My friend Dean posted this video. I thought it had some good ideas worth sharing.
Enjoy!
Category Archives: general
A Question.
When working for myself I find that I need to create ways to supervise myself so that the things that need to get done get done – or at least started to the best of my ability. To do that I keep a list of what has been accomplished that day. In the past I tried to do it in Excel. I like computer records because you can look things up really easily, but I hate data entry so I never kept up with this.
Because of that I have resorted to pen & paper. So far it has been VERY effective, but it’s hard to keep record of. Do any of you, out there on the interwebs, have any solutions I could try – or maybe an Excel template I could swipe from you?
On another note, I’ve got a comic review coming – NEW IRON MAN ISSUE!!!!!!!
See you tomorrow!
Quick Blog
The comic review for last week is a third done, should be finished tomorrow, just in time to pop another one out in a couple of days, but I wanted to write a quick blog about something I saw on the cover of a Details magazine. It’s not that the title I’m about to complain about is unique to Details, lots of magazines mention things like this, but for whatever reason this time it really stuck in my craw.
The title was: 16 Rule Breakers That Made it Big.
People mentioned in this article: Tina Fey, Seth McFarlan, CEO’s for Facebook and Twitter.
These people are not rule breakers – in fact they actual follow the most important rule: to achieve extraordinary results you must perform extraordinary work.
I should probably go on record as saying that this is definitely personal opinion on my part. There was a line in the movie The Incredibles, actually it is one of the themes, about how mediocrity has become the goal, everyone is praised as being special, no one is encouraged to go beyond the box – and yet the out of the box thinkers are SO desirable! They are the innovators! They keep things going!
Here’s a hard fact – not everyone is special. I firmly believe that no one is owed anything in this world. If you want something you should work for it to achieve it. Value comes from the amount of effort you are willing to commit to something. These rules are always true, they never falter. The only way that the people mentioned in that article are rule breakers is that they refused to remain mediocre. They had an idea or a plan and they followed through. There is nothing remarkable about this except that they actually had the willingness to do it.
That’s my rant and I’m sticking to it.
The Glass is Half.
I’m known as a pretty happy guy. I’ve been called chipper, overly optimistic, and occasionally, delusional. When my ideas or belief in something works out in the positive I’m hailed as having a great attitude, there are high fives all around and, occasionally, I’m called a genius. If things, even the smallest of them, go awry then I’m shunned and chastised for being unrealistic and foolish. It is a very strange dichotomy that has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I don’t really know what that says about me or the people around me. I have only ever been this way and don’t know what it is like to be any other way. For my part I can say that while, yes, I prefer to be optimistic and, yes, I prefer to be happy, I am also a fan of being realistic. Of course my version of realism is apparently different from most other people’s. In general I find that those who call themselves “realists” are actually just pessimists in disguise. It is not realistic to say that you will fail just because no one else has succeeded in something, it is realistic to say that you will probably fail at something unless you find a better way to do it. Example: I want to fly under my own power. Realistically this will not happen. Why by “other people’s” definition: people just cannot fly! Why by my definition: Thus far we as a people have not mastered any way over physics, without the means of machines or constructs, to allow us to fly under our own power. There’s an important phrase in there that I get lambasted on for using as “optimistic” when it is really just the truth, “thus far.”
I don’t think that the average Joe, hell, even many people that I know personally, really take the time to think about what could really be possible. Every day, every week, every year humans develop and learn things that would have been considered magic as recently as 50 years ago. I think it’s very important to be reminded of that every once in a while. I like to remind myself of it every day. I kind of have to. I have picked a career that is the farthest you can get from being called “secure.” I am essentially an entrepreneur selling myself, and have been for over twenty years. My lively hood lives and breathes on what is possible. It’s a neat gig, but not for the faint of heart.
The movie that I’m working on right now is a perfect example of this. When the idea germinated it was really just going to be a small, summer gig. Nothing special, straight to DVD release, just dust off the old producer hat and jump back into a level that was comfortable. But then possibility stepped in. It started with just one thing just one, “Hey this is pretty good. Who you gonna’ get for this?” Then the ball started rolling.
