I’m 42 years old, and I am no spring chicken anymore. In fact, I’m all kinds of injured from some of the physical stresses I put on my body. Getting old sucks, and the idea that I may be outside my prime does trickle into my head occasionally, but then an amazing thing happens—people thank me for helping them.

I’ve told others, and myself, that age is just a number, but I’m not sure if I meant it as a way to encourage, or a way to blind myself to the realities of time not being on my side. Middle Aged is a weird phrase to use when talking about yourself. I remember middle-aged people when I was young, and they were “old”. Now I’m one of them, but I don’t feel as old as I remember them being.

I don’t know how mid-life crisis thoughts actually happen, but if I fashioned a guess, they start with a constant questioning of your status in life. I’ve achieved a lot; a great family, a wonderful son, a home I can call my own, but have I created my legacy? Not yet.

No Time Like Now

I heard the most astounding thing today about Zig Ziglar. If you’re not familiar with him, first climb out from under that rock, now to to Ziglar.com and check out what a truly amazing legacy Ziglar made for himself. He is one of the most often quoted inspirational entrepreneurs of recent memory, and he authored more than a dozen best selling books on a variety of business subjects. The astounding fact, you ask?

Ziglar didn’t publish his first book at 49.

If you know Ziglar, like me, you probably assumed he was producing greatness from a much younger age. We assume when someone is mature in age, and highly successful, they must have been doing it all their lives. In reality, Ziglar had only done it half his life.

Dave Ramsey, Doctor Phil McGraw, Sir Richard Branson; all of these men may have had good things happen to them earlier in their life, but their real legacy started after 40. Why is it so hard to imagine that your best years are ahead of you if you start making them happen today.

I’m 42 and I published my first book this year. It’s not a best seller and it won’t be the best thing I’ve ever written, but I got Zig Ziglar beat by 7 years, and I’m only getting started.

Sorry for the disclaimer, but I want to make sure we all get off on the right footing here. The last thing I want is to do damage when I’m trying to help. Now on with the show.

I Used to be a Fat, Lazy Bastard

Yes, it’s true, On January 1st of 2012, I had tipped the scale at around 275 lbs. It was pathetic; I felt like crap, looked like crap and my health and well being was on the verge of becoming a really big problem.

January 2nd, 2012, I started on a regimen to get back into some sort of shape. It’s been a hard fought battle, with both success and dramatic backsliding, but as of this moment, I am down 50 lbs and I’ve put on a decent amount of muscle.

I still have much to lose still, and it’s never easy, but anything worth doing never is easy, is it? That’s why I got myself into the mess in the first place. I was lazy and comfortable and I let go of any responsibility I had to my own diet.

My number one reason for getting back on my diet and exercise program was for my son. At nearly 3 years old, he’s running around like crazy and if I was still in the same condition, I probably couldn’t keep up with him. I want to be the kind of dad that can run and play any time.

I also want to be fit and strong to show him how important health is to our lives. Childhood obesity is a huge problem, not to mention sedentary lifestyles of most kids these days. I do not want him in that category, and the best way to discourage it is to lead by example.

The Unintentional Side Effects of Discipline

The most amazing thing happens when you choose to be healthier; you actually get better at other stuff. Since I started working out and eating better, I’ve noticed my energy level rise dramatically. That’s a no brainer, but what I didn’t expect was the sense of being more energized mentally. I feel like my brain is in hyperactive mode when I’m working on projects now. It’s an amazing rush that can only be witnessed first hand.

My attitude is also much better than in the past. In 2011, I was a total shut-in, didn’t want to go out, didn’t want to talk to people anymore than necessary. I was a self-imposed introvert and it was really starting to bother me.

Today, I’m a lot more gregarious than before. I’m doing meetups whenever I can, mixing it up with complete strangers. I’m helping others with their business needs much more than before, and it all feels really good.

Also, I’m so intensely productive, it’s almost a problem because I’m handling way more stuff at once than I ever was before. I’m juggling projects like mad, which could be a bad thing, but in comparison to a year ago, it’s mind-blowing all the things I’m getting done.

All this from a little exercise and a shift in my eating.

What Exactly Did I Change

This is where things get a little sticky, so please take what I say and then do your own assessment. A lot of what I’ve done over the past 16 months is more body hacking true regimen. I’ve tried different things over different periods of time until I find what works best.

