Blog Archives

Less is more

3/17/2015

Well, less can also be less sometimes.
Sometimes more is just right
And other times, just right means doing a little less
Unless we stop worrying about “how much” vs “how little”

And instead, start thinking about depth more than width
Quality more than quantity
Richness of flavor more than portion size.

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Face it. Embrace it.

3/16/2015

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Remember your first time on a big roller coaster? I’ll never forget mine.
For years, I came up with any excuse I could to keep from even getting in line at Six Flags.
“I’m not feeling good.”
“I’m tired.”
“These rides are boring.”
Eventually though, whether through peer pressure or the forcive will of my parents, I found myself strapped into a seat wondering, “What have I gotten myself into?”

Normally, when you read blog posts like this, the author goes on about how the ride wasn’t as bad as they imagined. They realized that the fear was all in their head, and now, not only do they love roller coasters, but they design them for a living. This may have been the experience of other writers, but not this one.

When the ride was over, I was terrified, near tears, and more than slightly sick to my stomach. Walking through the exit, I felt as though I’d dodged certain death. My fear hadn’t magically disappeared. It was still very, very present. So what did I do?

I got right back in line.

I rode the Raging Bull 13 times that day, and every single time, I was scared. I felt queezy and unsure. Never once was it easy, but every time, the fear got a little quieter. The little voice in head telling me I was going to die grew more and more unsure with each successful loop and turn.

I have published 2 books, 85 YouTube videos, and over 500 blog posts, and every single time, I have been scared. Every time I hit “publish”, I feel a bit queezy and unsure. Never once has it been easy, but every time, the fear gets a little quieter. The little voice in my head saying, “your writing is stupid”, or “no one cares what you have to say”, that voice sounds more and more unsure with each post.

Why did I ride Raging Bull 13 times that first day? For the same reason I started blogging consistently, because the only way to rob the fear of it’s power is to face it over and over and over again. The more consistently we embrace uneasiness and face the fear, the more we come to realize the fear is just full of hot air. It’s threats are empty. It’s game is weak.

Face it. Embrace it.

In an effort to increase the rate at which I rob fear of its power in my own life, I will be increasing my number of blog posts from three to five times a week (Monday-Friday). You can subscribe here if you’re interested in going on this journey with me. I appreciate you all.

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Write every day

3/13/2015

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I used to only write when I needed to publish something, only when I had a deadline.
Then I realized something.
This is not creating.
This is reacting.

Write everyday.
Write things you don't publish.
Write things you can't publish.
This is the only way to ever write anything you would or can publish.

The deadline is important, but it isn’t going anywhere.
Publishing is important, but you’ll have to publish eventually, especially if you have a deadline.
Writing isn’t about any of that though.
As Amy Poehler discovered, “Writing is about writing.”
Or whatever your art is.

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The world's most famous indie actor

3/11/2015

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Every spring, senior actors and musical theatre majors from the country’s top BFA college programs make their way to New York City for their talent showcases. These young stars-to-be train four years in preparation for one week’s worth of performances and meetings in which they hope to achieve one thing: sign with an agent (or manager).

Bill Murray has starred in over 60 films. From Caddyshack and Ghostbusters, to Lost in Translation and Groundhog Day, Murray has been nominated for over 50 major acting awards including 5 Golden Globes, and 1 Oscar. His career has defied categorization, and his ability to make us laugh and cry, sometimes simultaneously, has placed him in the category of iconic actors in his generation.

Here’s something interesting though: Bill Murray doesn’t have an agent. Bill Murray has never had an agent. Want Bill to be in your movie? Call his 800 number. He’ll get back to you in he’s interested.

Now, agents are not bad. Agents can be great. I have an agent. I love my agent!

The point is, there is no “one size fits all” formula for becoming an actor.
Or becoming anything else for that matter.

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Notice. Make. Share.

3/8/2015

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Notice
We’re not so happy when something catches our eye. We thrash and squirm like a sea bass until we get our eye back.

We can’t stand our curiosity being peaked. We immediately turn down the volume for fear of adding actual dynamics to our life’s orchestra.

We simply can’t have these distractions. We have to get to work, hit the gym, or rush to catch the next train. We have so many things to do.

The problem is, the more things you have to do, the less stuff you have time to make.

Stop.
Dare to notice.
Allow your eye to be caught, and even reeled in. Surrender to the uncertainty of what could be.
Have a curiosity that peaks and valleys and flows everywhere in between, composing a symphony of possibility.

Only from this place can we begin to simultaneously see things as they are and also as they could be.

Make
To follow. To brainstorm. To plan. To manage. To-do list. To play it safe. To copy. To trace.
This is not making.

To make is to lead.
To create.
To work.
To act.
To explore.
To risk.
To engage with the uncomfortable action of crafting something personal and on purpose.

Share
When you were a child, one of the first values you learned was, “Share your toys.”
“Share with your brother.”
“Sharing is caring.”

When you were a child, you no doubt had some resistance to this principle. We’re scared to share, because something inside us equates sharing with losing.

It’s true, if I share my toy, then the toy is no longer mine. That doesn’t mean that it’s solely theirs though. Sharing actually means that what’s being shared is now ours. There is a deeper, more communal aspect to to sharing that says, “This was mine, but I want you to have it too. Let’s use it together.”

Sharing does not mean giving it away for free.
“Free” is for a cheap product.
A “free” sample is really just a snack on the way to the thing you’re actually interested in.
“Free” is worth as much as it costs.
Nothing.

