Getting Work To Work

Do you have a creative dream but aren’t sure it’s the right time or even how to do the work? Inspired by a talk in 2017 at Creative Mornings Portland, today’s guest started dreaming of a creative life built upon her interests, and four years later, she launched her YouTube channel, Kristina Land. Kristina Martin is a YouTube content creator, and in this conversation, she shares how getting sick during the pandemic led to watching a lot of YouTube and figuring out all she had to do to create her own show reviewing dolls and toys. We talk about seeing herself in new ways, embracing the technical aspects of production and editing, strategically planning reviews to coincide with film launches, and why she wouldn’t travel back in time to give herself advice. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, I’m Kristina’s husband; we are recording at our kitchen table, and Cosmo the Wonder Pug makes a lot of noise throughout the episode.

• Kristina Land

I’ve thought a lot about influences throughout my life. From the guitarists who shaped my playing to the early playground that was the World Wide Web, I have been shaped by independent thinkers who find their own way through the world. And yet, I wrestle with what I want to do, need to do, should do, could do, you get the idea. Fortunately, and sarcastically, social media finds a way to mainline information that influences me to find answers in a 60-second video. I shake my head and move along, but the questions remain: Who are your influences? How do they influence you? And are you letting the right ones in? It’s one thing to be influenced in what you do and how you do it, but what happens when you let the wrong people control who you are? That is the foundational question of this episode.

1. Lead with compassion

• Fred Rogers interview with Charlie Rose 1994

My favorite conversations are often with people working in unrelated fields, looking at the world in profound ways, and exploring deep questions. Today’s guest is Carl Safina, a writer, professor, and founding president of the Safina Center. Endlessly curious about life, animals, and the relationships between living and non-living systems, Carl shares how he views the world and how we can see the hidden worlds beyond our everyday experiences. In this conversation, we talk about his writing process, how being a jazz drummer brings a sense of rhythm to his writing, the creative nature of science, and the importance of listening. Most importantly, he shares why telling stories—specifically of values, connection, and relationships—is fundamental to our survival and becoming aware of the infinite value of animals and the earth around us.

• Carl Safina

Last week, I talked about building and curating a library of ideas. Today, I want to talk about a part of ideation that can be frustrating: Letting ideas evolve from one form or medium to another. Earlier in my career, I demanded precision: every idea must become what it was meant to be. A logo, documentary, photo series, blog post, no room for evolution, why? Because my identity was firmly tied to what I did. I wanted to be known for the end product. So, I obsessed over the initial idea to ensure it would result in perfection, which created many problems along the creative journey. I wouldn’t start ideas, half-finished projects littered my thoughts and drives, and what I did finish wasn’t even close to my intentions. Turns out this is normal.

1. What is the idea?

• Notion

When I first saw the title, You Can Be The Best, I was simultaneously skeptical and curious. Somewhere along my journey, I stopped thinking that being the best was possible. Fortunately, there are thinkers, authors, and mentors like today’s guest, John Ply, who can help you see yourself in new ways and help you know that you can be your best. John is the author of You Can Be the Best: Life Lessons from the Butcher and the Businessman and in this conversation, he shares wisdom learned from his entrepreneurial and life journey and his father’s journey from Poland to America. We discuss the road map for being your best, why we settle for less, internal versus external goals, the difference between effort and results, and how he replenishes energy through mentorship. Sprinkled throughout are stories of resilience, passion, and golf.

• You Can Be the Best: Life Lessons from the Butcher and the Businessman by John Ply

Yesterday, I was the subject of a Q&A at a local college, and somebody asked a form of this question: What happens when an idea doesn’t show up? I talked about journaling and checking in with myself to see what I’m thinking about and wrestling with, but I failed to share the creative power of curating a library. Yes, I love the public library. I go there when money is tight or if I want to read a book I’m unsure if I want to buy. But over the years, I’ve been collecting books, films, and art, curating my own personal library of ideas. Sometimes, all it takes is staring at the shelves, and an idea or a collection of ideas based on the item that captured my attention shows up. While it is possible to build a digital library, I’m focusing on a physical library, an actual place where you can find solace and escape from the urgent needs of the day.

1. Books

• The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide Part One: Making The Extreme No-Budget Film (1st Edition) by Kelley Baker

If you’ve enjoyed my conversations with gough of BeernutsProductions.com, you might recognize today’s guest as someone I often talk about because his acting and characters make me laugh. That’s right, people, it’s Al Gibson, actor, musician, and Australian purveyor of creative wisdom and insight. From his curiosity about how things work and taking things apart to copying people’s voices to make sense of the world, Al talks about his approach to acting and creativity. He also touches on the importance of having a diverse career path, learning to take compliments, overcoming adversity, and learning how to get out of his own way and out of his comfort zone.

• Al Gibson on Instagram

The social media posts are telling about this time of year: content producers are planning and pausing. There’s nothing wrong with approaching creativity from a time-based perspective. We shove everything we touch into an economic calendar for better or worse. Seeing how hard big businesses are promoting their sales, all one can say is, “’tis the season.” But what I’m discovering is that creativity transcends the clock and calendar. Instead, it’s the deep and cyclical work of emptying yourself of everything you are and refilling your mind and spirit with who you will become. The endless cycle of creativity might reset every week, month, or year, but that is less important than the work you will do and what will fill you up.

• Midjourney prompt for episode art: infinite cycle of creativity –ar 16:9

How much time do you spend thinking about the biggest questions we face as a species? On top of that, how prepared are you for the massive disruption technology will bring to our lives and work in the coming years and decades? How are you learning to control your thinking and regulate your emotions? My guest is Ed Hess, professor and author of Own Your Work Journey! The Path to Meaningful Work and Happiness in the Age of Smart Technology and Radical Change, and he brings the tools and experience to help us find our way forward. Ed shares why we need to come together and make meaning for all. He also talks about the importance of mindful meditation, managing your thinking, controlling your emotions, and the role learning, relearning, and unlearning will play in our future. If you are frightened to head out into the unknown, unsure of what you will discover, find comfort in the stories of people like Ed, who built a life and body of work around the ability to say yes to opportunities, admit what they don’t know, and come back with the truth.

• Ed Hess

It’s that time of year when content creators are taking a moment to pause, reflect, and plan for next year. It could be looking at the themes you want to cover for the coming year, new project ideas, or people you want to interview. You may want to address that one sticking point in your process to increase flow from start to finish. No matter what it is, I hope you enjoy the planning process and consider the addition of a few areas to reflect upon, such as enjoyment, depth, increased authenticity, and worrying less about what other people think of you. I feel that 2024 will be a noisy year from start to finish, with a lot of drama—real and manufactured—so the more you can be in touch with your voice at the beginning, the better off you’ll be as the year unfolds.

1. What is your level of enjoyment in the production of your projects?

• Rise of the Youpreneur: The Definitive Guide to Becoming the Go-To Leader in Your Industry and Building a Future-Proof Business by Chris Ducker