When I first started, I cut out all red meat from my diet. I still ate chicken and turkey, but no beef, pork or lamb. I also went more natural, whole food and cut out as much processed crap as possible; a lot more fruits and vegetables. I cut out white flour and white rice, replacing them with whole wheat and brown rice.

For exercise, I started with walking 30 minutes a day. I eventually ended up running, but it was really tearing up my knees, so I backed off on that and went back to brisk walks 3 to 4 times a week.

Eventually, I plateaued with my weight loss. I thought it had something to do with my exercise program, so I upped my game. I signed up for a gym membership and started hitting the iron.

After reading some new reports and books on different diet types, I switched things up quite radically with my food intake, moving more to a low-carb/high protein diet. I brought back the red meat, but tried to keep it to only grass fed, farm raised beef and some organic bacon. I still eat vegetables, but have been limiting my fruits in order to keep my carb count low. I also cut out all grains whenever possible, especially wheat in all forms.

Finally, I do some intermittent fasting, where I don’t start eating each day until 10am at the earliest, sometimes later. As crazy as it sounds, it helps quite a bit, and the more I read, I’m finding out that there are many myths we consider to be truisms, like eating a healthy breakfast to start your day.

Again, this is just my approach to what I’m finding works for my body. I encourage you to do your own research, but here are a few resources that I’ve been using for reference

Carb Nite Solution – My food regimen—low carb/high protein mixed with intermittent fasting and a “cheat day” to shake things up.

Wheat Belly - Renown doctor debunks the myths of wheat in the American diet and how it’s making us fat.

(Those are affiliate links, which means I get a small piece of the pie, but it doesn’t cost you anything extra, so if you feel like buying them based on my recommendation, then I am more than appreciative.)

I’m not trying to get in the habit of telling anyone how to live their life. As with anything I do, I merely show people a path, but it is your choice to walk that path or not. We’re all adults here, so get down with your bad self in any form you see fit.

That said, the world would really like you to be the best you possibly can be from now until the end of your days, so why not make strides to improve the quality of your life. I guarantee, you won’t regret it.

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So many artists I’ve met feel that the only way to be a true artist is to have their hands in every part of their work along the way. The only true artistic venture is one where your hands are filthy and worn from the process of producing, marketing, selling and delivering your art to the world. If you believe that, let me ask you a couple questions.

How many times do you think Andy Warhol stood in front of a screen printing press to pull his own prints?

Do you think Damien Hirst applied all those diamonds to “For the Love of God“ skull?

Does Takashi Murakami draw every single smiling flower produced under his name?

If you said yes to any of those questions, please slap yourself in the face for being ignorant. It’s absurd to think any of those three artists, or many of their contemporaries, had more than a pinky’s worth of involvement in the actual production of their art.

The True Artistic Venture is in the Executed Idea.

Click that to tweet it while you let that percolate for a bit. The real art is not in how you put the pen to paper, or paint to canvas, or hand to clay; that’s technique. Sure, some people have more skill in processing the technique than others, but that can be learned, or in the case of the artists above, outsourced. Your ideas alone are not art either. They are merely ideas, and if you fail to act on them, they are worthless trash. What is the value of an unused, unheeded idea? None!

True art is in the transference of an idea into something tangible. Everything else is manufacturing. So if we reduce the rest down to a manufacturing level, why can’t we have others help us with that aspect? If art is in the idea, and the rest is production, why do we, as the artists, need to have our hands in that aspect of the work? Let’s run some numbers for a moment.

For the sake of argument, let’s say that your hourly rate is $100 for any of the work you do for your business. If you’re a one person shop that believes you need to have your hands in every aspect, that’s $100 an hour for the art, the marketing, the social media, the emails, the packing and shipping, and any other menial task that people making $100 a hour should NOT be doing.

What if you hired someone for $20 an hour to help you sort through some of these tasks, like packing and shipping, or answering customer service questions via email, or any number of other tasks that are not the creative, artistic aspects of your business. It’s fair to say that at least 75% of your day is filled with these menial tasks, so if that employee is doing them, your cost for a 12 hour day is now $480 (3 hrs x $100 + 9 hrs. x $20).

