swishism

Can we truly be satisfied with a goal that costs us nothing in return?

To create something of value, you have to contribute a big chunk of  resources you value–even some you don’t yet control.  I’m meditating on this at the moment with postcards like this one that I’ve sellotaped to to the ceiling above my bed.

It is satisfied to have
the last word
as I tumble into ravines
of rest.
When I awake it is there, beginning
to branch out from a hidden vine,
stretching into the deep
fetching me
up.

swishism entry goethe, hunger, risk, sacrifice

Fair enough, everyone and their Grandma is making music, trying to ‘make it in music’.  Given my post yesterday on scarcity, I don’t really have a bone to pick with that.  If your gonna say your Spartacus, though your better off also keeping any confessions of being an impersonator to yourself.   So yes, I was trying to be ironical with this swishism, the takeaway is simple:  “fake it until you make it” works only if there are no tell tale signs that you are less than 100% authentic; instead of trying to persuade everyone your are not inauthentic, it’s much easier to just be authentic. No worrying you’ll be found out, no declarations of ‘No, I am spartacus’, and thankfully, no double negatives.  Hardly a revelation I know, but everyone Spartacus needs reminding.

swishism entry authenticity, be yourself, irony, spartacus

I read Chris Guillebeau’s post ‘Why People Hate Marketers‘ and it reminded me of this oldie, but goodie swishism. I totally recommend you read it… if you think your time is too scare to read it… you really need to read it. The links he provides to his ebooks are seriously juicy carrots. If everybody read stuff like this, our phrasing for signing-off would be more like “I’m gonna make myself… abundant now.”

Picture by Noel Zia Lee, Creative Commons License

swishism entry abundance, Art of Non Conformity, attitude, Chris Guillebeau, Marketers, scarcity

Thought this was an interesting one; the term ‘wild imagination’ is usually used in the negative sense to describe someone who is slightly delusional. “So and so has a  wild imagination’ . I wonder though, if wild is the right adjective. If imagination is what we use to coalesce what we percieve through our senses, then is it possible that ‘taming’ it is a more base enterprise than we… imagine?

Picture by ground.zero, Creative Commons license

swishism entry imagine, wild, wild imagination

This swishism can be prefixed with the sentence: “You know you’ve got it bad when you…”

It should also be taken as advice for artists when the idea, piece, concept, lyric you love knocks you back.

Redraft, it’ll probably come ’round.

swishism entry passion, romance, serenade

Say this to yourself like a coach would say it to a pro-athlete,  like Mick would have said it to Rock, after he fell off, turned soft and started doing commercials whilst sparring.

Or swap the fiery irish accent for a stirring Chicagoan admonition from the Commander-in-chief (see clip below).  Just stay hungry.

Inspired by Dan Pink’s post on hunger

swishism entry discipline, hunger, mentor-mentee

Procrastination is like a dance. At first its politely declined, but with both the glare of the ’spotlight’, and the desire not to make a scene growing stronger, she reluctantly accepts. It’s like a dance because the reluctant dancer always delays her footwork, always sheepishly out of step, still procrastinating in her own way, having never really left her chair by the dancefloor.

The first law of decision making, ‘more time doesn’t lead to better decsions’, seems to make a good case for home-girl either getting out there and tearing up the dance floor, or firmly telling the inviting party to jog on. The compromise robs her.

I’ve spent the day doing everything I’ve avoided for the past two weeks. Although I felt slightly robbed to begin with, I am happier for having danced the dance.

PS: I couldn’t find a picture of a smiling male bear and a frowing female bear, I figured why procrastinate and went with it.

Picture by Sabrina’s Stash, Creative Commons

swishism entry Add new tag, dance, procrastination, taking action

I’ve just been talking about the difference between creativity and artistry.

So why’s it so hard is a question I often ask God about artistry. I think there’s a number of reasons… I don’t know what they all are, of course–hence the question.

But difficulty, I think, is permitted for ‘valley-purposes’, brokeness and being broke, learning the sword (pen, brush, mic, guitar, whatever) , developing shadow-of-death cognition, learning to swallow sorrow, hard — perfect craft, to get really good.  I could go on, but I think  Homecut’s melancholic, head nodder ‘I don’t even know‘ hits the nail on the head, with stellar ‘been-there’ assurance and production.

Homecut - I Don’t Even Know Feat Corinne Bailey Rae & Soweto

But that’s not everything, just went the artist is ready to chuck to towel in, we all know she triumphs because of something greater than herself.  Her mountaintop vision is now a reality. Which is one more reason to love Homecut’s jubilant B-Side, this ones got wings!

Homecut - Not Far To Go

The album, No Freedom Without Sacrifice drops May 19

swishism entry artistry, corinne bailey rae, craft, hardship, homecut, hope, triumph

I’ve been considering the feedback Loop; a principle mentioned in Lupe Fiasco’s post yesterday about his song ‘The Instrumental’.

In short, it details an “individual [who] constantly observes the box [tv or radio] under the faint pretext he will observe information that will instruct him on how to discontinue his obsession with the box.”

It made me think about RSS feeds and twitter and all the other streams we use to keep us ‘ahead of the curve’.

If the information sources are not good then Lupe has a point, but
the idea he puts forward here presupposes that all information is useless and the observer is doomed to some recursive prison of futility.

The takeaway for me was
1) Always evaluate the source.
2) Don’t stop hoping.  The feedback loop works in positive and negative directions.  Take compound interest for example, or imagine if Edmond Dantès, prisoner in the classic, The Count of Monte Cristo had given up on escaping the Chateau d’If because there was ‘no hope’ in observation; the book would have had a different title.

Picture by ?o??ƒx™ , Creative Commons

swishism entry feedback, hope, observation, outlook

You never forget a good teacher. The more edifying the teacher, the more frequently you remember them as you get older and credit them for being the zanny, non-conformist, dead-poet-society types they we’re…

Anyhow I stepped out the house this morning, walked through the garden square and saw this poem being stencilled on the floor by artist, Samantha Mitchell.

‘If‘ is no ordinary poem for me; it was read to me at aged 10, by a great teacher. He made the class memorize it, and it’s essence has remained embedded since. The sands of time have gathered, trials have unfurled their relentless waves, but it’s imprint has never left. It is happily mine.

swishism entry dream, if, impressions, possibility