Just.....Do it.
Nothing Even Matters....until it does again.
Last week, I spent all day speaking at a University. I first spoke to a class answering questions about about what I do in the film industry, how I got my start, and what it’s like working as a freelancer.
Later that evening, my Producing Partners and I spoke for about 2+ hours to a group called Women In Animation. We discussed Career Preparedness in the creative world and what they should or shouldn’t do to get their careers going.
While this was all happening, my phone kept going off with notifications about Liberation Day and the nation (and the world’s reactions) and how the stock market will respond in the morning.
Everything I told them had an asterisk. And that asterisk, I kept saying to them, was:
*Well, as of today…
Well…as of today, you can work as a freelancer in the film industry and be able to get affordable health insurance and a 401k, because we have unions that handle our 401ks and Health Insurance.
Well…as of today, since all the animation jobs are basically in Canada, you can apply for them and try to get a work visa.
Well…as of today, there is enough work out there for everyone to eat well.
…as of today…as of today…as of today…
It was nonstop. I couldn’t lie to them and I needed to remind them that changes are coming, we want to stop them, but if not, what I’m telling you as of today might not mean much tomorrow. And regardless of all of this, we still have to keep on living.
And creating.
Which leads me to this…
…just do the thing.
Whatever it is. You’re gonna suck at it at first, but that’s okay. That’s how you learn how you need to do things rather than how things have always had to happen. That’s how you learn what you like in the process or what you don’t like and make adjustments. That’s how you learn if you want to do it more than you want to be amazing at it.
Take, for instance, me and pottery. Man. We battle. I have a good first 20 minutes and then try to get my shape on and BOOM.
But, I keep coming back.
Other things you should / could / outta do (in no particular order):
Write that book. Who cares if you find a publisher? Get that story outta your head. (This is more for me than you. I’ve also started two different books (stop judging) and keep coming back to them. I’mma finish them one day.)
Write poetry. Post it anywhere. Even here! Those who like it will find you. And the more you do it, the more you’ll find your voice and rhythm. (April is National Poetry Month — so this is the perfect time tbh)
Go on that trip. Like seriously. There is no guarantee we’ll be allowed to go in places the longer this shit keeps going. So…go. See. Feel. Taste. See how the world is outside of our bubble. But let me know where you go. I need to reup on some of my favorite things.
Get healthy (if it’s on your list). Notice I didn’t say lose weight. Life here is gonna get…weird. Healthcare and insurance are at the top of the things that are gonna get weird. Help yourself by putting you and your health first. Your body is the only one you get in this life. Love it like it loves you.
Say No. If you don’t want to…say no. Moments and your time are precious. Don’t waste them.
But also: Say Yes. Do things that excite and scare you. Trust me on this one. The rewards are mountainous sometimes.
Don’t argue with idiots. Save your precious time. They won’t hear you anyway.
That thing on your to-do list that’s been on your to-do list for weeks/months? Do it now. It’ll take you 5 minutes.
Go touch grass, sit/stand still for a bit, put that phone down for 30 minutes, and just….be.
Communicate with those you love and who love you back. And say I love you often.
Do not get back with your EX. (Friend, Hookup, Situation, Spouse, Lover, etc It ended for a reason.)
Attempt to make that thing you always wanted to but have been afraid to. (Mine is learning how to make dumplings.)
Find a therapist. (If you need one/ready for one) Be thoughtful in who you choose — it’s not a one-size-fits-all thing. And if you don’t need a therapist, find a version of therapy that works for you. Running used to be that for me.
Do it alone if you have to. Don’t wait for anyone to make one of your dreams come true.
Capture moments, but don’t only capture moments. Live in the present, but snap a pic of it to remember later.
Do not save good things for only special occasions. Which also means, don’t wait to try that fancy restaurant and save it for a special occasion. Being alive is a special occasion. I personally love having champagne for no reason.
Perfection is the killer of creativity. Stop it.
Join that club. Who cares if you know anyone? You will meet someone. Who cares if you end up liking it or not? You can stop going. But at least you tried.
Say I’m sorry and I love you quickly, fully, and do not lie about it. Why are you holding that stuff in? Tell them.
Create your sanctuary. If it can be your whole house, great. Room? Dope. A reading nook? Project desk? Anything. You deserve a space that is just yours that immediately brings you peace. Peace is necessary for creativity. And desire, tbh. You won’t always feel peace, but when you do….
Move. Have had your eye on that new apartment, neighborhood, region, city, state…. if you can, why haven’t you? Try it out? Do it for the plot. You can always come back home.
Don’t start or end your day on social media. Period.
And finally, Just……fucking do it. Who cares. They might not even see it. But someone can see you do it and that can inspire them to then do their thing. You’ll never know who is watching you (not in a scary way) or see what you attempted years later. For example. My Dad writes poetry. Has written poetry since he was a teenager. He never told us — he just did it. I discovered his notebook one day in the computer room (remember those?!) before I was a teenager. It blew my MIND. It changed not just how I saw my Dad — it showed me that, regardless of where it CAN go, I should just do it…at least…try it. And that discovery (the notebook) opened so many doors in my life. Letting me see what I was allowed to try, as a young Black creative kid.
I also got my love my music from my Dad. If my Dad can put pen to paper, express his feelings in the middle of nowhere where NC deep in the middle of Jim Crow and Segregation and still talk about love and life, anger and confusion….Then I can try anything.1 And so can you. Will it be amazing in its first draft? Nope. But if it’s worth it, and you love it, you can keep shaping it until it is. But you won’t know if it’s worth it until you try it. (Sorry babes).
These are just my suggestions. Not everything I mentioned is for everyone, but for those it is for, do it, darling. Just…do it. Life is short and weird. Have fun, but don’t hurt anyone.™
As for me? I have a milly ideas, dreams, and things on my to-do list. And I’m gonna take my own advice. Cause, what are we waiting for?
Want More?
Something Things Watch
Something To Listen To
Something To Read
And I did. From making “magazines” with photos and writing actual stories with computer paper, to writing my own poetry (and still do), to making a radio show using music I recorded from the radio and becoming my own DJ, to attempting to put on a play with the neighborhood kids. If I thought about it, I tried it.