Of course, you didn’t only work three hours, and make your employee work nine, but instead of you spending those nine hours working on menial tasks, you spent them doing creative, artistic work; the work that is worth $100 an hour. Andy, Damien and Takashi understood this and used it to their advantage. Why can’t you?

Why the hell are you driving all over town to pick up all your materials?

Why are you packing those boxes?

Why are you stuck to your small-time thought processes that will only cause you to work harder in the long term, potentially killing your motivation for why you do this in the first place?

The less time you spend doing the creative aspects of your work, the less joy you’re getting out of your business. Eventually that lack of joy is going to murder your motivation.  Stop kidding yourself about the need to have your hands in everything because you feel “inauthentic” to your customers. They do not care, and if they do care, then they obviously deluded about what it takes to do the work.

You are not less of an artist if  someone else pulls the screen on your t-shirts, or prints your greeting cards, or paints gesso on your canvas. If you don’t outsource some of your work for fear of being inauthentic, that’s not being an artist; that’s just dumb.

Your Time is Precious—Treat it as Such.

Now that I’ve beat you up a bit, I want you to go be good to yourself. Find one aspect of your daily work life that you can hand the reins over to someone else while you do the work that’s important.

Start with one thing and see where that takes you. Then when you’re comfortable, give them something else to do, but don’t watch over them. Encourage them to come to you if they have questions, but leave them alone to it. Now go work on the things that really matter, the expensive things, the joyful things.

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I contemplated skipping this week’s postings because I figured I could get away with one week of no posting and you all would probably be ok with it. Then I remembered the last time I tried this tactic; one week turned into two, and then three and eventually I went 4 months without posting anything. We can’t have that happen again.

The overwhelm was so heavy, I didn’t even know what I was going to write about, but I resolved that I would just write and see what happens. And so here we are.

One of coaching clients sent me a note this weekend to tell me she was going out of town for the holiday weekend. Her family takes this same trip every year, a long weekend out of town to visit family for Easter, and it’s a problem for her.

“Previous years this trip has always been a downfall for me. I go and get in ‘vacation mode’ and struggle to get back on track when I’m back. I could really use a game plan to put into place before I go so I can avoid this if you have any ideas.”

I’m using this blog as a platform to answer her request and share that advice with you at the same time. So, my friend, when you feel  an overwhelming need to do not, do it anyway. By all means, go on vacation, enjoy the time with your family, but when you get home, get back to work. The reasons you have for not getting back to work are total crap, and I’m sure you knew I was going to say that.

Be honest with yourself, the slacking off is an opportunity to back out of something that scares you, am I right? Do as Jon Acuff says, “Punch Fear in the Face.”

Yes, the work may be hard, and you’re venturing into uncomfortable territory, especially after having time off, but just like all the drones who go back to work on Monday after a weekend, you need to get back to work.

The answer to the problem is simple; do something, anything that gets your momentum up again. If you need to write, then write, even if it’s gibberish at first. If you need to do art, then draw something. We’re not shooting for perfection; just getting the blood in the brain pumping again.

Remember your goals? Those goals are a means to get you to where you want your life to be. Is the action (or inaction) you’re doing right now getting you to any of those goals? If the answer is no, then step it up.

No BS excuses. Get off your butt and go do work… unless of course the work requires you to sit down; then sit. Entrepreneurs don’t get what they want in business by resting on laurels. You are an entrepreneur, aren’t you? (the answer to that question is,”HELL YEAH!”)

I don’t want to come back here tomorrow and see that you haven’t achieved anything.

Your life is waiting. Go get to it.

In the middle of one of my coaching sessions, I stumbled across a concept I think is worth sharing with you all. My client and I were discussing how ideas become actions and how sometimes our heads tend to get in the way of our progress because we think ourselves right out of the idea.

It’s going to get a little messy after this, so if you have delicate sensibilities, it’s probably best to check out now. I don’t want anyone getting offended by a little tongue-in-cheek references. However, if you can handle a little wit with your wisdom, then let’s continue.

Motivation is a funny thing, as powerful as it is fleeting. One second you can be pumped up from a really great idea, and within a few moments, the luster has worn off and you’re already talking yourself out of it. From my experience, the best way to go from idea to action is a process of letting your mind take a breather while other parts take over. It’s about flow, from one part to another, a process I call: Head, Heart, Guts & Nuts

Head First

All your ideas are valid, but they may not be viable for you. We need to keep our noodles working in order to maintain a steady flow of creative ideas. The more ideas you even consider, the more creative you get with those ideas as you work.

