been a pleasure doing this show today. It's really done my heart some good writing this episode. You can find us on Twitter or Instagram @Creative4evr. Until next time stay safe be conscious about what's going on around you if you can help others.

Please do isolation and social distancing is a way to help others, so just keep that in mind when you feel like you just need to leave the house you are helping others by staying at home. And we will talk next week.

Oh and I think I'm gonna start releasing Creative4evr podcast episodes on Fridays. So hear me out. I think if I release them on Fridays because I love Saturday and Sunday as like my creative days so much that if I release them on Fridays, then you get to hear about being creative on a Friday which might set you up for success during the weekend, right?

So, Yeah, we're gonna try that. We were doing Wednesdays now we're gonna do Fridays. I like it. We'll see if you do too. Okay. Don't forget to be creative this week even if you just think about it. Later!

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Book Links (Other links are in the full show notes):
Audible: 30-day free trial
The Children of Blood and Bone
The Children of Virtue and Vengeance, Audible
The Vanished Birds
The Well Of Loneliness

FULL SHOW NOTES & LINKS:

I want to thank everybody who listened to our last episode with my wife Kate as guest! We talked about High Fidelity, and it was so much fun! We had a great time and what sucks is we were talking about the book, the movie and the TV show for like 2 and ½, maybe 3 hours so I had to cut the shit out of our talk, which is so unfortunate but you know, that's that's how the cookie crumbles. I wanted the show to be 45 minutes or less and I think it was like 43 minutes or something so we did what we had to do, but it was such a great time. Thank you so much for listening and if you haven't listened, Kate and II talk about, High fidelity the Hulu series / book by Nick Hornby / movie that was made in 2000 starring Jack Black and John Cusack. We had a nice time talking about the story, but also talking about obsession, and about songs that you lose once you break up with someone, and if love songs make you depressed or not. We had a nice time, went off on a few tangents and it was great!

Okay, so I have been trying to figure out how I want to address the Coronavirus (Covid-19) on the show. Now as you know, we aren't a news or current events podcast, we are not a health and safety podcast but, this virus, this world crisis is affecting all parts of our lives and that includes our creative lives. So many of us have been asked to isolate, to self-quarantine, some cities are enforcing a shelter in place... Now that all of this is happening and most of us have to stay at home, this is a good week to think about the creative things we finally have time to do.

1) READ -- The first thing everybody can be doing is reading! My god read a book. Okay, if you don't read at least one book during this crisis, I mean, I don't know why I'm threatening you. I can't threaten you, but this is certainly something you can do, there has got to be a book on your shelf you've been meaning to read. And if not, there's certainly something on your shelf you should read again. I am a huge advocate for experiencing something creative more than once. You will always find something new in a book when you read it for a 2nd or 3rd time. If holding a book in your hand is too much and you just can't handle it, sign up for Audible and let someone read a book to you. There is a 30-day free trial which is plenty of time to listen to at least one book. Of course there are links in the show notes. Check out Audible, let someone read a book to you. It's super easy and you will get addicted to it.

2) LEARN HOW TO USE DEVICES/TECH IN YOUR HOUSE -- This is easy! This is something that we take for granted. We buy a fancy phone or we buy some kitchen appliance or whatever and then we don't really learn how to use it. We get an app that does the one thing that we kind of want it to do, but it also has other features that we don't check out. There is something in your life-- a device, or a piece of software that you do not fully know how to use, and this is the perfect time to sit down and learn about it. Especially if you are a creative that wants to shoot something! Phones have great cameras now, right? Learn it how to use it or download an app that will take your game to the next level and learn how to use that. Fiddle with your devices, look at your phone all day and just sort of, you know, nerd out!

3) GET OUTSIDE AND ISOLATE -- All right speaking of shooting something with your phone. If you have not been asked to shelter in place, if you are still allowed to go out-- Get outside and isolate there! Especially my filmmakers, this is a good time to go by yourself and get some footage of empty streets. B-roll galore! You do not need another person to do this, all you need to do is be able to get to your destination in a way that allows you to practice social distancing and be safe. So if it's your car, that's great. If you are like me and have to ride the subway, maybe you just stick in your neighborhood so you can walk. But the streets are empty you can get footage right now that you can't usually get.

For my actors and other creatives who are comfortable being in front of the camera, this is a great time to get out in the world and film yourself without being stared at by other people on the street! If you want to start doing a vlog thing, but kind of you don't want to be stared at, this is the time. Isolate outside and be Creative at the same time.

4) GET ORGANIZED, CREATIVES! -- We are not an organized people and this is a great opportunity. Pour yourself a glass of wine and start purging old emails or going through the pics on your phone to get rid of anything that isn't personal or necessary for your social networking media marketing stuff. Set up your file and folder system in the way that you've always dreamt about. Do you have a mailing list? Is it organized? Do you need a mailing list or a website? Do you need to set up a Twitter account to go with your business? Do you want to jump in and finally set up that semi-professional work email so that your side hustle can stop coming to your personal email address? Maybe you want to download some fresh wallpapers for your background for your computer, phone or iPad after you organize your files, so it feels like you got something new or made a fresh start. There's so much to do to get organized in a creative business sense, and this is the perfect time to spend an evening or an early Sunday morning (instead of going to brunch) doing just that.

Now, I am not saying you should clean anything. I don't want you to cleaning. That's a cop out creative. No cleaning. Get your creativity organized. It's harder for us to do and it's what we always neglect. We have a super clean space but our computer is just full of email and icons all over the desktop. Now, you have some time set up your creative business life and organize it.

5) WRITE -- This is not just for my writers-- ALL creatives should be writing things down collecting thoughts, ideas, inspiration, stories, reminders and memories.

The more we write down, the more of ourselves we document, the more we have to reference/pull from when we are creating something. This is a great time to strengthen that habit. Start a captain's log, you know and call it “Quarantine” and then start with “Day Five...” and go from there.Yeah start writing start making lists start putting your ideas somewhere and get into the habit of doing it for every day that you are working from home for every day that you were quarantined.

6) STRETCH, all right? Find a YouTube video to follow, clear a spot on your floor and spend some time stretching and breathing. This could be a beginner yoga class or a full-on fitness, P90 situation, but stay active inside. Keep breathing, keep stretching, keep limber. It will keep your stress down. There are many people offering free online and/or live streaming opportunities right now. I saw today that Debbie Allen is getting ready to do a live dance class on Instagram. So if you're listening to this episode the day it comes out, you should probably check to see if Debbie Allen is live streaming her dance classes on Instagram because that would be amazing!

And I'm sure other people are gonna follow suit. This is a great time to just sort of spread out on the floor and start stretching and breathing and doing the things that will help keep our stress down while we are at home.

Alright finally,

7) BE OPEN MINDED -- There's a lot of uncertainty right now, but if you can stay open-minded and look for opportunities to help yourself and others, we will all be the better for it.

People are already coming up with genius ways to help each other during this crisis. People are giving their apps and services away for free. Are starting online communities and collectives. What can you do to make this situation better for yourself or your friends? What can you do to take advantage of your Creativity while you are alone, while you have time at home.

What brave thing can you attempt this weekend since you can't go anywhere? Starting your book, starting your YouTube channel, starting a quilt project, or learning to code? What about conquering the musical instrument under your bed or in the corner? How many of you have guitars in the corner that you barely can play? What about painting, or drawing, or teaching your kid how to cook? What about reading 10 books in 30 days, or listening to 10 books and 30 days? This is the time to be cautious and safe and smart, yes. But it is also the time to be open-minded. What can you be brave enough to do creatively during this time?

All right, so there you have it. Seven things you finally have time to do now that you're isolating at home.

Number 1 - Read a book!

Number 2 - Learn how to use a device or piece of tech or software in your house or around you.

Number 3 - If you can get outside and isolate film something get some b-roll

Number 4 - Get organized. Get those emails under control, get those files and folders organized

Number 5 - Put everything on a piece of paper or in an app. Your ideas, your inspirations your stories your reminders your memories. It is important to develop this habit to document your self.

Number 6 - Stretch, stay limber, stay active, move about and keep breathing. It will help keep your stress down during this terrible time.

Number 7 - Be open-minded. This is a great opportunity for you as a creative person to spend time not doing other things, not being distracted by people, and things going on after work and on the weekend. Try something new. Challenge yourself.

We all have time to do it. Let's take advantage of it. Let's see what comes out of this besides a bunch of babies, because as Kate informed me, there will probably be a lot of babies made during this time, but let's make some creative babies too!

Oh and just to share because I want people to read too-- I shall be reading the following during this time: The second book by Tomi Adeyemi of the fantasy series The Children of Blood and Bone follow-up called The Children of Virtue and Vengeance. Very excited about that. I'll be listening to that on Audible.

I will also be finishing The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez. It’s a great book, very interesting group of short stories that weave together to tell a bigger overall story. Really enjoying that and will finish that up. Also listening to that on Audible. And then I think I'm going to reread a book I just recommended to someone else and then thought, Oh my god, now I want to read it again.

The Well Of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall. It was written in the 20s and it's about this lesbian woman trying to sort of find her place in the world in the 20s. Radclyffe Hall herself, I believe was queer and it's a good book. So those are the 3 that I plan to get through by the time we all go back to work in about a month.

