Blog

“A mess is a sign of an active mind.” As far back as I can remember, my room was always mess. Not in the sense that clothes were scattered everywhere or beer cans were strewn about. But every inch of my walls were covered. Pictures, magazine covers, posters, found objects, neon ceiling stars, random stickers and personal artwork completely engulfed my room like an amoeba of inspiration. Best decision ever….

“Thank you for repairing the chip in my funny bone.” Kevin Smith recently received that compliment during the question/answer portion of his podcast. Nearly made me cry. To see that your art helped a humorless person laugh again? That’s about as good as it gets. I met a woman like that a few weeks ago. Wouldn’t know funny if it swallowed her whole. Even we whipped out our best material,…

“What kind of stove did you use?” Nobody ever asks that question to the chef of the restaurant. Because it’s not the tool, it’s the perspective of the artist using it. If you’re a master, you can make do with anything. Amateurs lean on equipment as a crutch to compensate for mediocre abilities. Professionals don’t care if they’re using a Nikon D3200 or an iPhone. The pictures will still be amazing. Inspired by a…

“Build a lexicon for what sets your heart on fire.” Yesterday I read the most engaging book of the year. It’s called The 360 Deal, which brings together short articles by a diverse range of people with a lot of experience in music and the business. As soon as I put the book down, I walked straight into my room, picked up my guitar and started writing a new song. That’s…

“The forest will provide.” I’m in love with the idea of trusting my environment––and the people in it––to nourish and support me. Whether it’s borrowing an extra pair of yoga shorts from the lost and found, depending on my improv partner to say the next line or leaning on a teammate during a during an exhausting client presentation, knowing that my back is always had is a beautiful (and…

“If discomfort is medicated, there’s no movement.” Love this insight from comedian Doug Benson. Reminds men that I’m eternally grateful for all of life’s low points. If we’re never sad, we’re never aware what happiness feels like. If we’re never kicked in the crotch by the golf shoe of reality, we’re never angry enough to make the necessary changes. The answer to discomfort isn’t popping pills, it’s giving thanks.  “There’s too…

“I don’t want that hour back.” There’s simple way to measure the satisfaction of time spent. When you’re done reading a book or listening to a podcast or going to a party, do you wish you had that chunk of time back? If not, what you did was meaningful. For example, suffering through three painful hours of Les Miserables, I wish I had that time back. Going for a walk in the park,…

“Like swinging a flyswatter at an incoming asteroid.” Every few months, my office shuffles seats. It’s a simple system for enabling collaboration, creativity and connection. The only thing is, it’s totally random. Which means wherever you end up, you end up. And that got me thinking:Futility is a funny thing. We’re such control freaks, and yet, despite our best efforts, most of life’s fickle forces treat us like pawns in their…

“Everybody is a frustrated something.” Not necessarily. It all depends on your relationship with your expectations. For example, I’ve been writing and performing music for twenty years. Composing, playing and singing my own songs is one of the most satisfying and rapturous experiences of my life. But I’m practical enough to treat it as a passion, not a profession. I’m no rock star. I’m completely okay never making money off my…

“It was an itch I’ve been trying to scratch for many years.” Love this story about Nigel Clark, a call center employee who spent seven years working out shortcuts to help customers skip through the dozens of menu options. Proving my theory that anger is the ember of initiative, that only pissed off people change the world, and that once we channel our frustration into something useful, all the bullshit we…