Write everything down and compartmentalize the thoughts into  groups so that you can easily reach out to them later. I use Evernote for this, and it works wonders for all kinds of idea generation. The problem with having tons of ideas written down is filtering them later, but Evernote is pretty good with that too. If you haven’t guessed, I highly recommend Evernote.

Heart Felt

The mind is great for ideas, but it’s also notorious for buzz kill. Your brain will steal your thunder in a hot minute if you let it. Once you have an idea you believe is worthy, it’s important to get your head out of the way and start focusing on the emotion behind your idea. Your idea needs a soul, it needs life, and it gets that from your emotive side.

Take a second and dwell on the possible success of your idea, where you’ll be when the success hits; how will you feel in that moment? Or how will others feel when they get a glimpse of your idea? Imagine a better world because of your idea and hold onto that as further motivation for progress.

Gut Check

Your instinct has almost assuredly already kicked in here. Sometimes your gut instinct works in conjunction with your heart and/or your mind but occasionally  you need to really put it to some true test of intestinal fortitude.

Your idea might scare you. Others might tell you that it will never work, but dig deep into your instinct and try to glimpse what feels right. Sometimes you just know that something is going to work right. Other times you might get the feeling it’s not a worthy effort. You may not want to listen to your gut instinct every time, but if you’re like me, more times than not, your gut is right about things more than your head.

Grow a Pair

None of this idea generation is worth a damn if you’re not willing to put it all on the line and act on that idea. Some ideas are scary as hell, and will test your will, so you need to step up or shut up.

Having the nuts to act on an idea is an exhilarating experience. Do it once and you’ll crave that buzz again and again, testing your strength more each time. Also, don’t think for one second that this is a solely male experience; women can enjoy the feeling just as much. Of course they can’t grab their own pair in triumph once they conquer their idea, but a ceremonious clutching wouldn’t be out of the question, ladies.

The Process in Action

It’s easy to talk about this process, but not always easy to do. Here are a couple examples of how I put this process into action on my own ideas, starting with the plan to write a new book.

• Head – I have an idea to write a new book about Etsy, but with a straight-forward, no BS approach.
• Heart – I’m passionate about Etsy, on many levels, so it makes sense I would write about it and share stories with others.
• Guts – I have a lot of book ideas, but internally, this feels like the one I should be writing first
• Nuts – Got to put the plan into action. I started writing yesterday, and I will continue writing a little every day until it’s done.

A more relatable idea I had was this blog post. The idea came to me, but I wasn’t sure if I should post it.

• Head – As I mentioned, the idea for this post came to me while helping a client. When people heard the phrase, they laughed in amusement.
• Heart – The process, even before the catchy name, is something I’ve done for awhile and I am certain it is a key to my success
• Guts – Writing this post here was questionable, but something told me inside that said this was going to be a very worthwhile idea.
• Nuts – Proof is in the pudding.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, the point of this post is to share this process so you an implement it as well, but also to get my ideas formulated for what I think will be a much bigger picture later on. I can’t really expand on that just yet, but as soon as I get a better handling on the concept, I’ll let you know what plays out for the future.

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Given the title of the post just before this one, I should probably have titled this one “The Scariest Post I’ve Ever Written”.

I woke up this morning, at 4am, from a vivid and traumatic dream.My wife had gotten me a face to face interview for a job with her company. As we drove to the interview, I realized I wasn’t dressed appropriately. This wasn’t the cliché “being in class in your underwater” situation.

Instead of a suit, I was wearing a t-shirt, shorts and a ball-cap. I turned to my wife just as we were about to enter the interview and said, “I guess I should have worn a suit”.

She looked me up and down and said, “Uh, yeah”, and wasn’t too happy with my clothing choice. Since she vouched for me, her reputation was on the line and here I was about to tarnish that, but we’ll talk more on that subject in a minute.

Then I woke up, or maybe I should say that my eyes were opened.

The title of this post were the first words in my head when I woke; I am unemployable. I no longer have the capacity to go out and look for jobs. I already have a day job with a large media conglomerate, but it doesn’t appeal to me any longer. My only goal is to move myself out of my corporate confines and into the entrepreneurial venture I’ve been planning for far too long.