Sharing implies a gift.
A gift has real value, both for the giver and the receiver.
And we all know that the best gifts are ones that can be used together.
This is what happens when we generously share what we have made.

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When life gives you lemons...

3/4/2015

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Say, "Thank you for the lemons."
There are so many in this world who have not been given access to the ingredients needed to make something as delicious as lemonade.

Life gave you something.
What an incredible gift.
What an amazing opportunity.
Use it.
Say, "Thank you," and use it.

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I Don't Have An Answer

3/3/2015

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Is it better to be the best in the world at one thing, or to do several things really well?
Is it possible to do both?
What are the pros and cons of each one?

That's it. I don't have an answer.
I want to know what you think.

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The Origin Story of Going Viral

3/2/2015

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The word “virus” was a notoriously negative term for thousands of years. The world of medicine has fought it’s fair share of viral battles from the black plague to HIV, West Nile, and now Ebola. The rise of the internet brought the rise of the “web virus”. Remember when we used to buy those external McAfee CDs to upload security software to our desktops for protection? Today, there is more hacking going on than ever before, but we don’t buy CD software anymore. Most of our devices don’t even have a disk drive. Our computers, tablets, and smart phones update their own security software from within.

In the last ten years tough, the term virus, or more specifically “viral”, has found a completely new identity for itself. While it still has a negative connotation in some circles, attach it to the word video, and not only does the word become positive, but something we want to consume and even create. Viral videos are an obsession in our culture today, and I believe will be one of the defining characteristics of Generations Y and Z. Now, thanks to the power of the internet and video sharing platforms like YouTube, Reddit, and even Facebook, Instagram and Vine, it is not uncommon for a viral video to bring in a larger audience in one day than the biggest blockbuster of the year does during it’s entire run in theaters.

I’ve had a small, small taste of viral success in my time online. Who You Are: A Message to All Women went from 10,000 to over 1 million views in just 4 months. This was amazing, and really fun to watch because, let’s face it, stuff like that just doesn’t happen everyday and I truly believe in the message the video spreads. But Who You Are is nothing compared to some of the true giants of internet virality.

In case you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last ten years, here are some recent statistics on viral videos…

The Viral Hall Of Fame

The Sneezing Baby Panda made it’s YouTube debut in 2006, and has since been viewed 216 million times. Hard to believe that next year will be the baby’s tenth birthday!

The Evolution of Dance currently clocks in just shy of 300 million views and will also celebrate it’s tenth anniversary next year. Maybe it’s time to add the Cupid Shuffle and the Duggie for part two.

Baby Panda and the dancing fool in the Orange Crush t-shirt are small potatoes when compared to everyone’s favorite British babies though. Charlie Bit My Finger has 812 million hits since 2007. Looks like will be funding Charlie and his brother’s college education.

All these videos are at least seven years old though which, in the age of the internet, makes them ancient relics. Today, videos can gain traction even faster. The Kony 2012 video by Invisible Children received just shy of 40 million in it’s first 24 hours online. The 30 minute documentary reached over 100 million by the end of its first week. In comparison, David After Dentist, which is considered the prince of the viral video era, took 349 days, nearly a year, to garner it’s first 100 million views. Clearly, the virus is getting more and more powerful.

Videos are not the only things that go viral. When Instagram for Android was released in April of 2012, it recieved over one million downloads in the first day. Combined, Instagram and Vine received over 50 million download in their first 18 months of existence.

The internet has also allowed for ideas and causes to be catapulted into the national spotlight. 2014 saw the rise of The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos. Facebook released statistics showing the use of the term “Ice Bucket Challenge” on their site rising from less than 100k to more than 28 million uses in just 6 weeks. The top ten most popular IBC videos, featuring the likes of Justin Bieber, JayZ, Selena Gomez, and the cast of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon garnered a combined 50 million hits across all social media platforms.*

We live in a world where the opportunity to spread a message, or a sneezing panda, has been given to almost anyone on the planet. It has never been easier to say what you want to say to the world, and therefore to make the change you want to make.

But is this idea of “going viral” really all that new?

The Original Viral Message

In the first century, there was a man from the middle east who had twelve followers. This man never authored a book, never led an army, never ran for public office, and never spoke to a crowd larger than a few thousand. He never owned a home or an office building, but traveled around inside of an area with less square mileage than the state of Nebraska. Then suddenly, just three years into spreading his message, he was killed.

The followers that he left to carry on the message were unschooled fisherman and tax collectors with no experience starting a movement. They lived under one of the most oppressive and powerful governments in the history of the world. 10 of his 12 followers were all killed within 50 years of his death. Number 11 was banished to an island for life, and number 12 took his own life.

All things considered, the message of Jesus should have died along with him long ago. And yet…

And yet today, the book that contains the written accounts of his life is the number one best selling book of all time.

Every year, the majority of the world’s work force takes time off to mark his birthday. In fact, the most used calendar in our world today is dated in relation his death.

Every Sunday, nearly one third of the world’s population gathers to proclaim and praise his name. We’ve been talking about videos with hundreds of millions of views, but how about 2.9 billion followers?

We give the internet a lot of credit for giving us the power the make our message heard. There is no denying the internet is a great tool, but I cannot give it all the credit, because God has been making things go viral for thousands of years.

Science and technology are not the enemy of God, nor are their discoveries a way of disproving that He exists.
God’s been harnessing the power of a world wide web for centuries; we’re just catching up.

*I don’t even want to know how many hits that mystical white and gold dress got last week. (It was black and blue to me, by the way)

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