1 easy way to lose

Do not fear the days when things come easy.

It’s tempting to worry that because something is going smoothly, because it feels easy and there is a distinct lack of resistance, because the work is, dare you say, fun – that it is somehow lacking. 

It must be sub-par. 

Our lightness of spirit today is a sign that we are doing something wrong, that we are not taking things seriously enough, that we need to get stuck in some mud in order for this to be worthwhile.

But a hard day does not guarantee work that we are proud of.

The meaningful thing is that the work has been done. We got through that hard day.

Days which fly by, where you enjoy the work, the company, the process, also don’t guarantee work we are proud of, but neither do they indicate that it will be work that we are not.

The meaningful thing, again, is that the work has been done.

You have been tempted at times to believe that in order to make something worthwhile you must suffer. And you have acted accordingly. 

You forgot The Creative Process:

• This is Awesome

• This is Tricky

• This is Shit

• I am Shit

• This Might be OK

• This is Awesome

And you forgot that 1/3 of it is:

“This is Awesome”.

The hard work has led us to the point where we can now enjoy it.

And it would be a mistake not to.

Testing Testing

I’ve been experimenting with an Experiment Journal.

For about 6 years now, I have kept an experiment journal for my auditions. Every audition I’ll try something new - a new technique, different mindset, point of focus, things like that.

Next week I thought I would do the same but dealing with work, life and happiness stuff.

The idea is the same:

• try something new

• see if it helps with what I am trying to achieve

• discard if it doesn’t

• build on it if it does.

In fact, I’ve already started.

The letter you just read was an experiment.
I was trying a something new to help keep me as honest as possible (and not try to be clever, profound or any other adjective my ego wants you to think i am) and I had an idea:

I’ll write the newsletter I needed to hear a week ago.

I’ll report back on my results in full next week.
But I am finding them already surprising.

Do you ever conduct experiments on yourself, or write letters to you, for other people?
Let me know and this time I’ll send you a personalised drawing of whatever I want.

Your’s till next week,

Alex