Creativity Threads Life w/ Mr Benja

Are you failing enough? Because if you’re not, then you might not be learning enough. Get good with failing. In fact… learn to love it.

Marvel’s Echo is in an interesting position where it needs to create a satisfactory re-introduction to the more grounded “Netflix Marvel” shows that it will apparently be building off of in the future. At only five episodes, and with a largely unheard of character, did it do it’s job? 

-- Short answer. I think it did.

We've been thinking about goals in a very inappropriate way. First of all, we think that goals are resolutions. And then we think that we have to follow them to the letter and not adjust as we go about our path. If something truly isn't working, trash it.

Dr Martin Luther King Junior was a creative on a grand scale. He was able to enact the most difficult type of change that any of us know of: large scale positive social change.

Journaling is so powerful that it shamed me into being a better person. I had journaling on my mind this New Years, but when I decided to look back to hear from my past self? I was shocked.

Hear my discussions on journalism and how it can help your creative practice.

This is a freestyle session. I didn't come with a particular topic in mind. Just flowing. We've got some plans for 2024 and you might get some insight on why I am doing this podcast in this way.

SMART Goals are often…dumb. They don’t apply to a lot of cases, and frustrate a lot of creative types. In case you’ve forgotten, here’s how they’re structured.

S - Specific, M - Measurable, A - Actionable, R - Realistic, T - Timely

The problems come from the fact that these criteria came from corporate logic and don't often apply to individuals. Situations change and change quickly for us. But the way SMART goals are touted, you'll end up thinking they're all you need to survive.

Relatable?

I don't feel I explained this well, but the mindset we have around delaying gratification is problematic. It seems like it would make sense, but isn't often your best choice. Denying your drive without being okay with the moment can cause you resent your waking moments and keep chasing waterfalls. You can keep doing the exact same work with a much better framing.

Back in the 60s, The infamous Stanford Marshmallow Experiment had a few problems with it. Nevertheless, it changed the perception that being able to delay gratification meant you would be a success. What the research now tells us is that there could be a variety of reasons why someone succeeds, and it isn't necessarily tied to willpower or your ability to "delay gratification". There are far too many other factors to be included.

My suggestion?
Live for the future, while you're living in the moment, with respect to the past.

https://www.creativitythreadslife.com

This podcast was created by Mr Benja.

You can find more about him at his website:

https://mrbenja.com

You DO NOT need a rigid plan to create. In fact, a lot of creatives get tripped up when plans are too rigid. So what do you do? Adjust your way of seeing things.

Everyone likes to say, "You're fine just the way you arrrreeee!" But are you really? You've got to be careful with the people that say phrases like this to you, because oftentimes, they're not concerned with you creating a better world for yourself.