A Phil Svitek Podcast - A Series From Your 360 Creative Coach

This past week, my friend Jaimi Alexander (@JaimiAlexander) and I were both tried and tested... separately. We discuss what happened and how we managed to overcome those life hurdles and still keep upbeat. FYI—recording this episode was part of being tried and tested as roofers were doing the loudest construction throughout, which I wasn't aware of until 7am the morning of when they showed up... on MLK day. Don't worry, we talk about that too. For more of Jaimi's content, check out her YT page at http://youtube.com/user/jaimialexander. And for more of my lessons/tips/etc subscribe/follow on social media @PhilSvitek.

My friend Jaimi Alexander and I were recording some content and it happened to be Martin Luther King Day — so we thought why not sit down and discuss what this day means for us and where things stand today. We discuss many topics but mostly the idea of tolerance and equality. There’s many nuances but we believe it is possible to achieve if people look for the commonalities rather than differences. We also talk about the idea that sometimes you have to fight and when it’s appropriate to do so. And… so MUCH more. All within a 10 minute conversation! So check it out and please, please, PLEAZ leave a comment with your thoughts. MLK was a special person with an incredible legacy and by continuing to talk about him, we continue not only his legacy but his dream which can become our reality. (PS: Follow @JaimiAlexander on social media and check out her YT page https://www.youtube.com/user/JaimiAlexander).

Recently, a lot of people I know have suffered the loss of a family member. It’s never easy. I’ve gone through it several times and the pain is equally as hard now as it was the first time. But there’s a poem by Henry Scott-Holland that I revisit that helps me, which I now share with my friends. Perhaps it can give you the same solace as it brings me. And please feel free to share with anyone you know:

Death is nothing at all.

It does not count.

I have only slipped away into the next room.

Nothing has happened.

Everything remains exactly as it was.

I am I, and you are you,

and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.

Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.

Call me by the old familiar name.

Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.

Put no difference into your tone.

Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.

Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.

Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.

Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.

Life means all that it ever meant.

It is the same as it ever was.

There is absolute and unbroken continuity.

What is this death but a negligible accident?

Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?

I am but waiting for you, for an interval,

somewhere very near,

just round the corner.

All is well.

Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.

One brief moment and all will be as it was before.

How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

I feel like we're all told how small the world/the entertainment industry is. Over the course of my life, I've learned this to be incredibly true, which is why I appreciate that early on, my mentor Keven Undergaro taught me to be gracious in victory. We all have ups and downs. But when we're young and we get a victory, especially when it's in spite of someone else, we brag and boast. Doing this is short lived. It'll come back to haunt you. Be gracious in victory because otherwise you'll be truly humbled in defeat. We all need each other. Let me know if you agree or if you have examples from your own life. 

I don't care what specific art form you're into—poetry, writing, singing, etc... you should learn to take better photos. Why? Because doing so will force you to pause and take stock of the world around you. You'll see things from a new point of view. You'll be able to describe everything better. This only helps you in any creative endeavor because all art is about understanding the world around us better and being able to discern some life lesson or universal truth from it. So whether it's through YouTube how-to videos, Instagram photos or TikTok lessons, find out tricks to take cool photos and get out there and do it!  Go and do it and hit me up on social media (@PhilSvitek) with the results! Feel free to ask me any questions or offer some of your thoughts.

A lot of artists are getting into fan supported monetization—whether it's through YouTube's superchat, Patreon, Streamlabs, Paypal, etc. And this is good... to a degree. And it works for some people and not for others. What I was most curious about in all this was when someone like Tim Ferriss FAILED at launching a fan supported model. What I love about it is that he's honest and he let his fans know he failed. Plus, he published reasons why he failed (https://tim.blog/2019/07/11/why-im-stopping-the-fan-supported-podcast-experiment/). This article got me thinking of when it's right to utilize a fan supported model and when it's not. And while I don't necessarily come to too many conclusions I think it's a needed conversation for all creatives and I'd love to have it with you so please, feel free to offer your two cents as well, whether in the comment section on hit me up on social media @PhilSvitek. And for more free resources, tips, etc, visit my website: http://philsvitek.com.

Parkinson’s Law, not to be confused with Parkinson’s Disease, is a powerful principal when applied properly to your life. It states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion". So even though you think you always need more time to complete projects or tasks, you actually don’t! Isn’t that crazy? Join me for this lesson as I deep dive this phenomenal and give you practical ways to truly harness it for yourself. Thanks for tuning in and may this insight help you move forward with your projects faster/more effectively.

WEB LINK:

https://philsvitek.com/whats-parkinsons-law-and-ways-to-harness-it-for-yourself

SELECTED LINKS FROM EPISODE:

Master Mental Fortitude Course Book: http://mastermentalfortitude.com

In talking with my friends about resolutions, I discovered there’s three ways of looking at it—with each tier more effective than the other. Even though I used New Year’s resolutions as a jumping off point, this advice can be applied towards any goal setting. So please use it and be more effective at achieving your goals! Feel free to ask me any questions or offer some of your thoughts. And for more free resources from your 360 creative coach, check out my website at http://philsvitek.com. 

Thanks to my friend Matt D'Andria, I had a chance to see Adam Carolla's new  documentary called Shelby American, which is about the life of Carroll Shelby. FYI this doc is available on Netflix, so you can check it out there. If you've seen Ford v Ferrari then you have some context. But the doc goes well beyond just that time frame. It chronicles his childhood, racing life, car building life, home life and even his chili contest ventures. And as I watched it I learned some very important lessons. In addition to talking about Shelby, I highlight finishing an assembly cut of my movie and what the next steps are as well as how anonymity has its benefits. If there’s anything you’d like me to discuss or answer for you in the future, let me know and I’ll be glad to do so.  

Here's a tip to any filmmaker out there on how to film scenes much faster—which will save you time and money while still getting you the performances you want/need. It's a trick I've been using for a long time and it works. PS: Robert Rodriguez does this too. Feel free to ask my any questions or offer some of your thoughts. And for more free resources from your 360 creative coach, check out my website at http://philsvitek.com.