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I hear so much talk about people who get things done. People who make things happen. I don’t really place myself in that category. I don’t really look in the mirror in the morning and see a go getter. I want to. I want to be that person. But it doesn’t come naturally.

I have to fight for the things I make. I have to fight everyday to put something out into the world. I fight because I realize that this thing that I do that I love, I don’t get to do it anymore if I don’t show up everyday and fight for it. Even though nobody would notice if I just lay around watching Friends all day, that’s not what I signed up for. I signed up to make stuff for a living. So I’ll fight for that.

Two things to remember today:

1) you have something of value to offer.

2) nobody else is you.

Make-things-happen

Telling yourself “I’m not the kind of person who gets things done,” is not an excuse for you to ignore your work. Even if it’s true, you’re not excused. Your work is yours and you need get used to fighting like hell for it. That means making it whether you feel like it or not. Making it even though you’re not the kind of person who makes things happen. We are made to create, to make stuff. Fight for it, and you’ll get it done.

Happy Monday!

Chris

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You can’t wait around for great art to happen. It comes through consistently making good work. I know that seems like it can’t be true. That there must be some secret to how people get to create epic stuff. Well, I guess there is, it’s called making consistently good work over time. It may seem counter intuitive, but that’s what we have to do.

The truth is that the more good work we’re putting out into the world, the more opportunities we’ll get to make it. The more good work we put into the world, the better our “good” will get. Good becomes great through being so damn good you have to give it another name: Great.
how to make good art, great artists

That’s when great art happens. When it’s been good for long enough and it’s too good to be good anymore. There so much you learn when you’re making good art that will take you to great. The problem is that most people don’t stick around and work hard at the good and they never get to the great.

Want to make great art? Make good art for a long (enough) time and be good and making it. Then, and you’ll now when, it will start to become great.

Happy Friday!

Chris

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So I made this little video the other day with my buddy Mark to have as something of an intro to the blog/site. I also explain a bit about what it means to make stuff for a living.

Check it out! Let me know what you think!

Happy Thursday, folks!

Chris



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Do me a favor? Don’t put creativity on your to-do list. Don’t put practicing your craft on your to-do list. Do something today to practice your creativity.
To-do lists, How to be creative

What can you add to your day today to feed your creativity?
What can you take away today to help nourish your creativity?

Done.

Answer those questions and you’ll already be thinking about it differently. Answer those questions today and you’ll already be being intentional about your creativity. That’s what I want for you and for me. Is to start taking creativity seriously by being intentional about it. It doesn’t have to be this big huge deal but if it ends up on your to-do list? You’ll never do it. If it’s on that list, there will always be something that will bump it to the bottom.

Put it on your This-Is-What-I-Do-Now list. And do it everyday. You have to make it a priority by making yourself do it until it becomes something you just do. Being good at accessing your creative thinking, fast, will change the way you work. Your craft deserves it. You deserve it. We deserve it.

Happy Wednesday!

Chris

Question:
What are you going to do today to practice creativity?
What action could you take to plus or minus something in your day to make that happen?

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When Jen and I first moved to Nashville we were met with kind-hearted, open people. People. Not business owners. Not Photographers. People. These people we were meeting happened to own businesses and happened to be photographers and the events happened to be photography meetings. But they talked to us about us, and us about them. It set up relationships instead of networks and friendships instead of empty connections. It also taught us how to interact with people in our industry and I am very grateful for that.

All that to say this:

Don’t bring what you do to a networking event. Bring you.
Yes, bring your business card. No, don’t bring your ego.
how to network, networking, should you have business cards

That’s how to network: Build relationships, make friends, leave your ego at home. The truth is: nobody woke up this morning needing your business card. But somebody woke up this morning and needed help. Someone woke up this morning needing someone to ask about them and how they’re doing.

Do that.

Happy Tuesday!

Chris

Question:
Do you have an example of someone who let you in their circle when you were new?
What kind of effect did that have on your success?
What kind of effect did that your creativity?

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