This “tough” Self discipline is living from the mind not from the heart. Living From the heart is called “Conviction”. Finding the balance is called Wisdom.
It hurts to see so many people just fall into a pipeline that’s purposefully keeping them in a grift of shame & humiliation , cause that’s exactly what abusive relationships are
I learned that from studying astrology. I found out that astrology wants us to strive for balance. However, I'm surprised that balance isn't always what I thought it was. What will be a balanced life for one is often way out of balance for others. My chart's showing me the way for my self-balance and my mind is blown. It's definitely not the well-trodden, mainstream path at all. 🤷
Only if you want to be mediocre. Examine the lives of many if not most great people and high achievers and you will find they focussed obsessively on their task. So no thanks to your 'advice'.
You are doing a huge act of service to all artists by creating these discussions. I feel compelled to write my first YT comment, because this was important! Your content is important!
I honestly think discipline is an overall good. But on the extreme end you are basically just torturing yourself and being abusive to yourself. Balance is everything
in gratitude for this video. i’ve felt so ostracized for continuously maintaining a beginners mind in so many aspects of my work, approaching with heart above all else. refusing to sell things i no longer love, make for consumption or cater to market demands makes me unbankable. i continue to simply make things that feel meaningful to me… but also feeling like a failure the entire time (as far as external success is concerned). this video reminded me i’m doing it exactly as it should be done, and it’s not my business what anyone thinks, assumes or judges. just keep making. just keep exploring. just keep caring. thank you.
So glad this video could line up with that aspect of your experience and support your perspective on it. Sometimes my videos can come across a bit anti-capitalist I think, which isn't really what I intend. The point of a lot of what I've said lines up with your experience, and a lot of creatives, who make work 'cause they love to do it, and don't want to sell it. Yeah, thanks for taking the time to comment, and know that it's appreciated my side.
I think balancing between delusion and living a healthy lifestyle is important for any artist. Be delusional enough to make something you didn't think you had in you, but also live your life and apply yourself to just existing. A lot of inspiration could come from those moments and they will feed into each other. I've been on this "self help" journey, listening to the same guys (Goggins, Jocko) and it's something I really need to hear because the people I'm around are not supportive in the same ways. My philosophy is something I want to call "playful hustling".
I’m so happy you made this video. I’ve been feeling like this for a while & no one seems to talk about it ! I’m so happy you touch on these subjects as I truly relate. All this self - centered pressure is eating me up & im not alone. Thank you This needs more spotlight ❤️
Glad this video connected with what you're experiencing. I appreciate you taking the time to comment and let me know too. As long as people say they are relating like this, I'll be making these.
I wrote the first two drafts of my first two novels over a year and a half or so, with fives pages a day. Ultimately trashed them as they were pretty raw. But I learned the rudiments of writing which is invaluable. I’ve completely reworked my worldbuild, and with the experience I’ve gained, the two will hopefully coalesce into something viable. I wrote those drafts six years ago. In between wrote a lot of music, practiced instruments, played basketball, lost 40 lbs and gained it back, read some great series (Brandon Sanderson is the man), went to my sisters wedding, went home for the first time in ten years. Not all who wander are lost. Y’all got this
My journey is very to yours. I also wrote my first book several years ago and I want to self publish it. Now I’m writing my 2nd book, Sanderson-esque (as in, a literal tome), whilst also building a business and a career as a musician.
So glad this video found you, and hearing this piece of your story here is strong. I've worked on writing a fiction book on and off for over a decade now - more off than on, but it's still there for me, 'cause the concept matters to me and I love the process of writing. I really like how you mention all the other stuff you've done since starting - the book that you start writing is always going to be so different from what you finish, because of all the experience in the middle - that hits for me. Anyway yeah, thanks for sharing, and big love.
