I just completed another draft of a feature script. I really like doing multiple drafts with reading space in between, because each new version is usually an improvement on the last. I find the process similar to the way I paint (in multiple thin washes). It takes a while to build up the color and each wash builds depth.
Read MoreAfter a busy September filled with writing and research, October finds me feeling fit as a fiddle and loving the change of season. In spite of the fact that the sun seems to disappear in an instant (how is it suddenly dark by 5!), I love the Autumn. The layers, the leaves, the melancholy....it's all part of the 'back to school' vibe I can never quite shake even though my school days are long behind me.
Read MoreFreelancers are aware of the challenges they face in managing time, and most of us acknowledge that time is a valuable resource. Despite this, time is often squandered. Perhaps this is because time feels amorphous and can be difficult to quantify.
Read MoreI've been pretty 'creative' my whole life and have turned my hand to a variety of art forms. As a teenager, I was a competent musician, I have been dancing, drawing and painting since childhood, and I've enjoyed writing on and off since college. I've also been cavalier in my approach and tend to drop and pick up media depending on my mood. However, throughout my years of creative practice there have been two constants: I remain curious and I enjoy practice.
Read MoreA friend of mine is an engineer. Let's call him Sam. Somewhere in the bowels of Sam's current work place, is on old steam engine. Obviously, this steam engine is pretty heavy, it is not made of feathers and it is not easy to move. I know, because Sam tried. He pushed it with all the force he could muster but...no movement. Then, one day, Sam decided to lean against the train for a while and...lo and behold...it began to roll.
Read MoreI just finished reading 'Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less' by Greg McKeown. I actually bought this book by accident. I thought it was going to be about the philosophical concept (that, for any specific entity, there is a set of attributes which are necessary to its identity and function)... but it turned out to be a book about managing your work load, your life, your ambitions, your time and your identity.
Read MoreLately, I've been thinking a lot about motivation. Not surprising, given that I have an occupation that requires a great deal of the stuff. As most free-lancers know, motivation is a slippery old fish. When working from home, procrastination often rears its ugly head. The lure of the snooze button is a constant, and planning, shopping and cooking always seem to eat into a large portion of the day.
Read MoreThere's a baseball statistic called BABIP, or, Batting Average on Balls In Play, that measures how often a batter reaches base on balls that he hits into the field of play. A good batter who hits a lot of line drives may be a perennial all-star, but if his line drives keep rocketing straight to where fielders happen to be waiting, he can look like a minor-leaguer for months on end.
Read MoreI've been reading a book called 'The Optimism Bias' by Tali Sharot. In a nutshell, the premise of the book is that people tend to have a cognitive bias towards optimism, and that this bias has been naturally selected for because it helps us to get things done, to move forward, to procreate.
Read MoreWhen life throws you a serious curve ball that’s impossible to hit, and you have little or no control over external circumstances; sometimes HOPE is the only option.
Read MoreWhen the body performs a movement, the muscles and the brain send messages to each other, forming a neural feedback loop that will be reactivated the next time this movement occurs. Sometimes, this loop can be interrupted or malformed through injury or bad habits, resulting in injury or muscular atrophy. Lately, I've also been wondering whether some of these feedback loops are actually sub-optimally formed during early development.
Read MorePeople who work in physical professions are aware of the importance of muscle balance in performance. Ideally, each muscle works at an appropriate intensity in a state of equilibrium with other muscles. The spine is perfectly aligned, ligaments and tendons are neither too short nor too long. Similarly, the goal of self actualization
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