The risk I take even writing this post is enough to warrant me getting Dooced the next time I step in the office. Do I plan on quitting my day job? No, not just yet. Until this venture takes flight, I will do my due diligence at the place that pays my wage; I owe them that much at the very least. However, the corporate job does not afford me the security I need for a viable future.

Corporate jobs in this economy are no longer safe. They are as unsafe an insecure, if not more so, as working toward an entrepreneurial future. Sure, the medical benefits are nice, and the job does afford a certain lifestyle, but it no longer fuels me with what I need. I’ll do the job until it’s done, and do it well.

The future is now and I’m taking bold action.

Starting this weekend and on through the week, I’ll be making some big changes to this site, transforming it from the misdirected mess it has been in the past to the new hub of my new business.

With nearly 2 decades of experience in marketing, design and branding, I’ll be offering my coaching and consulting services to creative solopreneurs and small businesses in order to give knowledge, experience and empowerment to help them take their business to the next level.

Even as I start this, I’ve already got my first client, a young artist out of Colorado who I connected with on Twitter years ago. She recently shouted out to me a desperate plea to help her get through a creative blockage and motivational slump. Because I was planning on starting this business this month, the timing couldn’t have been better, so I took her on as my first client. In exchange for my insight, she’s willingly allowed herself to be a guinea pig for my teachings, giving feedback about how she feels on everything we work through.

If anyone else would like to discuss how I can help you with your own business, please get in touch with me today so we can discuss your future. Email me: dc [at] daveconrey.com.

A little thanks and gratitude is in order.

None of this would be possible without the one woman who means the most in this world. My lovely wife, Leslie, is the rock in my world. She’s an inspiration, both in her spirit and in her professionalism. She’s an awesome mother to our little boy and because she knows I need it occasionally, she makes me feel like the king of the castle.

All my creativity and entrepreneurial spirit comes from my mother. Hustling as a single mother and business owner, she had a rough life when I was young, and I take that for granted all too often. I wouldn’t be the man I am without her.

Some of my brothers and sisters in arms who have helped me get to this place. Kathleen Connor, Jeanette Fanning, Adam Luedicke, Ameena Falchetto, Luis Cortez, Jeremy Ritchie.

There are plenty more that need attention, but I don’t want to ramble. Thank you all for all the love and support. I couldn’t do it without you.

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Ok, maybe not the most important post ever, but definitely the most important business post I’ve ever written. Sit back for awhile, get a drink maybe; this is going to be a long one.

To those who know me well, it’s no secret that I try to do too many things at once, or rather, I take on projects and bog myself down with them before I’m fully invested. Anyone who has followed my comings and goings over the past few years will tell you I am doing WAY too much. The truth is, I’m not doing too much; I’m not doing enough toward any one project, of which there are many. In short, I am unfocused; that is my own self discovered analysis.

So it shouldn’t be of any surprise or consequence when I tell you that I have a new project I’ve started, but before you roll your eyes allow me to give a little backstory.

I work with paper. It’s the core material in just about any piece of art or design I have created over the past 15+ years. It’s safe to say that paper and print work is the center of my professional universe. However, that universe steadily moving more toward a digital black hole with each passing day… or is it? I have conversations almost daily with people about how digital design is the future and I need to get with the program, but those same people are also the ones talking about how an ipad will never replace the tactile aspect of reading books or magazines, and they are right. Digital is a reality, but I would never be so bold to say that print is dead. In fact, it is my opinion that print is thriving, just not in the ways we may be accustomed.

Due in some part to those digital aspects of our world, paper is actually flourishing. Because of marketplaces like Etsy, ImageKind, and eBay, artists and designers have a way to get their art or design projects into the hands of people they never would have imagined before. Web resources like Lulu and Magcloud are giving would-be publishers a voice in print publishing regardless of available space on the local newsstand. A new rise of “hip” art and craft shows are popping up in every major city showcasing the works of local artists, and giving them a whole host of new customers, from neighbors to tourists.

The massively large head of the traditional print world might be moving toward digital because the economics of doing business are making it inevitable, but the tail portion is surviving. More and more of my friends who work with paper goods are quitting their “day job” and going full time. It’s inspiring to me and I believe it needs to be celebrated. This is where my new project comes into play.

