Training is fun. It's hard work that leads to something tangible. It takes time and teaches you patience. Training is also something that used to scare me due to ego and the lack of confidence in myself.
Experiment, as I now have the confidence to embrace the work and not the ending that never came fast enough. Experiment: Document my life more than I am comfortable in ways that share my vulnerability.Side note: I googled documentary to find a good picture and most of what came up were photos of suffering children, exotic animals and various displays of war. There was also the one I found which I picked because I thought it would disturb you more if you knew me (hint: imagine me as the woman! You're welcome!)
I'd thought about doing this before in the more popular way: posting my records, before and after pictures and so on. I still might do that. However, I think it's more interesting (for me, at least) to post and discuss the emotional aspect of it. Over the next few months/year, I am putting myself through a few things that I've always wanted to do.
1. Physical training - Crossfit, yoga and a little break dancing. I once was an athlete. I'm in fairly good shape. I want to be an athlete again.
2. Learning a craft - Blacksmithing. I do a great many things, but I wouldn't say I have a physical craft. I used to draw but stopped because of self esteem issues and a dick of a room mate who would insult everyone we knew in incessant, passive aggressive ways. I've had a dork level obsession about blacksmiths for as long as I can remember. Thanks to the fine folks at Trackers PDX (http://trackerspdx.com/), I can now live out this fantasy. Woot.
3. Profession - Writer. Many people have said the same thing, but I like how Ze Frank puts it:
"If you want to do something, then you should be doing it. If you want to write, then you should be writing..."
So I will. I have never treated my passions as jobs on purpose. I've always just fallen into them. I've experienced a moderate level of success this way, but I often wonder how things would be if I had poured myself into it and dedicated time in the way that you do a day job. Now, through the magic of actually doing stuff (trademark), we shall see how it goes.
Rules about the sharing:
1. No lying! - I can't lie anyhow, so this isn't a problem. But to be more specific: If I think it (within a small margin of reason) I have to share it.
Example: Yesterday's workout nearly made me throw up. It was only the second time I've come that close due to exercise. The other was sled push day. It made me feel weak for about thirty minutes to the point that I recalled being bullied on the playground as kid. I could now kick their ass. High road.
2. Pictures or it Didn't Happen - Pretty self explanatory. A picture is worth exactly 1000 words. So it saves me about thirty minutes of work. Also they're prettier.
Example: To the right and left. Right - Me pulling a sled that weighs 310lbs American. Left - The workout we did yesterday. Skin the cats is a gymnastic move. GHD is a fancy position that translates to "Hold this bar like this while you dangle out over nothing and push the bar like that, bitch!" ETOM means every minute on the minute. It was hard.3. No fear...which I guess is essentially no lying. But with the added mark of trying new things. I'll be afraid, but will have to push forward.
No more rules. They're all very similar anyhow.
Side note: I'm drinking a protein shake with chia inside. I imagine the texture is similar to giving a happy ending to Jabba the Hut.
And now a moment to talk about being a creative professional.
Treat it like a job, they say. They're right.
Think about the amount of time the average person spends on their day job (average 9 hours including a lunch break). Imagine spending that time five days a week on what you want to do creatively. You'd be a professional in months, not years. Months.
This is harder if what you're doing is physically demanding, but don't forget the study side of things. Those 8 hours (losing an hour due to no lunch. Take a lunch. It saves life.), should include learning the finer points of your passion. Learn the history. Learn the sister activities of your passion. Learn how it equates to the real world and really think about how it makes you feel and what you're getting out of it.
Treat it like a job. Simple. Time consuming. Just like everything else that matters.
Treat it like a job.
If you made it this far, here is a picture of me celebrating America:
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