It would be unrealistic, even by my definition, to say that all is wonderful and I’m making the next blockbuster. That would be silly. But the possibility that this is going to be a GREAT movie keeps getting reinforced every day and the other possibilities that it has created are even better.
For me personally even when I’m seeing the glass half full, in the end I still know that it’s only half and it doesn’t make any difference whether that be full or empty – but it does keep me hungry for what’s going to fill that other half the rest of the way to over flowing.
Filed under general
Easter & Stuff
Yesterday was Easter and I ate way too much. Rene and I had two family feasts to attend and we really out did ourselves. Rene’s family is from New Orleans and they definitely know how to cook down there. I really enjoy her mom’s gumbo and various other foods. Yesterday included ham, baked macaroni (macaroni and cheese, but with the long macaroni noodles), baked beans, and salad. Then there were the deserts which included, but were not limited to, cheese cake, bread pudding and whiskey sauce, and other cakes and things that I don’t remember because I stuffed myself so full I couldn’t even look at food without feeling a little sick. I got so full I had to take a nap! That never happens to me!
Then we went to my parents house.
The spread there was equally large with plenty of appetizery things and sandwiches and apple crisp and chips and pretzels…
I’m full just thinking about it.
The food coma was amazing and today I’m still feeling the effects, so much so that I’m worried I might be getting sick.
So, I’m going to cast off now and get some more stuff done before calling it an early night.
See you tomorrow!
Sudden Slow Down
Today started of fine, eager, ready, but quickly got mired in the quagmire of holiday changes and modifications. So school was closed today. Not a big deal, but it was also a wasted trip to south county and that stinks, although it did mean that I could stop by the Wazza office and fix some stuff with my email and sort out a few things.
The rest of the day will be used to play catch-up. It’s funny how a simple change to your schedule can sometimes derail the rest of your plans. You schedule a certain amount of time to complete tasks and then arrange the day to do things. Extra time is good, but only if you have the right tasks to fill that time with otherwise it can throw everything off.
Well I’m off to complete some of those tasks.
See you tomorrow!
Filed under general
Mobile blog? Nah!
I have been trying to get a new blog started for a couple days now. It’s been harder than normal. It isn’t like I don’t have things to talk about but I think my brain might be a tad over loaded. With everything that is going on right now It’s been hard to focus on the things that aren’t work related. This evening the problem has been amplified by the amount of food that I ate for dinner. Meat and mashed potatoes were involved and now I’m ready to fall into a food coma.
I started updating my picture on the various casting websites that you belong to when you are an actor in L.A. As easy as that is, in my current state it was actually more time consuming than it needed to be.
It shocks me how much a full stomach can effect your mood and energy level. I know I can be cranky like an old man if I get too hungry, but I forget that being completely stuffed puts me down like a horse with a broken leg. I don’t even feel like this after Thanksgiving.
I’m gonna’ go be a bum in front of the TV for a while and let my body digest whet needs to be digested and see if I can get stuff done later.
See you tomorrow!
I’m Learning Japanese
I am very excited about making this week as productive as last week was. I woke up early to do some personal, and frankly frivolous, things so I have the rest of the day to conduct business. I’ve been working very hard on my time management. I think most people who really know me know that I like to get involved in things. I get very excited about them and then run myself ragged trying to find a way to fit everything in. I’m trying to re-train my brain to see things a bit differently and learn how to say no. I hate saying no. I hate limits. I much prefer the idea that a person can find a way to do it all. I still believe that, but I also have to acknowledge that it is nearly impossible to do it all and do it all well. So I’m pairing down as my current responsibilities begin to finish themselves and only taking on the projects and things that I really want to do as opposed to just anything that sounds like it might be a good idea.