One thing I’ve learned about myself recently; I’m a facilitator—a pimp for my friends and their wares. I love sharing cool stuff with others, and I love seeing someone get a little more popular or successful in part through my efforts. That makes me happy and I want more of it. If I combine that facilitation with my passion for paper goods, the result is Fresh Rag, where design, art and paper come together.

At the moment, Fresh Rag is a blog only, but I have plans, big plans for awesome things. Before I get to those awesome things, I want to make Fresh Rag the go-to joint for all things paper related. I wish Fresh Rag to be the Design*Sponge or Cool Hunting of paper goods, but then go the next level. I want to hold events and have a marketplace and maybe even a community unto itself. Sure, its a lofty goal, but I believe there is value in it and I’m pushing forward head on.

“But Dave, you already have so many other things on your plate”

Yes, I do, which is something I plan on rectifying immediately. From this point forward, I am simplifying. My priorities family first, then Fresh Rag and everything else comes after that when and if I have time. I’m putting on my networking hat and strapping on my boots and I’m ready to go out and kill it in the name of paper.

Forget what you know about what I’ve done. Fresh Rag is what I am from here on out. Want to help or have me showcase some of your cool paper things, hit me up: dave[at]freshrag[dot]com. Bring your friends—we’ll make it a party.

The only things I know about Steve Jobs are what I’ve read in articles or see in his keynote speeches. I’ve never met the man, never even seen him in public, but he is still one of the most influential people in my life. As the thought of a world without Jobs sinks in, I’m struck with some pretty heavy emotions, strange to feel deep sadness for a person I would likely never have met in my life. It doesn’t take away from the idea that Steve Jobs has done more for me personally than my own father—that isn’t anywhere close to an exaggeration.

I was exposed to Apple computers at a very young age, my grandfather being one of the early adopters, owning more than a couple Apple IIe machines. Back then, I was lucky enough to play simple games like Pong or Zork. Even though I didn’t buy my own Apple for decades later, the mystique of the Apple was firmly ingrained in me.

In 1996, I went back to school to study graphic design, beginning my reintroduction to Apple products. Back then, the company was in a bit of turmoil. By the time I finished school and started my first job as a designer, there was a strong chance Apple might fail. Even as Jobs assumed control as CEO again, nobody thought he’d succeed in turning the company around. Even I was certain Apple was doomed and I was destined to spend the rest of my design career in front of a Windows machine (shuddering thought).

When the eMacs came out, my boss bought one. It wasn’t ideal for design work, but it made a hell of an office machine. We used it as a scan station and a print center. He managed his business on that little, aqua-marine box and life was good. Shortly after that, when I was teaching a class on design at a local tech school, I saw my first iPod first hand. One of the students had a crowd surrounding her, sharing the details of the new device with everyone in the room. Right then I had a feeling this device would change things forever, but no one could have predicted the extreme level of impact brought on by the little, white brick.

Over the last dozen years or so, largely because of Jobs and Apple, I’ve embraced the idea that design could change lives, change the world. The iPod wasn’t the first MP3 player on the market, nor was it the best or the cheapest, but it definitely outsold everything else because of one simple idea—Make it pretty. Jobs may have been tough to work for, may have been the worst task-master in the working world, but he produced results and both his employees and his customers loved him for it. He embraced simplicity and design over everything else and those ideals turned a drowning company into the largest tech organization on the planet. I would never want to be the tyrant Jobs was at times, but I definitely have as much idealism about design as he; if only I could be as innovative.

Design permeates my life. It’s not uncommon for me to pick apart every day items based solely on their design flaws. I’m sure my family and friends are tired of me breaking down typography errors in every logo, billboard or advertisement I come across, but I soldier on despite their chagrin because maybe, just maybe, I might be able to shed some light on why design is important in our daily lives. Maybe the future generations will realize that utilitarian objects need not be ugly.

Without Steve Jobs, I would not be this way. I would not look at everyday objects from this critical eye. I would not be enraptured with the technology products that surround both me both at work and at home. Without Steve Jobs, I might not have become a graphic artist at all. Without Steve Jobs, I would likely be some slag in a dead end job, hating every moment of my existence. I am grateful for the life that Steve Jobs’ help provide for me.

