The Writers Coin

Here is another great post by Trent over at The Simple Dollar.

It’s an old post that he just re-linked to as he talks about following your dreams.

Anyway, the former post is about turning off your TV and how it can be a great first step in getting things done and achieving your goals.

And I agree. It’s just so difficult for us to do it.

For the past two to three years I’ve thought about throwing my television out the window, seeing it smash against the concrete, and creating a new start for myself.

And this is before having cable (relax, I get it for free).

When I was 23 I went to Paris and stayed in a cramped apartment (it was a friend’s) in the Bastille area. I had very little space, tons of books, and no television.

I had one thing on my schedule every day: French classes from 9–1 every day. After that I could do whatever I wanted. Usually I walked around different parts of Paris that I had never gone to, wandered into churches and read/wrote, took pictures, or came back to my apartment and sat in a chair.

The beautiful thing about the arrangement (in terms of this cramped apartment) was that there was no TV. The temptation was out of the equation. It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

All I did when I was in my apartment was read, sleep, and write. I would literally read for two hours, nap for one, then wake up and—seeing I had nothing else to do but read or write—I would continue reading. Or I would write.

It sounds simple, and maybe it was, but looking back it was the most productive, fun, happy, and “writerly” time of my life.

If a TV would have been in there it wouldn’t have happened.

Now I just have to get enough willpower together to live that way and make my lifestyle creative instead of just living in creative spurts.

Here’s the thing that makes me uncomfortable about interviews: I don’t have enough time to get the real me out there.

Maybe that sounds strange but every time I go on an interview I sit there wondering, “What is this person thinking about me right now?” And inevitable the answer is “He/she probably thinks I’m a passive, yes-man, suck-up with a boring personality.”

You see, I’m a funny guy (you’ll have to trust me on this since there nothing funny on the blog so far, I don’t think—more on this later) but it takes time for me to come out with it. People that have gotten to know me look back on the first impression I’ve made on them (particularly at my job, so maybe it’s a work-related issue) and they can’t believe they thought I was quiet and respectful.

But so I want to make sure that I get that across in an interview, which is tough because I have to accelerate the whole process without being fake or artificial.

What’s the answer? Not trying so hard? Not caring?

Any ideas out there?

PS – As I get more and more settled with this new blog I’m sure I’ll get more and more comfortable with the readership and the “humor” will start to come out. Otherwise I’ll just have to start in on the sex jokes.

This past weekend I went to see this play called The Sparrow.

It was awful but I had an incredible time.

Huh?

It had been a while since I had seen a play or even gone to the movie theater and I had forgotten the buzz I get by being immersed in such a creative environment. I was also lucky enough to spot one of the writers of the play sitting a few rows in front of me.

I watched him closely thinking “this guy must feel like a king right now, sitting there with his friends and watching what he wrote come to life. Lucky bastard.”

In order to be creative, you need to be in a creative state of mind, and that’s what the play put me in. It wasn’t a very entertaining story and the acting was spotty, but it didn’t matter: here was something he wrote and I was there watching it.

Creativity is a beautiful thing, no matter how much it sucks. Don’t forget to take advantage of every creative immersion you can—it doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad because it’ll be good for you.

It’s easier and more motivating to think of budgeting and saving as a series of problems that can be solved if you put a little thought into it.

For me, I have a few things that could prevent me from making my budget every week:

Problem: Books I love books. I also love to read, but having books around and getting more is something I really like to splurge on. I tell myself that I shouldn’t buy any more books until I finish reading the ones I already have, but it doesn’t work all the time.
Solution: Get a library card. You get all the books you want for free. If they don’t have it they can get it for you from another library, so you really can’t lose.

Problem: Movies. I love to watch movies. Problem is, going to the movies is getting more and more expensive. Ten bucks plus a drink and you are in the hole pretty good if you go consistently.
Solution: Find other options. There are local options if you just look.
- Here in Chicago there are places like Time Out Chicago that give away tickets to movies before they even come out, you just have to enter and stay on top of your email to get in.
- Join the Five Buck Club. After a movie has played for two weeks, you can go see it for just five dollars. That’s half price—a great deal. Again, over time, it adds up.
- Join Netflix. It’s a great “stay at home” option and, if you watch movies relatively consistently, it pays off. Plus the selection is incredible.

The key is to find solutions to your own particular problems. And don’t worry, you’ll never overcome them all. No one is perfect.

Do you have any problem-solving stories you are proud of?