So yeah, that's going to do it for us today. We are on social media on Twitter and Instagram @Creative4evr. You can send us emails at any time-- Hello@Creative4evr.com.

Don't forget to be creative this week, even if you just think about it later.

Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha, 1)

Children of Virtue and Vengeance (Legacy of Orisha, 2)

The Well of Loneliness (Wordsworth Classics)

View Details

Quick Notes & Links:

Today my wife Kate has joined to show to chat about Nick Hornby's work, High Fidelity. This book was released in 1995 and has since become a Movie, a Musical and now a TV Series on Hulu. You can find them all here:

BOOK: High Fidelity
MOVIE: High Fidelity starring John Cusack and Jack Black
TV SHOW: High Fidelity on HULU

Links to Other Things Discussed:
Puddle Dive, Ani DiFranco
The Color Purple, Alice Walker
Beloved, Toni Morrison
Close Range: Wyoming Stories (Brokeback Mountain), Annie Proulx
Like Water For Chocolate, Laura Esquivel
To All The Boys I've Loved Before, Jenny Han

Don't forget to be creative this week. Even if you just think about it. Later.

Twitter: @Creative4evr
Email us: hello@creative4evr.com

Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies

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Quick Notes & Links:

We talk about whiskey and how a young woman built a brand around it using her creativity. It's a great example of how you can start a project, be open to that project changing and end up with something better than you imagined. We also check out the plant growing game for your phone called Viridi!

Check out My Succulent Plants on the Viridi App
Uncle Nearest 2016 New York Times Article
Uncle Nearest 2017 New York Times Article
Fawn Weaver Interview
Nearest Green Foundation
The Story of Nearest Green Narrated by Emmy-Award winning actor Jeffrey Wright
Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey Distillery

You can find us on Twitter and/or Instagram: @Creative4evr.

Don’t forget to be creative this week. Even if you just think about it. Later.

Full Show Notes:

First let’s start with, Check It Out! This is a segment where I will bring up something that I’ve seen online, that I’ve read, that I’ve watched. Anything I think you should check out. We’re going to starting this off with a game for your phone. I am using the word game very loosely here, maybe I should say, an activity on your phone, for your commute to work, for down time, for those awkward moments where you are with people you don’t want to be with and you need a little phone business to take care. Try the game - Viridi. It’s a succulent plant growing game. You get a pot and some succulents to plant and you water them and they grow. That’s it. Oh, and a snail crawls around the rim of you pot very slowly. The music is very mellow and soothing. It’s a calming game. And you just kinda check in on your plants every few days. It’s shows you the progress as they grow. Very low stakes game, very calming. I’ve linked some pics and a video in the show notes so you can see my plant, which I named Susie. I really like it a lot. It’s a good game or activity during those few minutes you have nothing to do and need something to do. Viridi. Grow some succulents with me.

Alright, for today’s show we’re going to talk about whiskey! And specifically how a young woman built a brand using her creativity. I think it’s a great example of how you can start a project, be open to that project changing and end up with something better than you imagined. So let’s jump in.

The story starts with a 2016 New York Times article about Jack Daniel, the famous whiskey maker. The writer, Clay Risen, pointed out that some 275,000 people visit the Jack Daniel whiskey distillery every year and when they do they hear the following story on the tour: “Sometime in the 1850s, when Daniel was a boy, he went to work for a preacher, grocer and distiller named Dan Call. The preacher was a busy man, and when he saw promise in young Jack, he taught him how to run his whiskey still — and the rest is history.”

The NYT article goes on to say that tourists will now hear a different story, a truer story. That Dan Call was not the person who taught Jack about distilling, instead it was one of Dan Call’s slaves— a man named Nearis Green.

This 2016 NYT article was enough to inspire a woman named Fawn Weaver, a black real-estate investor and author. She flew down to Lynchburg, Tennessee with the idea that this story could become a book, possibly a feature film, and maybe they could even do a limited run bottle of whiskey in honor of Mr. Green. She interviewed as many people as she could during her visit. She also went on a few distillery tours and realized that Mr. Green was still not being officially recognized and incorporated into the tours as the NYT article had suggested was going to happen.

This is when Ms. Weaver decided to spend some more time in Lynchburg. She rented a place, continued her research and set her mind on making sure that the distillery kept its promise to add Mr. Green’s contribution to the history of whiskey.

10,000 documents and artifacts later the first thing Fawn Weaver could tell everyone, including the distillery and the NYT, was that Mr. Green’s name was Nathan. The name “Nearis” was a nickname, often accompanied with “Uncle,” and it was spelled with a T. Nearest, like, where is the nearest Starbucks.

Not only did Ms. Weaver find out what the man’s actual name was, but she spoke to every descendant she could find and there were quite a few, many them over the age of 90. Through her interviews she discovered that in this small Tennessee town, black and white folks lived and worked together, ignored Jim Crow laws together, and had no problem with school integration because the kids in town already played together regardless of color. The family and community always knew that Nathan Green worked with Jack Daniel, but just how deep his contribution went slowly got lost over the 15 decades.

I am going to stop telling the story here because it’s better coming directly from Fawn Weaver’s mouth. I beg you to check out the interview I am pulling from about her first trip to Lynchburg, Tennessee. Link in the show notes. The people she met, the conversations, the misunderstandings…it’s a great read. That interview, along with the other links I will provide really help paint the picture of why Nathan Green and his whiskey legacy means so much to Fawn Weaver, and why she went from the idea of writing a book, to buying the house that Jack Daniel’s sisters built so she could live in Lynchburg, and open her own distillery. So I’ll link this interview, a video, and both stories— the New York Times article Ms. Weaver read in 2016 that inspired her to go to Tennessee, and the one the 2017 New York Times article written about her a year later when she came back with the Green family tree and stories and even confirmation of who the black man actually was in the photo the NYT put in their first article. Check out all the links. This is a great little rabbit hole to fall into.

Now, let’s talk about why I chose this topic. I wanted to do an episode about this because of the way Ms. Weaver approached this creative endeavor. It really speaks to me, it really inspires me. First she picked a project that she was truly passionate about. Reading an article about a man’s lost legacy moved her to the point that she took herself to a city named Lynchburg in Tennessee for her 40th birthday. You really have to care about something, be moved by something to do that. As a black person, as a woman, as the outsider of a small and remote community. She followed her creative gut and that is awesome.

Then when she got to Tennessee and discovered that there was so much more to the story, so much more that should be done, she was able to pivot and expand her creative goals. Not many creatives have the mental fortitude to go to city ready to write a book, and leave that city ready to open a whiskey distillery. And it wasn’t just talk, it wasn’t just her dream, she took steps and made it happen. No background in whiskey, but she made it happen. And I don’t know that she has a strong background in activism or politics, but I suspect it takes a fair amount of both of those skills to do be able respectfully honor a man that you’ve never met, that lived his life as a slave in Tennessee and happened to teach Jack Daniel how to make whiskey, in a country where Trump is currently president. There are so many ways that goes wrong. The optics have to be precise at all times, all sides have to work together, the Jack Daniel people, Nathan Green’s descendants, the city of Lynchburg. Think about this, 10,000 documents and artifacts were shared with Ms. Weaver in order to shine light on this history. That’s the level of trust and respect she had to earn for Mr. Green’s family and community in order to do this type of work. It’s incredible. And just so you know, the collection is going to be put in the National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C. So, I will let you know the second that happens.

I wake up everyday hoping I can focus my talents as sharply as Ms. Weaver has done. Hoping to reveal to myself talents I didn’t know I had, and opportunities I didn’t think possible. I think there are other creative people out there that want their art to be as impactful as this. Whether they want to honor a fallen hero, bring a secret into light, or tell a story that wouldn’t otherwise be told. Stories like this light a fire for me. Not just a spark of light in the distance, that makes me optimistic about my creative future, but it also lights a find under my ass that says, Get to work, woman! Things are happening, people are getting shit done and you can too!

I’ll end with this… The Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey Distillery is in Shelbyville, Tennessee, which is right in the same area as Lynchburg and you can go visit. They also have a fantastic website that goes into great detail about the history of Nathan Green and his family, many of which were also in the whiskey business. The highlight of the website is a short film narrated by Emmy-Award winning actor Jeffrey Wright. You know him from HBO’s Westworld, the Hunger Games movies, and if you are apart of my Q4 community, Angels in America. The short film honors Mr. Green and his legacy in a wonderful way and I don’t know if it was meant to serve as a sort of teaser of what the film or documentary could be, but I am on board. I will buy the book about Nathan Green, I will see the movie, whatever it is, as long as Ms. Weaver is involved, I am in.

In the meantime, I have settled for a bottle of Uncle Nearest whiskey. Now, I don’t drink whiskey, but I bought it, and I will continue to buy it. Fawn Weaver’s passion for this project, the brand she created, not for herself, but for someone else, the historical relevance, and activism, and Wakanda forever power behind it. That is the kind of creativity I live for and aspire to. I’ll say it again to myself and to you. Get to work! Things are happening, people are getting shit done and you can too!

You can find us on Twitter and/or Instagram: @Creative4evr.

Don’t forget to be creative this week. Even if you just think about it. Later.

