Category: sethwCategory: sethw

From “Directing My Movie” by Joi Katskee:

I’m thrilled to share my music video, Dazed in a Detour, which was featured at a local film festival. I’ve submitted it to a couple of other festivals, but I got tired of waiting to “be picked”.

The response to this work has been so positive, why would I bury it away until another organization “approves” it?

Don’t wait to get picked – just put the work out there and see what happens.

“Creativity is not something to hustle or to use.

Creativity is something to tend to, like you tend to a garden, and it in turn uses you in ways you couldn’t imagine.”

This from “This Is Drastically Changing My Creativity,” a post by Blake Roberts.

I’ve told two people this week (via my Email Guidance offering) to not set up a website. To not set up a webstore. To not start a newsletter.

These two people were still very much in the “figuring it out phase,” to which I stressed that maybe you don’t need to figure it out in public.

Not everyone wants to document the journey. It’s okay to go off and do your thing for a few months, or a few years.

Because what if you fully tend to your creative garden, without the distraction of sending a newsletter, posting on socials, or the dreaded “figuring out” your website?

I believe that if we immerse ourselves in the art, the practice, the work, that in a years time (or whatever feels right) you’ll already know what the newsletter is about.

And you’ll know exactly what sort of website you need.

In March, 36 people signed up for a Zoom chat about organizing our digital photos, and managing our digital files without cloud services.

Let’s do it again, maybe? Sign up here if you’d be into this!

I do a thing called Email Guidance, and I credit my absence on social media as one of the reasons for its success. Here’s a reply I got recently:

“Honestly Seth, I’m feeling so relaxed after reading this advice. Like it’s honestly just so pure and good that it feels right and helps me feel clear and focused about my steps to come.”

By not letting my attention be pulled in 100 directions per hour, I get to be bored and think and do the dishes.

Now, imagine you’re the one making the work that gets that sort of response.

How do you get there? By making and uploading vertical videos 100 days in a row? When do you have time for the work? For the art?

Your paintings can make people cry. Your music can get people through break ups. Your song lyrics could be tattoo’d on someone’s arm.

Spend your hours building your future days.

Taylor Swift controls all her music, and she even controlled the news, driving zillions of people away from social media to her website with a post saying “Letter on my site.”

No, you’re probably not as big as Taylor Swift. But will you get to her level faster playing the same social media lottery with everyone else?

What if you spent hours every day practicing? Honing your skills? Connecting not with legions of people but a few good ones?

Sure, social media can help you find an audience. But a website with a newsletter sign up form can help you keep one.