Direction and Focus
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Hello all once again in Snowball-Land where we don’t need a government bailout.
Things are moving into place lately in my life that are not only life changing, but possibly career changing. I have always had a passion for being creative, and working in media. I know that is my long-term goal, but situations have changed that I didn’t expect. I originally thought this was a bad thing, however with the help of a really good friend, I have learned to take what I thought was a bad thing, and turn it into a good thing.
I know I’m being super vague about all this, and I’m doing it on purpose. Some more will be explained soon, but for now I just needed to get an idea out there that I’ve been learning alot about.
Direction and focus.
The trouble with being creative is that you have all these ideas and creative projects that you start, but somewhere down the line, you either loose focus, or you have another idea that is much better and you move towards that. I will admit, I have had this problem many times. I can’t help it. it’s not that I don’t want to finish what I started, it’s just I have so many creative passions, that sometimes it’s hard to choose one direction and focus in on it.
It is hard. I’m beiong completely honest.
I have had focus on long-term, but sometimes my short term goals change so rapidly that I can’t seem to focus on what I wanted to do in the first place. It’s like you see a loved one across a large crowd that is moving in one direction, and you must go through that crowd to reach the other side. The current wants you to move one way while you struggle to fight it to go across. The crowd is the creative mind at work, it’s flowing in a general direction, but not exactly where you want it to go. As well each individual person is an idea you have that wants to draw you away from you goal. What you need to do is fight the crowd and focus on that goal to get you out of that crowd. Because then you can take a look at your ideas that are moving and see where they can go. You have, in a way, a view from where the crowd started to where it’s finished and you can tell what is something you should lead into next, or just let the idea move along.
Now I’m not saying to abandon all your creative ideas. You can save them for later, it just doesn’t work exactly with the analogy I described.
What is holding you back creatively in your life? What is your longterm goal and what are you trying to do to focus on getting to that goal?
Let me know your thoughts.
As always, I remain, obediently yours.
Steve
About The Author
Steve Saylor
Steve Saylor is currently the Web Content Editor at Blackburn Radio in Wingham Ontario for CKNX AM920, 101.7 The ONE and 94.5 The BULL. Steve is a New Media Specialist and has worked in this field since Spring of 2005. He is a self-published author, a techie and a geek. To read more about Steve, click HERE
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Steve, hmmmm – we have talked about this a bit at length huh. Let me see if I can bring another perspective. The Creative mind is the engine in the car that drives you. That crowd flowing against you is a lack of “intentions”
Yea, we might call it focus, but being focused on one thing for the creative mind is boring. As a creative mind myself, I have t be multi-tasking and challenging myself everyday. So what am I saying here.
Have “Good Intentions” Set your intentions on a piece of paper. How do you want to feel? Happy….Exhilarated.
What do you want to have?? Money…Job…Work For Yourself?
What Feels Right???
Answer these questions. Ask yourself a ton more questions. The answers are all there buried in your massive, creative Albino brain. Let your intentions steer you. If your creative mind says to watch YouTube videos all night or play on facebook, ask your intentions if that is in line.
Reward yourself EVERY time you reach a goal! EVERY Time! It can be as simple as a day off or a stint at the sushi bar. So Steve, I ask you this. When you reach this goal that you are so illusive about. What will you do? How will you celebrate? Will you share it with us?
I think the biggest problem holding me back can be summed up into one vaulger statement: I AM FUCKING ALONE! It is sooooooo hard to start a project when you really have no one around in terms of support. I love my friends but they can be real assholes on skipping dates and their amount of apathy.
I have tried to start a lot of things and most of them have failed but at least I’m young and will be prepared for the future.
Thank you for summing-up my life. I appreciate the insight and advice. I plan to try to use this to make improvements. Thank you again.
@Keith you are so right on this. Honestly, I have been struggling creatively in my personal life mainly because I’ve been putting my creativity into my school work, which technically is what I should be doing. I love what Wil Wheaton says in his blog, it’s tough to blog and write (fiction, articles, etc.) because your creative mind is in a different space altogether, and sometimes the two can’t co-mingle.
Actually, when you mention reward yourself after doing something creative, I decided to go out and see a movie. Technically I should be spending money elsewhere, but I deserved it!
@Todd, I feel fro you man, if I didn’t have my partner in crime Shane Shennan (yonderman.com) or my “Alfred” Keith Burtis, I don’t know what I would do. It is tough to do something creatively and not have someone to share ideas with. My suggestion, take a look online for something creative in your area, try to seek out those people that’s local to you. That may or may not be possible, but it’s worth a shot. Then again we all live in an online space anyway, find someone online that you can connect with creatively and who knows what could happen.
Wow, that almost sounded like dating advice. LOL
@Jack – Anytime my friend, that’s what I’m here for. To let my thoughts out there and to hopefully inspire those to do something creative.
Thanks again guys!