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It’s a lie.

It’s a lie we’ve been told ever since our teachers took away the crayons. The lie that says it not time to play, it’s time to work. It’s not time to make something new, it’s time to do what you’re told. It’s all a lie.

Find Your Wilderness

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It IS time to make something new… on purpose. It’s time to play. It’s time flip the switch and start thinking about your creativity as a tool that can be mended… or broken. It’s time to put you in the driver’s seat and let you take the wheel. Where you go though, will be different from where I go. Your destination doesn’t look like mine and vice versa. But we’re both going into uncharted territory. We’re both going to the wilderness.

Find your wilderness. And get lost.

Intentionality

Challenge:
Just for one day this week, intentionally don’t look at another person’s work. If you’re a photographer, don’t look at single image that’s not yours. Take this time to make something on purpose. Because purpose is funny, once you start to use it, purpose brings unexpected insights. Intentionality breeds creative accidents.

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Fear will never tell you to wake up early and be awesome.

It will never tell you that you’re winning even if you are.

“Are you sure that’s worth creating? Are you sure anybody will want to see that or read that? I don’t think this thing is for you. Better not do it just to be safe.” But fear can’t argue with done. When you create something and it’s done and out there you can look back and refute all those arguments with “Well. I just did.”

Fear

The one thing fear is really good at it? Letting you know that you’re on to something awesome.

When you hear the voice of fear telling you not to make something. When you hear the voices of people telling you his thing just isn’t for you or who are you to do this? Do it anyway. Then smile at them, lovingly, and say: “Well, I just did.”

Happy Monday 🙂

Question:

What would life look like if we stopped letting people and fear stop us from doing things?

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I’ve heard several music legends perform in the past few weeks. Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, etc. None of them were perfect performances, in fact, some of them may even be considered “bad” by the standards of performance we hold new artists by. But people loved it. I loved it! Because when Willie Nelson walks out with a bandana on his head and a guitar in his hand you don’t judge. You say, “Holy crap, that’s Willie Freaking Nelson.” He’s made so much music and been around for so long that it doesn’t matter if he’s perfect. He’s Willie Nelson!

So how long does it take to be that awesome? To be able to walk out on stage and people not expect perfect but just expect you? It takes everyday. For a lifetime. It takes waking up and wanting to be here.

It really is unbelievable how much artists like Willie Nelson have contributed and how much they continue to contribute. I think that’s the key, too: Just keep making stuff. Always. Not fighting for fame but fighting for the work. These guys could quit making music at anytime. They choose to keep making stuff. That’s what makes Willie Nelson so awesome. That and how long his ears are…

Keep Making Stuff

Happy Friday!

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  • Robyn LaRue - Well put. I can’t imagine not writing, and I look forward to being able to help other writers by sheer fact of having done it so long. Journaling for 30 years gives me a lot of insight to talk to people about that aspect already. 🙂ReplyCancel

I’m feeling very Olympic today! The winter Olympics start today and we get excited about such things in the Creed house. We’ve also been watching the events and shows leading up to the Olymics. Which may mean we’re nerds but it is what it is 🙂

A couple days ago, I watched an interview with Gracie Gold, U.S. Figure skater and Olympian, who just won the national title with the highest score ever in the US championships. She made the move to LA to train with Frank Carroll, who has trained Olympians and figure skating greats such as Michelle Kwan, and Evan Lysacek. Apparently, he’s a kind of a big deal. In the interview Frank was asked, “What does it take for her to get on the podium?” Here is a summary of his answer:

Be calm and collected under pressure.

Leave it all out on the ice.

Believe you can do it all.

BE A WARRIOR.

Olympics, Sochi, Gracie Gold, Frank Carroll, Skating

Straight talk. Gold medals all day!

It’s not like we don’t know that hard work and dedication can help get you to the Olympics. It’s obvious that you have to be a master of your craft to get to that point. But in an arena with nothing but world class athletes, people that are better than you, there must be something more going on inside your head than talent and hard work. What does it take to win? What does it take to make it to the podium? Believe you can do it all and BE A WARRIOR.

Pretty rad.

Happy Thursday, folks!

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I’m a big late night tv fan. Especially Jimmy Fallon. As most of you know, Jimmy Fallon will be taking over for Jay Leno as the host of the Tonight Show soon and this week, both shows have been doing ‘best of’ sections of the show. So last night on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Matthew Mcconaughey was on for the 16th time. During his interview with Jay, Macconaghey tells the story of his first time ever on the show. He says he was sitting back in the green room waiting to come on, when Jay walks in. They say hello and chat for a bit. Then Jay asks, “Are you nervous?”

“Yeah, a bit.” he said

“Want to know the secret?”

“Please!”

“Just want to be here.”

What an awesome way to think! It works, not only to work out the nerves before you go on stage in front of millions, but in life and in your work. Just wake up and want to be here. There’s gonna be things that suck and maybe some things you just have push through. Instead of being passive or angry or nervous, just show and want to be here. Because there IS work that needs to be done.

Jay Leno, matthew mcconaughey, Tonight show, Chris Creed

It’s incredibly easy to be cynical. I struggle with it too. But everyday, we have to wake up and decide to want to be here. Because we are here. We may as well be awesome at it.

Happy Wednesday!

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  • Tom Schaber - Don’t know who exactly said this but the adage goes ‘80% of success is showing up”. Might have been Woody Allen. My version is “you win some, you lose some but ya gotta suit up for all of them”. You are a connoisseur of wisdom Creed.ReplyCancel

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