View Details

Quick Notes and Links:

Janet is joined by Paul from the That Aged Well Podcast to discuss the book, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Everyone should read this book. It is a story about Mexican-Americans, but that should not stop everyone from checking it out. It’s a story about men and masculinity, intimacy and trust, but that should not stop women from checking it out. It’s a book for teens, but it is absolutely also a book for adults. And if you have already read it, I highly suggest that you allow Lin-Manuel Miranda to read it to you via Audible.

Amazon Book Link for Aristotle and Dante...
Amazon Book/Spanish for Aristotle and Dante...
Audible Book Link for Aristotle and Dante...
Pura Belpré and the Pura Belpré Award
Everything Begins and Ends at The Kentucky Club also by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
A sad scene from Steel Magnolias
A sad scene from Grey’s Anatomy

Follow Paul and Erika on Twitter, Instagram or the web at That Aged Well.
Email Createive4ever at hello@creative4evr.com. Find C4 on Instagram or Twitter.

Don’t forget to be Creative this week. Even if you just think about it. Later!

Full Show Notes:

We are doing our first book chat on the podcast. I’m so excited! This is going to be great fun, I hope this is something we can do often. Yeah, I’m super excited! So this means the episode is going to be a little longer than usual and we’re going to jump right in so that, you know, we can get it going. A quick note about how Creative4evr will do these book chats. 1) I’ll talk about the writer, give a little background. 2) Get into the themes in the book. 3) Then discuss how the book makes me feel, discuss the emotion of the book, the impact that it left, things like that.

We will not do spoilers or go into detail about major plot points without letting you know first, and usually that will be at the very, very end of the podcast. The idea is to get you excited about the book so that you read it you have not, or we make you want to go back to the book with fresh eyes if you have. Or maybe check out the Audible version and listen to it instead. Mainly we’re just trying to get you excited about some books that you may not know about or you read a long time ago, and our first book is Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Check the show notes for links to the book on Amazon and Audible and I hope you enjoy.

Jai//Em: My guest today is the one and only Paul Caiola!

Paul: Hello!

Jai//Em: Paul is a writer, podcaster, blogger, actor and all-around creative person. He is a wonderful guy! Not only a good friend and my best man, but also my main writing partner. And when I say that I mean we work together, we read each others stuff, we give notes, feedback and support— we generally keep each other motivated and sane. Is that pretty much how we work together, Paul?

Paul: Absolutely. You’re my writing coach. You’re the one to tell me, just write something we’ll fix it later.

Jai//Em: Yes! I am the person that always says that. But you’re not only my writing coach, you are my pure inspiration because you turn out the work. I am in awe of it!

Paul: I’m flattered. I think I just sent you a quote, I don’t remember what author it was, and it something like… Make good friends with the most motivated writer you know. You know, make friends with someone that will make you write all the time. And that was you for me.

Jai//Em: That it absolutely you for me. I love it, I love it! So, I invited Paul to come to the show today to talk about this book that I love (and I think he loves it too). Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Paul, are you ready to jump into this book?

Paul: I am ready! I love this book so much that...We live in New York City we don’t really have a lot of space—so almost all my books are e-books, simply because I can’t fit the number books I have. But this is one that I bought the e-book of, and then bought the hard copy afterwards. I was like, No I want the hard copy of this book, I wanna be able to feel the pages of this book between my fingers.

Jai//Em: Yes! I own this book as well and the last time, well, I read it again for the podcast, but I also listened to the Audible book which is narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It’s so good. At first I was a little skeptical. I was like, I don’t need Hamilton to half-rap a book to me.

Paul: That’s fair. Lin-Manuel has a very specific energy.

Jai//Em: Yeah! Cadence. Exactly. But I am so glad that he did read it to me because it sort of changed my perspective on the book a little bit.

Paul: Oh cool.

Jai//Em: So we can talk about that later. But yes, I also own the physical book, and need it in my life, and find myself thumbing through it occasionally. Especially when I need a little bit of inspiration because I love Mr. Sáenz’s writing.

Paul: Yes, I completely agree with that. I find his writing to be incredibly lyrical. Which is something I struggle with my own writing, you know. I very rarely write a sentence and think, Oh that’s beautiful. I think, Oh that’s workman like. That gets the job done. But he writes in this [lyrical] way and it really transports you somewhere.

Jai//Em: I couldn’t agree more. He’s a poet. So it really shows in his work. Alright, a little bit about Benjamin Alire Sáenz. He is a novelist and a poet, born in 1954. A lot of the storytelling is immersed in Chicano culture, being himself a Mexican American. He was born and raised in New Mexico and lived much of his life in El Paso, Texas, although he has lived and taught all over the world. Mr. Sáenz has won numerous awards for his poetry. He was a Poet Fellow at Stanford, he has also won numerous book awards. This book has more than 3 awards, but we’re only going to mention three. The Stonewall Book Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and the Pura Belpré Award which is an award for exceptional Latinx writers and illustrators who celebrate their culture. Pura Belpré is a writer and educator, and she was the first Puerto Rican librarian at the New York Public Library in 1921. So yeah isn’t that cool?

Paul: Names you should know!

Jai//Em: Yeah, names you should know! People you should know about. So it’s a very prestigious award to have won, and this guy… He’s writing poems, he’s writing books, he is a professor, he’s prolific as well, so many books. He has a Masters in creative writing, I believe he has a Ph.D. in American literature. What I read said he was 3 or 4 years into it, so I don’t know if is finishing, has finished, didn’t finish, but half of Ph.D. is more than I have, so that’s awesome.

Paul: Way more than I have.

Jai//Em: Right? And then he just started a podcast which is quite interesting. I listened to the first one, and I love that this guy is in his 60s and doing his thing— writing books, earning awards, poetry and now he’s podcasting, it’s fantastic.

Paul: Yeah, he’s living his best life! I also found, because I was doing research for this, that he didn’t come out as gay until he was 54. And he said one of the struggles he had with writing this book is he felt like he was outing himself.

Jai//Em: Yeah. It reads so young, and just to know that a man that came out so late in his life wrote it is amazing to me. I love it.

Paul: And wrote it so late in his life. That he could still remember that teenage-ness, which I guess, if you think about it, a lot of gay people say they have their adolescents later, they have that their adolescents when they come out. And I wonder if maybe his own personal journey with that, was able to lend him this truth, right? That he was really able to conjure those feelings that are more distant to those of us who have lived out of the closet for a longer period time.

Jai//Em: Yes, he must have been transported back to that time and it didn’t matter that he was 50 years old, he was 16 again.

The book takes place in El Paso, Texas and the year is 1987. The back of the book reads as such:

Dante can swim. Ari can’t. Dante is articulate and self-assured. Ari has a hard time with words and suffers from self-doubt. Dante gets lost in poetry and art. Ari gets lost in thoughts of his older brother who is in prison. Dante is fair skinned. Ari’s features are much darker. It seems that a boy like Dante, with his open and unique perspective on life, would be the last person to break down the walls that Ari has built around himself.But against all odds, when Ari and Dante meet, they develop a special bond that will teach them the most important truths of their lives, and help define the people they want to be. But there are big hurdles in their way, and only by believing in each other―and the power of their friendship―can Ari and Dante emerge stronger on the other side.

Beautiful. Beautiful! I’m already like, I need to read this book again!

Paul: I love that it also tells you that it’s not going to be a tragedy. There are some very unhappy things in this book, but you’re not going read this and think, Oh well, I just need to crawl under the covers and contemplate the trash-fire of the world.

Jai//Em: Right. They emerge stronger. There is a hope. Absolutely. I also like that it sets the mood. I’m mixing metaphors here…no one is really a fish out of water, but it’s really like two fish in the same pond, but they are very different fish, right?

Paul: Two salmon, swimming upstream.

Jai//Em: Yeah, and how will they swim together? It sets it up very well. They’re opposites. Even the fair skin, darker skin, self-doubt, assured and articulate. It really just sets up: We’re going to meet two very different boys and they are gonna help each other grow.

First page of the book. The title says, “The Different Rules of Summer” Then it reads:

The problem with my life was that it was someone else’s idea. One summer night I fell asleep, hoping the world would be different when I woke. In the morning, when I opened my eyes, the world was the same. I threw off the sheets and lay there as the heat poured in through my open window. My hand reached for the dial on the radio. “Alone” was playing. Crap, “Alone,” a song by a group called Heart. Not my favorite song. Not my favorite group. Not my favorite topic. “You don’t know how long . . .”
I was fifteen.
I was bored.
I was miserable.
As far as I was concerned, the sun could have melted the blue right off the sky. Then the sky could be as miserable as I was.

I mean, it sets the mood!

Paul: Yeah, you are in a place right there. I would just like to say that the song, “Alone” by Heart is objectively perfect.

Jai//Em: It’s such a good song!

Paul: It’s an amazing song! Do not try it in karaoke. Unless you’re Sutton Foster, you can’t do it.

Jai//Em: I would disagree. I think that if you are in [an emotional] place, please do it. It might not be perfect, but I wanna see someone crying on stage.

Paul: If you’re gonna act it, go for it!

Jai//Em: Okay, so you’ve read this book a couple of times?

Paul: 3 times.

Jai//Em: 3 times. Okay, for you, especially since you read it now with a sort of critical eye. What is this book about?

