A while back I wrote a post called CREATE EVERY DAY, where I outlined how important it is for creators to be putting time and effort into their craft and their business on a daily basis.
For the last few months, I haven’t been listening to my own advice. I’ve been spending WAY more time on the business aspect and not on the creative aspect. Rather than the 10+ hours a week I was doing before (and the ~40 hours per week when I was working on the screenplay for Hidden World: The Swordsman), I don’t know that I’ve spent even 2 hours a week on creating.
It sucks. I find myself a little depressed, massively unfulfilled, and in a rut.
So it’s time to get out of that rut. Time to create, time to recommit.
Why? Because if you’re a creative who isn’t creating, you’re not really living, and you’re not contributing to the world you’re living in. Anytime I find myself consuming more than I’m creating, I feel off balance like my inner creative equilibrium is skewed.
So, if you need a push to create more, or more often, hopefully, this post helps.
I have been thinking about this for a while and was struggling with what I should actually be doing. Should I focus on writing? Creating ideas? Taking pictures?
I really wanted to figure out a way to become a better producer, but I’ve landed on: producing isn’t that creative a position. It’s basically another term for a salesman, which is more based on tactics, strategies, and systems. I could find some creativity there but I couldn’t figure out what to do on a daily basis that could be shared/held accountable for.
That said, I have decided to pick three different “create every day” options, and will consider the task completed if any *one* of the three is accomplished for that day.
- Take a picture every day using a DSLR (not my smartphone) and post on Instagram.
- Spend 2 hours a day in deep work (screenplay, story, creating business strategy, etc.), mark off time in my calendar, turn off internet & phone notifications.
- Come up with 5 new ideas. (Commercial ideas, business ideas, story ideas, characters I’d like to create, etc.). Use my Evernote Moleskine to record the ideas, capture in Evernote, post best idea to social media (???).
If you’re reading this, please hold me accountable. I’ll probably create some hashtag for posterity and searchability.
What about you? What will you create every day? What is your reason for doing it? Growing your brand? Improving your craft? Let me know in the comments.