As someone who is going though a sort of creative battle right now, I always love to hear how other creatives have weathered the storm and made it out the other side. KEEP CREATING AND GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
Still in the midst... Rolling with the punches. Listening to the kind people who encourage you to keep going. Taking breaks when needed. I slept 13 hours last night. I'm definitely more exhausted than I realised. Pretty much good to go again now though.
I think this topic is actually super important. I am doing music since a long long time now and up to this day I am super surprised if a song is doing well where I didn't have 5 mental breakdowns in the process of creating it. It's kinda manifested that "if I don't suffer I don't deserve it". And this is so wrong. On so many levels. The worst part is: Literally all of my few musician friends feel the same.
Well one thing I've noticed when I've studied the lives of musicians is that their best work follows their most extraordinary pain. Sorry. That does suck. Dang. I didn't create this universe, I'm just trying to understand it. Maybe it's because when you create while in a lot of pain, you can tap into the collective unconsciousness better, because so many other people can, sadly, relate to your pain. I recall Michael Stipe saying that he was surprised anyone could relate to his lyrics after he wrote 'Everybody Hurts'. He was surprised REM blew up like it did. That reminds me of how Nazareth's most well-known song is 'Love Hurts'.
I decided to resign from the career and comfort I had to devote to the things I always loved without any certainty I would ever be able to sustain myself with it. I made radical changes in my life to have the chance to work more closely with artists and culture. Very often I'm overwhelmed by the thought that I broke a path of progressive growth to divert into something that is not practical or productive. --- Thank you for posting this video ---. It has helped me to reconcile with the idea that something had to be done for the sake of expanding the frontiers of my own vision and creating some space for new things to develop. Even if it means doing things that seem illogical in this economy. I have no idea if the time and money I'm spending on this will ever pay back, I can't say I sleep at night with a clear conscience. But I'm trying really hard to stop beating myself for diverting from the discipline of building a productive career and reaching the "expected achievements" of someone my age. If you are out there trying to express yourself by any means, don't stop because it doesn't fit our existing limited real world. Give others the chance to expand into your creation.
This hits home!! ❤🔥💯 because as an artist this is what I am coming out of, now im finding balance between quality work that matters to the heart. A balance between my creative nature and its ebb and flow with life and its circumstance. A lot of hustlers now will tell you that, you NEED to get your work out there and all, narrowing your worldview by using words like, discipline, motivation, and worst of all CONTROL and all those terms that ACTUALLY take away your awareness to your being and creative force, into a more machine like being. They made me feel like the only way to produce work is to make something out of it and most of the time, the end is a financial one. It made me create a lot more but I became more distant from the artistic plane and more attached to what or who is consuming it, therefore losing all self perspective and connection to the flows of my creative being. We are being hustled to produce because we live in a world that it governed by mass consumption, and the worst part is those who consume, can't relate. Its just pure consumption, on a mass scale, eventually what falls is the quality of the work. Its not just in art, its everywhere...in our food, technology and general production of anything these days. Its sad because, it all lacks HEART. Thank you for what you do, its REAL and speaks to who we are and not what we think we should be. Big Up All the way From South Africa💯.
So many gems in this... "It took time to see a space for yourself and extend a limb into that space." This one particularly hit me hard. So many times, whatever the setting, it can feel like intense, controlled mechanisms are the answer, but actually taking the time to observe and sit in said space for a while shows a great deal of self love and self respect. Love this video. Half way through and i think this is the best storytelling you've done so far. Great to see the progress and thanks for doing your part here.
I see you in these comments always early and supporting Jessica - massively appreciate your perspective and what you add for others reading. Know the support matters.
I’ve been trying my best in the past year to slow down, hone my focus, and give myself more grace and not feel so overwhelmed by all the things I want and need to do - it’s caused me to be way less stress and get so much more done
this is such a wonderful video that gives a completely different perspective from the "rules" that have recently come up about "self discipline", "hard work" and others. The time and effort that you put into these videos is incredibly evident and very helpful as a creative. I love your work so so much keep doing what you're doing!!
thank you for putting this together. this was the first time I pulled out a notebook and took notes & reflected on the ideas you shared over three sessions. I gained a lot more this way than by watching to finish the video. there were some key moments that sparked revelations, but rather than place timestamps, I think people are likely to get more value by taking in what you've laid down patiently.