Paul: What really struck me about it this time was how male the book is. It is a story about boys and their relationship to their parents, but more to their fathers. Their mothers are there, their mothers are important and they definitely have their own characters. I don’t think they are one-dimensional or anything, but I really think it’s about masculinity. And what masculinity does. And how it can be expressed in different ways. I don’t know if when he wrote this in 2012, if the term “toxic masculinity” was as in the cultural lexicon as it is now, but it really feels like a book about what we can do to young boys without totally meaning to. And what the societal pressures and the societal expectations can cause. And how that affects Ari’s father, Ari, Dante, Dante’s father, and how it affects their relationships with each other. And I don’t mean to say, it’s a male book and women can’t get something out of it. It just happens to be a story about men. I think it is a universal story that everyone connected to, but it is story about men and one that I think is important. It’s not a story you’ve seen 8000 times about men.

Jai//Em: For me, it’s also about family and secrets. And it sort of turns it on it’s ear, because the gay themes are not the secret. The family isn’t being torn apart or having conflict because of any of the gay the themes of the book. They’re having conflict because of the different secret. I wonder how many people read the book and think, I am already an advocate for LGBTQ+ people, so I am good to go, there’s nothing here that I’m going to necessarily learn. But then they start reading it it’s like, Oh secrets! Right. Secrets can fuck a family up! Oh! I’m a parent, maybe I should talk to my kids about X, Y and Z because they notice this stuff. I think it’s so great. You come for the LGBTQ+ themes, but you stay for the family secret stuff.

Paul: Yeah those themes are even more universal. It’s important and unique story. And also really deeply Mexican.

Jai//Em: Yes, he makes a point to talk about that in his interviews and and things like that. He is very inspired by, and motivated by his Chicano culture. He’s got another book that I’m currently reading called, Everything Begins and Ends at The Kentucky Club. And the Kentucky Club is a bar, I believe, in El Paso (if not, it’s very close to the border). And the book is a collection of short stories about different people that come in and out of this bar. So, I love how immersed in his culture he is in. And that ends up being inspirational, I think, to Latinx people who read the story.

Jai//Em: Who do you think, Benjamin Alire Sáenz, had in mind for his audience when writing this? I ask because this show is about being Creative4evr, and there are things that we can do to make sure that happens in our creative lives. And I think one of them is reading things, but also thinking about the writer, when we’re reading. So, he’s sitting down, he’s writing this book, he’s trying to come out as he’s writing this book. Who do you think his audience is as he writes it?

Paul: To a certain extent, I think I have an annoying answer to this question. I think as a writer, your audience is always yourself. And I think that really comes through in the themes of coming out and what we now know he was going through while writing this. But I also think his dedication, which is: "To all the boys who had to learn to play by different rules." And again, he says "boys," he doesn’t say people. It’s to young Mexican men. I think that’s what he’s thinking of, and not necessarily gay young Mexican man. How about you?

Jai//Em: I think he absolutely was writing it for himself. Before I read any interviews, before I knew how old he was, or when he came out. I was like, he’s writing this book for himself. And it was so clear to me that he was Ari. And that just really made me fall in love with the book. I love first-person storytelling. I love storytelling through letters and journals and things like that. It’s my favorite thing in the world, so it felt so clear to me that he was Ari, and that he was writing this for himself. But then as I read it, I was thinking, he wrote this book for him, but really I think this book might be for parents. It’s just so interesting to read it as an adult. When I read it before I think I still felt like a 20-year-old whatever. As an adult-adult, it’s so much information about how much kids and teens internalize their feelings. And I think we forget that when we’re teens and kids. We have so much shame and weirdness about her own insecurities. And we grow up thinking, Oh, I was only kid that thought this, that and the other, and kids these days are so confident and so direct and they must actually be that way…
But this reminded me that kids internalize, kids are dealing with shit that they will not talk about. They will lie to your face and say they’re fine, when they are not. And I’m not even a parent, but I think that’s important to know and remember, so that’s what struck me in the last reading. And I think listening to it on Audible made me feel like I was listening to a kid, which sort of amped up the level of worry I had for this person. I was like, This is a child going through all of this and he can’t find help. He’s struggling to find help. And his family is there for him, but he’s still struggling to get help. So, I feel he you wrote it for himself but it really is for parents too. I definitely agree with you that it’s for men. It’s such a good reminder of what looking for love from a father or father figure is like. I think women and daughters is a thing everyone seems to understand of when it comes to their relationship. I think everybody gets that daughters go through a phase, and then the women in their lives have trouble relating to them, that there can be struggle between daughters and the women around them. But the same is true for dudes. There are phases of their life where they struggle with each other— father to son, cousin to cousin, friend to friend— and we just don’t really talk about that. We just think the dudes are fine. But that’s not the case and this book reminds us that’s not the case.

Jai//Em: So we’ve gotten through the themes for the book. We have not told you anything about plot points or specific things like that because we want you to read the book. But now you have an idea of themes, what you might think about while you’re reading, etc.

So Paul, I ask you this. After reading the last page and the last word, what were your immediate thoughts or feelings about what you just experienced?

Paul: The last image of this book is just like a firework. You can take a deep breath… because the book really teeters on the knife-edge a couple times, like-- Is this going to fall over into something really awful, or are we going to figure this out, is everyone going to be more or less okay? The other thing I think about is— when I first read this book, I was recommending it to everyone I knew. My mother read it, my sister read it, and my sister called me and said,” I love this book and I hate the last line.”

Jai//Em: Really? Wait, why?

Paul: She felt the last line was unnecessary. She thought it was gilding the lily. Now that is the perspective of a straight person. Which is interesting because the last line of the book deals with gay themes. So this time reading it, I thought the last line resonated both better and worse for me. I understood why she didn’t like it, but I also understand why it’s there.

Jai//Em: Yeah. I would absolutely agree with you. You know, I love want to do anything with you because I just walk away feeling like, Paul and I understand each other. The world is okay, I’m not crazy. I love it when you and I are on the same page! Yes, the last line, I think is…how do I wanna say?… It’s necessary, but it’s necessary for a reason bigger than the book. And I think that being able to have Ari say that last line is why it needs to be there. Ari has to be able to put that into words. And I think that that’s why it’s important. But I do get why your sister wouldn’t understand that as a straight woman, where you and I are both queer, and there is something there for us, that is not there for your sister.

Not to say that your sister shouldn't read the book. I’m glad that she read it and I should’ve started this episode by saying— just because this is a book by a gay author about Mexican-American life does not mean that non-Mexican-Americans and non-queer people shouldn’t read the book. On the contrary, I think it is important for people outside of these communities to read this book.

Paul: Yes! My sister is straight, female and white, and she loved it!

Jai//Em: Yes! Even if they don’t necessarily understand every single moment. That’s what Google is for, or call a friend, you know.

Jai//Em: My thoughts about the last page and the last words were… I guess I was frustrated only because it felt like the beginning. I was like, Where is book 2!? And I think that goes back to the poet thing. This is author is so great at, like you said, the fireworks, the imagery. And there are no fireworks at end of this book, it just feels like there are.

Paul: I want to be wrapped up and cocooned in this guys words.

Jai//Em: Yeah! It’s so vivid that you don't want it to end, but that’s what poetry is. Poetry does not fully explain itself, it creates an image or mood for you as the reader and then lets you do what you want with it, right? And I felt slapped in the face with his poet-ness. I was like, No wait, I need more! But I think that’s exactly what’s necessary for a book like this. It’s so lyrical, it’s so beautiful and it is the perfect ending, although I can see why people would get frustrated.

Jai//Em: Anything specific that you loved? A moment or a mood or anything?

Paul: I have a couple quotes that I would read that don’t spoil anything. I wrote them down in my phone so I could have them with me all the time.

Jai//Em: Oh, I love that!

Paul: Okay, first one: "I named myself Ari. If I switched the letter, my name was air. I thought it might be a great thing to be the air. I could be something or nothing at the same time. I could be necessary and also invisible. Everyone would need me and no one would be able to see me."

Jai//Em: I am glad you brought that one up. It’s beautiful.

Paul: Yeah, it’s the perfect encapsulation of a feeling. Then, the only other one I thought was so important. This is Aristotle about Dante’s father: "He didn’t care if the whole world knew he was kind." I mean that is all about masculinity. That’s all about men being men. And how stupid that whole performance is.

Jai//Em: Not even stupid, just detrimental. It can be so detrimental if you truly believe that men are not allowed to be kind. Or if they are kind, they have to do it in secret. It’s yeah…you picked great lines!

Paul: The other one I had was the one you read from the first page. Which was “As far as I was concerned, the sun could have melted the blue right off the sky. Then the sky could be as miserable as I was.” You guys, we swear there’s happy things in this book.

Jai//Em: It’s just that it’s the life of a 15, 16-year-old boy. It’s gonna be happy and sad.

Paul: It’s melodrama and tragedy all at the same time, when actually everything is pretty normal.

Jai//Em: There’s also something to teen angst. This is why YA is a thing, this is why YA makes so much money. Deep down we fucking love teen angst, it feels good, no matter how old you are, to be able to step into that terrible place and come out on the other side of it. For me, I read the first page and I’m like, Oh yeah, let’s get sad!

Paul: Yeah, give me a rainy day and a cup of hot cider and I’m gonna be on this couch all day!

Jai//Em: I can’t wait to start crying! This is why people watch Grey’s Anatomy, you know what I mean?

Paul: This is why I’ve seen Steel Magnolias 8000 times.