“There may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.” – Barrack Obama

#5 – My Day Job

I complain about this job a lot because of the direction the upper management is taking the company. I do not feel any kind of security there because any one of us can be axed at the drop of a hat, making every payday very tense since that’s when pink slips are generally handed out.

Being in magazine publishing, business isn’t good. Books are dying off all the time and if you’ve been to a newsstand lately, not many are filling the empty holes. The mags that remain are having their pages cut regularly, advertisers are bailing for greener pastures in social media and online advertising, and it’s making for extremely tight budgets. Our editorial staff has been cut and my editor is asked to do more with less every month. It’s not a fun situation to be in.

On the other hand, why would I complain about a job that allows me to dress in t-shirts and shorts every day, gives me a flexible enough schedule to get home to hang out with my family and pays me to use my creativity on a daily basis? I’m not highly paid, probably marginal compared to a lot of art directors, maybe higher than some at my company, but I have good benefits and lots of vacation time and I have a whole bunch of really cool people I get to hang out with. I also have a boss that is by far the best boss I’ve ever had. He doesn’t micro manage, gives guidance when needed and backs up his team when their pushed into a corner. Answering directly to a Senior VP has its privileges.

Yes, the job can get mundane at times, doing the same thing month in and month out, but the long and short of the story is I get paid decent to use my right brain often. Compared to a lot of people in corporate America, my job is golden.

#4 – My Friends & Family

This is one of those no-brainer items. Of course my friends and family are on the list. Without them, I’m a pretty uninteresting person, really. I combined the two groups here because many of my friends are like family to me. In fact, a lot of my family members are less important to me than my group of close friends. I have some buddies I’ve known for 20+ years that I would jump in front of a bullet for, and some family members that I wouldn’t, but they all are responsible for partially making me who I am today.

I also married into one of the best possible families I could ever imagine. My wife’s family is gigantic, to say the least, and even the quirky ones (you know who you are) are good people and I get along with them very well. I’ve also gained a lot of deep respect and admiration for the Japanese culture through them.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t bring up my mom here. She’s been the center of my universe from the beginning. When the man who would call himself my father decided to up and leave both of us stranded and destitute, my mom stepped up and did what she had to to make it, not an easy task at 20 years old. Most would assume she’d run back home, but my mom was determined to push through. She got help from family, and we suffered many slings and arrows together, most of which I never fully appreciated until later in life.

My mom and I don’t always see eye to eye, I can be a bit rough on her at times because of my lack of vision and clarity for situations, but it’s only because I want to lift her higher than she’s ever been before. I do this because I feel I owe it to her after all she’s done for me over the years. I’m blessed to have her in my life and I’m glad she’s got a real man in her life to do take care of her better than my “father” ever could.

#3 – My Creative Mind

Again, how awesome is it that I get to create art for a living. Sure, I’m not selling so many art prints right now that I can retire on the funds. Heck, I couldn’t pay my monthly food bill with what I sell right now, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that I have an almost endless amount of creativity at my disposal to make neat stuff. Even if I wasn’t selling anything, I would still be creating art. I’ve done it all my life and I will continue on for as long as my mind will allow.

I had a conversation recently with a friend who is an art sales dynamo. He confessed to me that recently, while setting up for an art and craft fair, he looked around at some of the old dudes in the other booths and wondered if that was his destiny. Would he be in his 60s and 70s still slogging away trying to hock his art and shows every weekend. When he brought it up, it didn’t sound very appealing at all. I thought about it some more afterward and I found the other side the story.

What if these old guys came out to these art fairs every weekend, not because they had to, but because it was what made them happiest? They get out of the house, interact with people they’ve never met and get to make a few bucks. Maybe they do need the money, but as I eluded to before, how bad of a job is that really? Would they rather be working at Walmart greeting people at the door? I doubt it.

#2 – My Wife

You know that line in the wedding vows where you repeat, “for better or worse”? My wife really took that to heart. She is the angel in my life, the rock beneath my feet and a constant source of love and support no matter what we go through. We balance each other well, taking the hard times as they come, and relishing in the good times with lots of laughter.