One of the things that I’ve been trying to keep up with, that I did while working out this morning, is maintain my and learn more Japanese. I went to Japan several times with my ex-wife and fell in love with the country. The culture, the public transportation, how clean it all is, and the fact that people just have a whole different outlook. It seems silly, the outlook bit, but there is a different sense of responsibility and work and life. This is not to say that this outlook is better, I mean extremes exist in all cultures. I’m sure we’ve all heard about business men on all night benders, suicides and people who watch Pachinko balls all day, but I have a great deal of respect for the Japanese way of life. One of the things that I have been planning, one of my goals for the last few years, is a big trip. There are several stops planned, but I want to spend a good amount of time in Japan. While I wait I’ve been trying to keep up with my Japanese. In addition to the CD’s that I originally got back in two thousand something, my friend Sam pointed my to a podcast called JapanesePod101. To be honest I don’t actually use the site. The site costs money, as all things of value should, but I just don’t have it to spare right now so I subscribe to the podcasts via iTunes. I love these podcasts! I listen to all the levels that are available and try to push myself to understand what the instructors are talking about. Part of what inspired this blog today was that I listened to one of the all Japanese audio-blogs today and understood what they were saying! Not every word, but a lot of them. Enough to actually follow along. It was really great!
As I take a look at how I spend my time now I’m glad there are a few things that I can do at the same time. Podcasts and exercise are a pretty obvious one – as I’m sure many of you know – but also blogging while rendering and finding money while eating and a great deal more while doing other stuff. I’m looking forward to being more productive.
Oh, and I just got another political cartoon from my friend Scott that I thought I’d share too! I think it’s important to remember, no matter whom the president is, that nothing changes over night except the weather.
Another One For Today!
I promised another blog today and dammit I’m gonna’ deliver! Had another really good day today. It’s hard to want to fall asleep because I’m getting so much done and it feels REALLY good! It’s kinda’ like when you finally work out after putting it off for a long time. You’re dreading and dreading that first run or push-up or crunch but then once you’re going and feeling it you’re like, “Yeah! This is good!” I feel like I’ve really dropped my shackles and taken off running! Although it does make me scared that if I slow down or take a break it will totally derail my momentum and progress.
Tomorrow will put that theory to the test. Rene and I will be seeing a friend of ours in a play up in LA at the Shanley Festival. After we’ll be doing a bit of what the French call Karaoke. Before hand we’ll be having dinner with her family and running to the LBC to pick-up her camera charger. I have until 3pm to get anything done that must get done. It is a test of my time management skills, which I have to admit could be better. The true test comes on Thursday when it’s time to get back to work (specifically paperwork).
I know I must be doing something I like because I’m actually looking forward to all of it. I have production binder parts strewn around my room, emails and texts coming in about writers and scripts, and phone calls that can mean millions of dollars. My computer coughs and hacks as I keep making more and more demands of it and instead of being just dead tired I’m also as excited as a kid at Christmas where there are giant boxes under the tree and they all have my name on them. That’s a pretty good feeling!
The beginning of the year is traditionally a good time for me and can really set the tone for the rest of the year. If this week is any indication of whats coming then I’m a happy camper.
Now I’m going to go make my bed and lay in it and try and calm down enough to fall asleep. Early day tomorrow!
See you then!
Getting Things Done!
Today was a really good day. I like to advocate the principals laid out in the book “The War of Art” by Stephen Pressfield. After my divorce I was pretty confused about which way my career was going to go and wasn’t sure what to focus on. My friend Jeff Garvin helped me out quite a bit by recommending the book. All of the ideas in it are pretty straight forward and seem like common sense, but it’s amazing how hard it can be to put them into practice. Today I beat resistance and really got a lot of stuff done! And along with those things came some of the fruits of my labor – which quite literally means labor in the form of jobs and even some possible movie funding on a film that I thought wouldn’t really start getting traction until the summer! I’m not sure that I had much of a point when I started writing. I really just wanted to share my excitement about what is going on and how today went.
Actually there is a point to all of this. I pay a lot of lip service to the idea that you can do what you love and make a living at it. Sometimes that can be a hard idea to defend when I spend a lot of time struggling to make ends meet myself, but today was the sort of day that reminds me that it can and does work out. It just takes that one day to get everything back on track. Sure I might not have a paycheck from it just yet, but I can use the word “yet” and be very confident that it will not change to “won’t.”
OK, I’m going to sleep now (hence the picture) so I can wake up fresh and try to have another day like today tomorrow.
See you then!