Jai//Em: At some point on Grey’s Anatomy, you’re like, I don’t care about the heart thing, I just want to cry for no good goddamn reason on a Thursday night!

OKAY! So the things that I love. You’ve covered the quotes so I’m good. I love that so many of the conversations between the boys take place with the parents in the room. One in particular I will not spoil, but I was listening to it and I paused it and got the book. I went back, looking at the words while listening. And I was like, The parents are in the room for this! The parents are in the room for this! These two boys are in their own world and are so innocent and trusting of their parents, that they literally have this conversation, not caring that their parents are standing across the room. And that just makes me so happy. That it’s between boys and this is happening.

And I’m not saying anybody is professing any love. That’s probably what listeners think is happening, that they are professing their love to each other with their parents in the room. It is not even that. It’s just that they are having a conversation, very candidly in front of their parents at 16 years of age. I fucking love it!

I also love how immediately Ari says he likes the sound of Dante’s voice. It’s first thing that he says he likes about Dante when he meets him. I’m a person that loves voices, and I love how people sound when they say certain words like “noodle.”

Paul: Oh really?

Jai//Em: Say, “Noodle.”

Paul: Noodle.

Jai//Em: Say, “I’ll have the Pad Thai with noodles.”

Paul: I’ll have the Pad Thai with noodles.

Jai//Em: Ah! I love it! I don’t know why.

Paul: You know what?

Jai//Em: Hmm?

Paul: You follow your bliss, girl.

Jai//Em: Thank you! Thank you! It’s weird but I love it.

So this last question is tailored specifically to you Paul, because you are a podcaster and you have a show called That Aged Well, and that show is where you and Erika watch pop-culture from 80s and 90s and view it from the lens of today. So, this book was written in 2012 about 1987, and so much as happened in the world since then. Same-sex marriage was passed in 2015. The last presidential election, I mean, Grammys have been won by people. So much has happened since then. Do you think this book ages well or all parts of this book age well?

Paul: I think it does. I think it’s very universal overall. I was the kid in the 80s, so I think it ages very well in the sense of that universality of everyone’s high school experience kind of being miserable on different levels. There are a couple dings on it. The brother, I think it must be explored more. It's using a minority as a prop. Is that the easiest way to say it?

Jai//Em: Yeah that’s exactly my thing. If you are going to add something like that to the story you have to give it legit space and simply not use it as an oh my god moment. And based on what we find out later, it didn’t have to be that. So if you’re going to pick that, then we need you to do it for a reason.

Paul: Yeah, you picked that for some reason, so you have to back it up and it’s...It’s the oh my god factor. It’s just making it worse. That character that is being used to make it worse is not being granted any agency, any backstory, any real humanity. So that’s not great. I would say, overall it ages well, you can absolutely enjoy it. I think that is the only big ding on it. Obviously it’s about people of color. It’s a very male book, but not in the way of excluding women. It just happens to be what this book is about. I think women can appreciate it, just the same way that men should be able to appreciate a story about women if they are not included in it. I think this one is worth reading even if you are not a man.

Jai//Em: I would agree. I think everyone should read this book. Like you said it is a story about people of color, but that should not stop everyone from checking it out. It’s a story about men and masculinity, intimacy and trust, but that should not stop women from checking it out. It’s a book for teens, but it is absolutely also a book for adults. And if you have read it, I highly suggest you read it again, and I suggest that you allow Lin-Manuel Miranda to read it to you.

Jai//Em: Alright, Paul where can we find you outside of this podcast episode?

Paul: As you mentioned, I have a podcast. So if you want to follow Erika and I on Twitter we are @ThatAgedWellPod. On Instagram we are @ThatAgedWell. Please download and subscribe to That Aged Well on your podcast provider. It’s a lot of fun, we’re pretty comedically-minded on it, so I think we give people some good laughs about these movies that many people love…a lot of which have some very real problems. More problems then this book certainly.

Jai//Em: Paul is not lying. He and Erika have a great show, so check out it. It is a good time. Paul is ever the professional podcaster and I thank you so much for being a part of this show today. For spending some time with me and Aristotle and Dante. Let’s do this again soon?

Paul: Absolutely. I would love to, thank you for having me.
__________________

So that’s the show! I hope you guys enjoyed hanging out with us as we chatted about Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

I didn’t do a spoiler section for this book, but I think for future book chats we will do a spoiler section at the end, so the people that have read and want to get into some of the nitty-gritty stuff that happened in the book will have a little something at the very end of the podcast to listen to.

Email Createive4ever at hello@creative4evr.com. Find C4 on Instagram or Twitter.

Don’t forget to be Creative this week. Even if you just think about it. Later.

Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club

Aristóteles y Dante descubren los secretos del universo (Spanish Edition)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

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Quick Notes and Links:

Glamorizing the Awards Season (the Golden Globes, Oscars, etc.) makes it hard for creatives to measure their own creative success.

Every month is Black History Month and Black creatives, their histories, legacies, contributions and accomplishments will be folded into our weekly get-together on this show because it’s part of the Creative4evr mission statement.

If you want people to experience your creativity more than once, then thinking about your audience is important.

Successful creatives are very clear on who their audience is and they intentionally deliver to that audience over and over again. No one accidentally gains and maintains an audience.

Think outside of the box when it comes to making art just for yourself...you’re not really doing that anyway. You’re making art for people in your bubble, however big or small that bubble may be.

It's impossible to make art for "everyone." If you’re trying to make something that reaches everyone, that pleases everyone, your work will suffer.

Best practice: Your creative themes should be UNIVERSAL. The audience for your creativity should be TARGETED.

If you can’t figure out who your audience should be, it probably means you aren’t clear about what it is you’re wanting to create.

Finding your Audience:
1) Go back to the beginning. What is your idea and why is it important to you?
2) Gather feedback from the audience you have. Ask questions about what they enjoy/dislike, want more of.
3) Research the audiences of other people doing what you do.

2 Show note reminder — Everything we talk about is in the show notes. The links to other content or information, the tips, my suggestions, everything is there. For many of you this means you just scroll down on your podcast app while you are listening to this episode and bam, all the info, all the links. If you are listening on the website all the notes are right below the player for each episode. I do a quick notes version at the top and then the full transcription below that. I do this so you can reference what we are talking about, easily find the links, take your own notes. So, please check them out.

3 — I am a guest on another podcast this week, That Aged Well, which is hosted by the very talented Paul and Erika. Last year they invited me to help them review Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” and I’ve now done 2 more episodes with them. Last week we did Disney’s “A Goofy Movie,” and this week we did the crime thriller “Double Jeopardy,” staring Ashely Judd and Bruce Greenwood and Tommy Lee Jones. I’m gonna tell you right now, I love the movie 1999 movie Double Jeopardy so much. So much! All 3 of these episodes are out and you can find links to them in the show notes, or on the Creative4evr.com website, or you can and should subscribe to the ThatAgedWell podcast so you can listen to them and the many other episodes they have done about movies from the 80s and 90s. It’s a great podcast, I am lucky to know and be able to collaborate with creators and storytellers like Paul and Erika.

Alright, That’s it for this week! We’ve got a lot coming up the next couple months on the podcast. Our first book review will be the novel, Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. It’s a coming of age novel about two Mexican-American teenagers growing up in El Paso, Texas. Link in the show notes if you want to know more about that book, or if you haven’t read it and want to get it on Amazon. Or you could listen to it on Audible, because if you do, the narrator is Lin-Manuel Miranda! It’s not to be missed, he does a great job. So check it out if you want get ready before the episode or if you want, you can wait until after the episode comes out. Whatever floats your boat. We’ve also got a show about whiskey coming up, a show about patience, a show about audience, a show about a tv show. So much stuff to come!

I hope you have a great week, I am going to have a windy week, and I will see you next week back in Brooklyn.

Until then, don’t forget to be creative this week. Even if you just think about it. Talk to ya later.

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Quick Notes and Links:

Check in: I miss streaming. A lot. Shout out to silver, jokes, devilspidey, alex, mafia, octavia, rafie, nicole, chara, mandy, artie, chocoboninja/ninjahappenings — everybody who participated. You all make me so happy.

But, podcasting is something I’ve really wanted to jump into. Michael Porter is an academic and business strategist who said, “The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” I am reading a book about him called, Understanding Michael Porter, The Essential Guide to Competition and Strategy. It goes into detail about businesses and how they can strategize their endeavors. In my case, streaming on Twitch was something I needed to stop doing (for now, not forever) so that I can focus on developing the other parts of Creative4evr that have priority.

Main Show: An About Me - Giving you some insight into who I am, what my background in creativity is. My hope is that you can connect with something I share about myself and that we can start to get to know one another. I would love to hear about your artsy younger self, what you have been doing to stay creative over the years when you’re not at work. Anything you want to tell me. Send an email to hello@creativ4evr.com, or reach out Twitter or Insta @Creative4evr.

Don’t forget to be creative this week. Even if you just think about it. Later.

Full Show Notes:

First up! A quick check-in.

So the check in this week is that I miss streaming. A lot. So a little about that… I started live streaming on Twitch, which is a platform that allows people to hook their computers, or cameras, or mics up to the Twitch website in order to live broadcast whatever they are doing. I started doing this over a year ago. There is a section that allows anyone watching to send text messages that everyone can see, and the streamer can respond to those messages in real time. It’s fucking awesome. If you don’t understand what I’m talking about, you won’t ever be on, or near Twitch so don’t even worry about it. But I really enjoy doing it. People use the site to broadcast video games as they play them, and right now the Just Chatting section is blowing up, meaning that people are signing on and just talking to whoever shows up in chat about whatever they want.