I often reflect back to the day we got married on a beautiful beach in Maui. I saw her walking with her sister up the path to where we waited, she almost moved in slow motion. Everyone gets jitters at that point, but I somehow knew I was making the best decision of my life right then. I’ve been asked by other friends who’s marriages aren’t going as well as they’d hoped; they ask if I would get married again if I could have a do-over. The answer is always yes. I’ve told more than one person over the course of our marriage that she definitely got the raw end of the deal, and I’m lucky to have such an awesome woman in my life.

#1 – My Son

Honestly, I was going back and forth on which person was the best thing in my life, my son or my wife. It wasn’t easy, but I finally decided to add the little guy to the top of the list because nothing in this world makes me feel more special than when he crawls up onto my lap, wraps his arms around me and lays his head on my shoulder.

His smile is infectious, his antics crack me up and his affection is electric. No matter how bad my day is, no matter how tough my commute or how tired I may be, nothing gets my spirits up more than one look into his smiling face. I know I’m in for a lot of trying times between now and when he finally leaves the nest, but I will always cherish the sweetness that he brings to our lives daily. I am a better man because of him.

What about you? What are some of your best things? Write ‘em down, share them with others.

At first when I thought of coming up with 10 things in my life that bring me happiness, I wondered if I could come up with enough mostly because 2011 has been a bit of a challenging year for my family. Then I realized I was thinking too big, as if every part of this list had to be epic, or even hugely substantial. Truth is, there are tiny things that make me happy that I take for granted on a fairly regular basis, and it’s about time they got some adequate credit for the smile on my face.

#10 – This Blog

Sometimes I dread having to write. It becomes a chore. Any of you who have blogs know exactly what I’m talking about. I write because I feel the need to keep it fresh and updated, not get stagnant and lose what few readers I actually have.

Sometimes the inspiration for what to write about just isn’t there. I’ll sit in front of the computer for a long time trying to post something that actually is worth sharing, and most of those times, I’m certain my readers are going to tell me to shut the hell up and start bringing the awesome instead of this drivel.

Other times though, this writing makes me smile. The catharsis of putting the proverbial pen to paper in order to extricate a creative synapse in the form of a blog post is one of the best feelings in the world, especially typing that last punctuation mark and hitting the publish button. I thought of tossing the blog out many times, but then I remember the good feelings that come with a published piece, and the responses I get, usually in commiseration, and it pushes me forward to the next potential post.

#9 – My Customers

I love buyers, and not just in the sense of receiving dollar bills in exchange for my art. I also love my buyers because I’ve made a connection to someone. They found my artwork appealing enough to either post up on their walls or share with a friend as a gift. We connected on some small level revolving around my creativity and their inspiration. Every time I see a note in my inbox telling me I made a sale I smile, and I’m sure the person on the other end of that transaction is smiling too. At least, that’s what I hope is happening.

#8 – My Sense of Humor

As lame and egocentric as this may sound, I laugh at my own jokes all the time. I make quips and puns on a regular basis with real folks or friends on my various social networks, and I laugh anytime I say something I think will potentially make them literally LOL. I seek out these opportunities quite often.

Sometimes people don’t get the joke, or they don’t quite appreciate my twisted sense of humor. I can’t win them all. If I ultimately have to explain my point of view, then I’ve obviously failed at my attempt at humor, but that doesn’t keep my from trying. Shun me if you will, but I’m still smiling and LMAO for real.

#7 – My Car

Yes, a material object brings me joy. My little VW is a blast to drive spiritedly and I love putting it into really tight and fast corners whenever possible. Even the way it feels when I’m driving on my daily commute makes me smile. It’s not the fastest, most luxurious or the most economical, but it’s 3,600 lbs. of pure, unadulterated joy.

It’s comfortable for being a small car, both in the front seats and the back (yes, it had plenty of leg room). It can also hold a tremendous amount of crap. When I did my last art shows, I was easily able to shove all my stuff into it with the seats folded down. The stereo sounds great as well as the exhaust note, and drives like a go-cart on a cloud, but the best part is the feeling of pushing the throttle down and having it explode past anyone around me. It’s not my dream car, but it’s pretty close.

#6 – My Dog

Come one, look at this face and try to keep from smiling. Can’t be done.

She’s a pain in my ass sometimes, but most of the time, she’s a smart and loving dog that loves my and my wife and tolerates the heavy handed petting of my son, who will eventually become her best friend, I’m sure.

Check back next time for the #5 through #1.