I used Twitch to talk about being creative— shocker! I would live stream my writing and share art. I started out live editing my book, then started working on the fantasy book I am currently writing, and we always had sharing time where I read other peoples stories. So they would send to me and I’d pull it up for everyone to see. I’d read it out loud, then give a little feedback. It was awesome because it allowed me to read what other people were developing and it gave the writer a chance to hear their work out loud, to get feedback from me or other people in chat. Honestly it’s one of the coolest creative things I’ve ever been a part of. It’s everything I believe in— meeting other creatives, building relationships with them, sharing work and ideas, motivating each other, laughing and listening to music, hanging out with people that get your jokes. I love it so much and have been lucky enough to have a core group of people that show up. Shout out to silver, jokes, devilspidey, alex, mafia, octavia, rafie, nicole, chara, mandy, artie, chocoboninja/ninjahappenings — everybody who participated. You all make me so happy and I miss streaming so much.

But, podcasting is something I’ve really wanted to jump into, something I think I can get good at, and last year I struggled to get it going because I had too many creative things on my plate at once. Michael Porter is an academic and business strategist who said, “The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” I am reading a book about him called, Understanding Michael Porter, The Essential Guide to Competition and Strategy. It goes into detail about businesses and how they can strategize their endeavors. In this case, streaming on Twitch was something I needed to stop doing (for now, not forever) so that I can focus on developing the other parts of Creative4evr that have priority. As much as I love streaming, it was taking me away from writing. 1) It was changing how I write and making me less productive in that area, and 2) Streaming is time consuming. You do it for hours at a time— you don’t stream for 15 minutes, that’s not how it works. Also you can’t do anything else while you stream, and you have to do it in specific places. You need a strong internet connection, and a computer or device that can handle it. You might have a mic setup or lights, etc. so that the production value is good. That means you need to be in a specific space with dedicated internet.

Now, everything else I want to do creatively, can be done anywhere I have a device. I can write on the train with my phone, or on the couch or at a coffee shop. Even podcasting, I could stop recording right now if I wanted to, and do something else. It’s not so simple with streaming. It’s live, you can’t just walk out of the room and eat a sandwich for 10 minutes and then come back. So yeah, “The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do,” and right now streaming is that thing. I know it’s the right choice, I know it’s not forever, I know that soon I will be able to do it again a couple times a month, but I’m sad about it. I miss that connection with the people that showed up. I miss not knowing what we are going to talk about that day. I miss going on tangents about music or flutes or whatever nonsense we got up to.

So yeah, because I miss streaming, I thought the show today could be an About Me. I want to share a little bit about myself so that we can start to form some creative relationships here with the podcast. So let’s do that. Hope you enjoy!

Main Show:

Alright, Today we are going to do an About Me. I wanted to do a little sharing, give you some insight into who I am, what my background in creativity is. My hope is that you can connect with something I share about myself and that we can start to get to know one another.

So, I was the kid that wrote in my journal, “To sing and dance forever…” I was also the kid that often scrawled the letters “NT,” across the pages of my journal. It stood for “no time,” because I was so busy and impatient at 11-years-old, that I didn’t think I had time to write out the actual words NO TIME. I was the kid that use to pretend to have an office job, something I regret to this day because it was accidental affirmation. But I loved it! It felt like such a grown up and serious thing to do, and I was a very serious child, with NT.

I was in piano, then quit, dance classes, then quit, pottery classes, quit. Basketball, volleyball, softball…I finally quit softball. Choir, drama club, photography and I did a brief stint a class called “Video,” where we basically made stop-motion claymation videos. I was the kid that knew she could be a lawyer, but preferred to be an actor playing a lawyer on TV. I never thought about next steps as a kid and teenager. My long-game didn’t exist, it never occurred to me WHY good grades were needed until I was looking to go to college and then I was like, well shit, I could have done better. And I applied to college thinking more about where I wanted to go once I left Texas rather than what place would be best for a career path. I was a junior when I home and told my mother I wanted to go to NYU to be an actor. My school had done a college fair and showed us a video in class about the school. I remember thinking, Hey that’s where Theo Huxtable went to school. I wanna go to New York! I’ll be an actor.

I was very lucky that I had people in my life that were like, Uh, then you need to prepare for that! Immediately the drama teacher had me looking for a monologue to work on for my audition. And my mother never sat me down and said, Why on earth would you spring this on us, now! We should have been financially prepping for this when you were a freshman! All this to say I was a very naive kid who always believed in magic. I thought shit just happened because you wanted it to. I was sheltered, I was privileged. And side note, we should all remember that privilege isn’t just about skin color, gender and money. It’s also about having choices. I did not grow up wealthy, but I had constant access to choices. The people in my life made sure of that, and that is privilege.

Alright, this college thing. My drama teacher and I decided on a piece from Christopher Durang’s play called Laughing Wild. It was a monologue where I played a woman who loses her shit in a grocery store over a can tuna fish. It was a genius choice because I had no range as an actor. Anything vulnerable and quiet I couldn’t do. I remember practicing this monologue all the time the summer before my senior year. I worked at a pizza place and my boss was a former New Yorker. He’d been giving me tips about New York the whole summer. That I should keep up with the flow of foot traffic on the street, because people walked fast. How to hail a cab, how to keep from getting mugged. All the things, and one day he was like, let’s see this monologue. And I was like, Um, no. And he countered, How are you gonna be an actor if you can’t just do it right now on the spot? I couldn’t argue with that so I did it. I guess he enjoyed it, I dunno. I just remember doing a monologue in the pizza show between customers. I also remember performing it for my mom at home, and I remember her just looking at me like, What in the hell is this?

I don’t know that she loved it, but she flew with me up to NY just before Christmas during my senior year. I’m sitting outside the black box theater waiting to go in and I hear through the door that the kid in front of me is doing the same goddamn monologue. In my head I’m like, Oh well, at least I got to come to NY. This is over. But I went in there, scream shouted my monologue, I am sure I looked crazy and deranged because I felt crazy and deranged, and then I sat down for the interview. God only knows what I said, but whatever it was, they accepted me Early Decision to Tisch. I got the letter 2 weeks later, right after Christmas, 3 months into my senior year of high school. Talk about senioritis. You couldn’t get me to focus on anything but my exit from Texas. I quit softball that year, I smoked pot for the first time that year, I am sure I was a pain in the ass.

Once I got to college….okay. I was in the closet half the time, out of the closet have the time, depressed the entire time. Doubting every single instinct I had. I suffered from big fish, little pond to little fish, big pond. I was there to be an actor, but I minored in Computer Science. I had to drop that minor when I failed Calculus. I changed my focus at Tisch to a director, then I was gonna be a playwright. I also drank like a fish. Big or small, whatever size the pond was, I drank a lot. And I was also having the time of my life somehow. I dunno. I was wild.

My professional career as a creative: I moved to Los Angeles the second I graduated. I was 21. I can’t give you the list of every single place I worked, because we don’t have time, but the highlights are: I went from working at Ikea and Virgin Mega Store to working at a production company that distributed soft-core porn, to a major film studio where I was the assistant to a producer on 2 films, all before I was 25-years-old. I spent my late twenties temping at studios and production companies before working at another major studio on the marketing side. And after I came back to NY in 2015 I worked for a bit at Tisch/NYU, which was kinda wild and full-circle because that is where I had the “depressed time of my life” as a student. And after year of that then I moved back to entertainment, working in TV for a bit, and now I’m in tech, which is funny because I failed Calculus and dropped my Comp Sci minor. I have always written in my spare time, and I have one long ago published poem, 2 plays I do not like anymore, and a completed YA novel that I am trying to decide what I want to do with. Right now I don’t like it so much. And I am not saying it’s not a good book, I think it’s good, I just don’t like it. It’s like a person to me and I am having a fight with my book.

My career has been interesting, and terrible, and weird, and boring, and challenging, and great. All the things that happen when you care about what you do. I have been very lucky so far, and my goals moving forward are to do the creative things that scare me. This podcast is one of them, streaming on Twitch was one of them. I really do wanna publish something, I just gotta decide what that’s gonna be. I’ve got big, big ideas about Creative4evr and what I can do with it as a brand. I am very excited to challenge myself. With 2020 being the start of a new decade I think it’s the perfect time to make this shit happen for myself.

Now, there will be opportunities for me to chat about some of the things I learned while in different creative spaces. If you have any questions or want me to elaborate on something, let me know, I am happy to do so if I can. I’m not gonna do any shit-talking or gossip, that’s not the tone of this show, although I will do an episode about working at that company that was distributing soft-core porn DVDs, because there are some valuable life lessons in that story about job hunting.

So yeah, now you have very basic info about me and my background. I’m not famous, I’m not a published author yet, I’m not a household name. I’ve done a variety of creative things, worked in prestigious offices with fancy people, and have been able to dip my toe into more creative spaces than most. But at the end of the day, I am like the majority of creative people out there in the world. I work a day job, and do my artist thing on the side…hard. And I do this because it suits me. I’m obsessed with creativity. It keeps me getting up in the morning. It has always made me happy, it’s who I am.

So I hope this can be our starting off point for getting to know each other as creatives, and I would love to hear from you, hear about your artsy younger self, what you have been doing to stay creative over the years when you’re not at work. Anything you want to tell me. Send an email to hello@creativ4evr.com, or reach out Twitter or Insta @Creative4evr.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again— the secret to being creative, is surround yourself with creative people. So let’s do that, let’s share, let’s go on our creative journeys together. Do this artist thing together.

Don’t forget to be creative this week. Even if you just think about it. Later.

Understanding Michael Porter: The Essential Guide to Competition and Strategy

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Quick Notes & Links:

When I sit down with a new dream or idea, I require 3 things. That my creative steps be:

1) DOABLE - A step I can do. Something I can take action on.
2) USEFUL - A step that is necessary for my specific goal.
3) REQUIRE PRIORITY - A step that has a specific place in my list of steps. If this step can happen at any point in my process, it might not be crucial to achieving my dream.

You probably already have a list of steps you are taking as part of your creative process. As long as you make sure your steps are doable and useful and prioritized, you’re putting yourself in a great position to accomplish your dreams.

Links to Ideas/Tips/Advice on how to approach your creative goals:
VIDEO: Tedx Talk How To Achieve Your Most Ambitious Goals
Make Your Dreams Come True in 9 Steps
Creative Dream List
Neuroscience: Write Down Your Goals If You Actually Want to Achieve Them

Start creating this habit for yourself. Dreams. Steps toward those dreams. Evaluate if your steps are doable, useful and prioritized. Rinse and Repeat! It's important to understand the difference between Dreams and Steps. It's important to build the habit of finding time for both dreaming and taking steps. And it's important to make sure your steps are the best steps to take.

You can find us on Twitter and/or Instagram: @Creative4evr.
Don’t forget to be creative this week. Even if you just think about it. Later.

Full Show Notes:
Hey, hi and hello! Welcome to Creative4evr. The podcast dedicated to keeping you forever inspired, forever motivated, forever creative, and forever YOU. I am your host, Janet, a.k.a. Jai//Em, a.k.a. the voice inside your head, a.k.a. your biggest fan, and together we’re going to get some creative shit done.

I’ll start by saying again, happy New Year. Happy 2020! It seems we are gonna be doing that thing where we refer to this decade as “the roaring 20s.” There are already images of flappers popping up online, and there's lots of roaring 20s talk, so we may burnout on that pretty quickly... but right now, I’m embracing it... I can clearly hear my own voice not sounding very excited about this decade being referred to as, “the roaring 20s,” but I assure you I am. It just doesn’t sound like I care. But I do, I care. Frankly, I’m just exhausted. You know how it is, you go to a New Year’s Eve party and stay up ‘til 2 in the morning, then your next day is messed up then, then the next, it snowballs, then you’re back at work— it’s hard. That’s what I’m dealing with right now, but I am, am, am excited about the roaring 20s. “Janet, why do you hate the roaring 20s?” I don’t! I don’t hate the roaring 20s.

Alright so today’s episode, number 2, we’re gonna talk about something that applies to the creation of this podcast. Something that explains why it took me such a long time between starting to record episodes and releasing them, and that is… DREAMS and STEPS.

Okay, I want your dreams to be big! I think creative people should have gigantic dreams. I think they should be big, and messy, and wild, and crazy, and slightly improbable, but also wildly improbable, romantic and sexy! I want your dreams to be important! Important to you, important to other people, I want your dreams to be ambitious, even if they are unpopular. I want them to be difficult, hard to accomplish. I want them to be bold and I certainly want them to be creative. I want them to be OF YOU, I want them to be unique, and very personal, and something that you care deeply about. That’s what I want for your dreams, that’s what I want for my dreams.

But, what I also want for you, what I want for myself, is practical steps toward those big dreams. That’s where I got in trouble starting this podcast. Big dreams, I listed them all out for myself, I recorded my mission statement podcast and listed them out for you, and then sat down with no steps. No practical steps to make those big dreams happen.

I said in the 1st episode of the podcast that we would be hearing stories from other creatives, which meant I would be interviewing other people. I said we were going to strengthen our creative habits, which requires me to do research on the best practices for strengthening creative habits, which requires me to talk to other people about what they do to strengthen their habits, and requires me to think about what I do to strengthen my own creative habits. I said we were gonna stay aware of the world around us, which means, research! I have to be aware of the world around us in order to talk about the world around us. I said we were going to take care of ourselves, which again is research— talking to people, and thinking about how I take care of myself, and sort of understanding that before I convey anything to you. I said we were going to discuss TV, books and movies with a focus on books. Well, MY GOD, that requires that I watch TV and movies. That requires that I read books, that I then do the work of breaking these things down into chunks so that we can talk about them.

WHEN, people of earth? When was I going to do all of this stuff? I didn’t take the time to think about the Steps that I needed to take in order for my dreams to become a reality. This is why we end up abandoning projects. This is why we end up starting so strong and then being disappointed and feeling like we failed.

I have gone to bed countless times thinking about the big ideas, thoughts bouncing happily around in my mind— I am gonna do this and it’s going to be so great, and the next thing you know you I’m answering fake interview questions in your mind because my idea has started winning me awards, even though I haven’t started working on the project! I’m in my head in this fake interview like, My mother has always been an inspiration, and I thought if I could just be as brave as her, that I could create this. But I never dreams…thought it was going to turn out this way. This is a dream… come true. Total BS. Total dreamy, bullshit, BS. How am I being interviewed about something I haven’t even done yet? But it happens! BECAUSE DREAMS ARE SO FUN!

Sometimes we have to take 5 steps, sometimes 35, sometimes 105 and then 10 more after that because it has to be done. Steps are not dreams, steps are not fun. They can be, but usually they are hard, and slow, and inconvenient, and always, always, always cost us something. Whether that be actual money, or our time and our freedom.

People that are serious about becoming dancers or filmmakers or streamers have to find the time to take the steps toward those goals. This especially applies to those of us that have day jobs, which means less time hanging around watching Netflix, less happy hour drinks with friends after work on Fridays, because Saturday morning is the only time we have 6 hours of free time and we need to be fresh, we can’t be hungover. I know I am not the only one that has opted not to travel during a major holiday— made up some excuse— so I could stay behind in an empty apartment and WRITE, because who in their right mind would give up $450 dollars for a plane ticket that could go toward a book edit later, or a piece of tech needed for a project. Not to mention I would have a Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, to work, to write, to do what I need to do. And if it’s toward the end of the year holidays—sometimes you get two-weeks off! I don’t want to go anywhere! I want to sit in my room and work and pretend I don’t have day job, pretend that being creative is my full-time gig.

It’s hard. Steps toward our creative dreams require constant personal inconvenience, and sacrifice. It’s a fact. How many awkward conversations have we had with family members or friends because we don’t wanna do some casual, fun thing, we kinda want to go home and work, right?

Okay, say you want to be a YouTuber... So you go out and bought a camera, and a mic, and some lights, and you find this cool plant to put in the background of your shots. You start working on your channel name and your catchphrase and you’re figuring out what username you can use across all social media without having to add “I am” to the front of the username. You’re feeling good because you’re ticking everything off the list. That person I just described is still in the Dream stage of their idea. They are still riding the high of, I’m gonna be a YouTuber! They haven’t started plotting their episodes, they haven’t learned how to use the camera they bought, or researched ANYTHING about the YouTube channel they want to create. They don’t know if someone is already on Youtube doing the exact thing they want to do. The hard stuff has yet to be touched, but they might feel like they are on their merry way to becoming a YouTuber when, in fact, none of that stuff except the camera really matters. If you don’t have any content, who cares if your lighting is amazing or you have a plant in the background?

Alright, so what steps can we take as creatives? What can we do?! You won’t be surprised when I say, there is a lot to read on the internet. A lot of people have ideas on the best way to approach your creative steps, the best way to approach your creative journey, and I will link a few in the show notes:

VIDEO: Tedx Talk How To Achieve Your Most Ambitious Goals
Make Your Dreams Come True in 9 Steps
Creative Dream List
Neuroscience: Write Down Your Goals If You Actually Want to Achieve Them

I do this because, 1) I’m not the expert and 2) At the end of the day, everybody has to do what works for them. And I think that this show should be a jumping off point for you to think about these creative things, right? I am not here to answer every question you have, I am here to spark the questions. I am here to encourage you to get out there and get answers for yourselves. I’m gonna offer my take on it, but also click the links, also read what other people have to say about steps toward creative dreams.

So, when I sit down with a new dream or idea, usually it’s for writing something, here’s what I do. This is what I had to apply to podcasting. I require 3 things, that my creative steps be:

That’s it — Something I can do, something that will actually help me toward my goal, and something I can put in order of priority. If I can do those things I can usually churn out something creative. Say I wanted to become a synchronized swimmer— my basic steps would be: CPR classes (for safety which I think is doable and useful). A yoga class (for better breathe control, strength and agility—again doable and useful). Then the synchronized swimming classes (duh) because that is part of the goal to master synchronized swimming. Then I’d qualify for artistic swimming at the Olympics for 2024, because YEAH if I am doing this, I am going all the way. Finally I’d meet Oprah. In that order. Now along the way I would probably add some steps, but those are the most important ones for me at the moment.

Let’s talk about them. At first glance each step is doable and useful, and there is some sort of priority or order to them— you have to do one before the other. In terms of useful, I wouldn’t add diving to this list, even though it’s water related, even though there is a diving class right after my synchronized swimming class, and I could stay at the pool for another hour and also learn to dive. But diving isn’t directly useful for this particular goal of synchronized swimming, so I wouldn’t add it.

After some thought I would probably remove Oprah from the list. Not only meeting her ACTUALLY a part of my Dream of synchronized swimming, and not part of the useful, doable, or required steps I need to take. It’s certainly not useful. I will not get better having met Oprah, I might have a confidence boost, but my skill won’t improve. It’s probably not doable. Why on earth would I be meeting Oprah as a synchronized swimmer? It’s makes more sense if I was trying to meet Oprah because I was trying to do something in her field of positivity, talk-show host type stuff, but as a swimmer, I am not sure how that’s really doable. And finally where does Oprah go on the list? I could meet her after I win the Gold medal at the Olympics, I could meet her before when she wants to do a piece on me and my journey to the Olympics. I could meet her tomorrow before I take the first CPR class, and before I even put a toe in the water. She could slide anywhere on this list so there’s no real priority. This is telling me that she’s not necessarily important to this goal. But the CPR class and the lessons to learn how to synchronize swim are important and have priority. I can’t do either of those things AFTER I win the Gold medal.

So that’s just a fun example, but this can be applied to any creative project that you are working on right now. You probably already have a list of things that you are doing and as long as you make sure they are doable and useful and prioritized, I think you’re putting yourself in a great position to accomplish your dreams.

I want to leave you with one last thought. I find that I accomplish the most as a creative person when I dream as much as I take steps. Now I know there are a lot of us out there that assume because we daydream a lot, because we are always coming up with new ideas or adventures or projects that we have to STOP that or pull back because it’s childish or unrealistic and a waste of time. We either have been told, “Stop messing around and get back to work!” Or, “Stop messing around and pick a field where you can make some money and have a real future!” But we don’t have to believe that. Creative people need to be daydreaming, need to be coming up with ideas and having adventures in their head and thinking about new projects all the time. That’s a part of the gig and honestly, if we don’t do it…the other people will not. It’s our job and we do it well so we need to keep doing it.

The problem is when we don’t take steps to balance out those big dreams. So the next time you realize you’ve spent an afternoon daydreaming about a creative project or something you want to conquer as an artist, don’t write yourself off as being an idiot with your head in the clouds. Instead, say to yourself, Alright I spent 3 hours thinking about this thing. So I am going to balance that out with 3 hours of steps toward that thing. And I don’t mean you have to stop what you’re doing in the moment and start the 3 hours. It’s just the next time you have time. Instead of daydreaming or if you feel you have slipped off into imagination world, say, Oh, no, no, no, it’s time for me to take steps. I’m gonna spend the afternoon taking steps instead. You’re creating a habit for yourself. Dreams. Steps toward those dreams. All we have to do is understand the difference between the two and allow creative time for both.

Alright, that’s gonna do it for today. Thanks so much for listening, I hope you enjoyed. You can find us on Twitter and/or Instagram: @Creative4evr.

Don’t forget to be creative this week. Even if you just think about it. Later.

View Details

Quick Notes & Links:

Today we talk about the Creative4evr Podcast Mission. I hope this podcast -- 1) Brings us together. 2) Let’s know we’re not alone. 3) Motivates us to try to flip it so we’re doing more of our own creativity and maybe we’ll even start to get paid for it.

On this podcast...
// We will hear stories from other Creatives
// We’re going to strengthen our creative habits.
// We’re going to stop choking our muse to death.
// We’re going to take care of ourselves....know when to go to bed!
// We’re going to discuss and recommend books, TV shows, and movies with an emphasis on books. Many of the books will be from authors in marginalized communities, from authors of color, queer authors, and people we don't usually hear from.

We are on Twitter and Instagram: @Creative4evr. Don’t forget to be creative this week…even if you just think about it.

Full Show Notes:
Hey, hi, and hello! Welcome to Creative4evr. The podcast dedicated to keeping you forever inspired, forever motivated, forever creative, and forever YOU. I am Janet, a.k.a. JAI//EM, a.k.a. the voice inside your head, a.k.a. your biggest fan, and together we’re gonna get some creative shit done.

This is the very, very, very, very first episode and I am very excited about it. How many was that? 4? 5? I’m really excited, this has been a long time coming! I’ve been working on this for a little while now and we’re finally releasing episodes, so it feels good. So, let’s jump right into it. You’re gonna get our mission statement, what we plan to do on this podcast, and we’ll talk again on the other side. Enjoy!

On this podcast, Creative4evr, we’re going to make sure that you stay inspired and motivated. Here's why. I have an expertise and it's living a double life. I work at my day job and I pay my bills. And then I spend the rest of my time being creative. Writing, podcasting, streaming on Twitch... I do all of these things outside of my day job that I'm passionate about, that I care about, that allow me to be creative. And I know so many people that do the same thing!

Over the years I've met artists, creators, dreamers, writers, inventors, singers and dancers. MAKERS. And all of us are working our ass off to make a living and be creative. We’re doing this in the wee hours of the night, on our lunch breaks, in the car on the way to work, while we're waiting to pick up our kids. We’re squeezing in our creativity in order to fulfill that part of our lives, while still functioning in the world and at our day jobs. Yes, sometimes those things intersect. Sometimes we are able to be creative at our day jobs and creative after work, but often I find that even if I am in a creative job, I'm still not doing the creative things I want to do. I'm not quite able to put those things on the front burner...

I hope this podcast -- 1) Brings us together. 2) Let’s know we’re not alone. 3) Motivates us to try to flip it so we’re doing more of our own creativity and maybe we’ll even start to get paid for it.

On this podcast we will hear stories from other Creatives. I don't mean that they will read their stories, although that's a great idea, I just mean I'm going to interview people like us and talk to them about how they squeeze their creativity out of each day. How they stay motivated, look at the world, what inspires them. I think it's so important to hear from people that are doing what we're doing. Sometimes, especially around awards seasons, we hear from six or seven super famous artists that are doing amazing work, but at a high level, for masses and millions of people. Yet, we don’t often get to hear stories about someone that has written one book that’s selling, but not well. We don’t usually hear from the artist that got a great gig, but it didn’t generate dollars for them. That's what I think is interesting, and I hope you do too.

We’re going to strengthen our creative habits. We’re going to get into the rhythm of our own creativity! How do we wake up? What is our mindset when we wake up? What are the things we do to ensure that when we have a moment to squeeze creativity out of ourselves, we use it?

We’re going to stay in touch with the world around us. Yes, you can be creative within a silo, without knowing what's going on in the world, but I think that's a short-term solution. We have to be in touch with what's going on inside and outside of our communities. Friends and family, but also strangers that we've never met nor seen.

We’re going to stop choking our muse to death. And that's basically saying we're going to try and let go so we can let creativity happen. So often we are the ones in our own way. I find that we are better at getting out of our own way if we hear about others that are doing so. But also, it goes back to strengthening our creative habits. If we strengthen our habits, it's easier to get out of our own way because it has become a part of our daily routine.

We’re going to take care of ourselves. Yes, sometimes falling into a pit of despair creates the BEST art of your life! I totally understand that, it has happened to me. However, it is not sustainable and there are things we can do to take care of ourselves. One of them is hanging out with, associating with, and talking to other people that are doing what we’re doing, so that it doesn't feel like we are alone, right? That's taking care of ourselves. Hanging out with other creatives. So, we are gonna do things like that, hang out with each other, take care of each other. But also, know when to go to bed! Know when to get up early and work out so that when we are creative our brain is able to do it, and our body is able to do it too.

We’re going to discuss and recommend books, TV shows, and movies with an emphasis on books. There are so many podcasts out there that review movies, talk about TV shows, etc., but I don't find there are enough people talking about books. Especially books that people really, really, really should have read. Everybody has a few books they pretend they've read or know about. We're going to change that. There are books that we all need to know, there are books that we all need to read. And I'm not going to lie, many of the books will be from authors in marginalized communities, from authors of color, queer authors, and people we don't usually hear from. YES, we are going to talk about TV shows and movies, but we’re going to talk about books, which leads me to my last thing. We are going to read more! I am going to shame you and make you feel like you're missing out. Before you know it, you're going to be reading more than you usually do. I guarantee it.

There you have it! Our mission statement. What we plan to do what the podcast and I'm super excited to watch it grow, change, evolve and ALL the things that happen when you decide to do something creative and go on a creative journey. I'm looking forward to it. It freaks me out a little bit, it’s a little scary, but I think it’s important to push your creativity and your limits. You shouldn’t always do things that are easy to do, right? We should be challenging ourselves, so I'm really excited about it.

We are on Twitter and Instagram: @Creative4evr. Don’t forget to be creative this week…even if you just think about it.

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5) WRITE -- This is not just for my writers-- ALL creatives should be writing things down collecting thoughts, ideas, inspiration, stories, reminders and memories.

7) BE OPEN MINDED -- There's a lot of uncertainty right now, but if you can stay open-minded and look for opportunities to help yourself and others, we will all be the better for it.