I seem to base my process around the flow state. The flow state of expression that I tap into during writing is the exact same as the one that happens while I'm floating and gliding, not running nor pushing, on the field. Trying actually makes things worse bc that's when it becomes forcing. It's more like getting out of my own way and having faith in this seemingly magical and automatic process of expression. I think self discipline comes in as a practice of humility, towards practice. Its a craft. skill. with an infinite ceiling. circling back to patience and humility ig
I came to the same conclusion a few years after I started pursuing music production. Nurture your inner child and embrace the child-like awe and wonder we all had at some point in early life. Writing/making art isn't like solving a math problem with logic. It's through tapping into our subconscious emotions that we can express what we truly feel instead of just surface level thoughts that are uninteresting/unoriginal. That's been my experience at least and is my best explanation as to why I can't *force* it
That means a lot e.Kubara - this one took me awhiillllleeee to make - so know that it greats to hear the support, and thanks for taking the time to say it.
This is amazing! I had to skip back and listen to some parts multiple times to fully process the depth of what you were saying. Full of value thank you I needed to hear all of this:)
I'm a full-time concept artist (currently 50+ hours a week with full time and contracts) a part-time indie game developer, and I also try to make content on the side. While I would not choose to be this busy (I would like to have full time, but no additional contracts for example) I find that my excitement for projects pulls me in, and responsibility keeps me there until I'm finished. I've struggled with depression since my early teens, and oftentimes that nihilistic, "nothing matters" version of myself will take over middle of the week leading to anxiety about whether or not I'll meet the myriad expectations of my various work. The excitement for the work fades, and I'm left with fear. Something I've been working towards for the past 5 years however is the "building a value system" that this video touches on. I am working through IFS therapy (internal family systems) to map out the different parts of myself that struggle and combat with one another (the depressed part, and the disciplining part that stresses out). Part of IFS is the development of the self, the part that's there to call the shots, show compassion, facilitate peace and balance, and lead action. I know you use Goggins and Stoic quotes as an example of the "grind" mindset, but the philosophy of letting action lead emotion from stoicism, and Goggin's "It's gonna suck but do it anyway" had been incredibly helpful in making this self more present. The result of this is being able to have action towards positive ends despite a negative-seeming situation, leading to a paradigm shift of the situation and various creative and personal developments. I'm still learning how to balance life (the work I say YES to for example), but for right now It's working. It's definitely been a long road, it's a different road for everyone, but thought I'd share my thoughts.
12:28 is a clip from Michael Sugrue's "Stoic Ideal" lecture, one of the best videos ive wver found on YT. Respect for including it, and RIP to Dr. Sugrue.
The Michael Segrue lecture videos from his younger self are incredibly captivating. He doesn't look so well in his more recent ones tho also amazing. Terrible the loss I agree
You have no idea how much I appreciate these videos. So much value! Was surprised to hear Goggins describe himself as introverted. This is what I don't seem to understand. I love others company, but my actions take me away from that. I have other needs to fulfill; my life is dictated by the sounds I need to hear. Anything else is just a distraction from learning.
Really glad this one related to your own journey with music. Thanks for taking the time to drop in the comments and drop your thoughts too - it matters.
Society pushes people to live extroverted lives and this creates a lot of tension, stress, and pressure on people who are trying to cultivate their talents on their own.
Commenting before listening all the way through, I’ll probably come back and add to it afterwards. Self-discipline for me is no longer forcing myself to push myself past my limits. Self-discipline has become the actions I take to make myself better every day I get and set myself up for success the next day. Some days that looks like, DJing for 5 hours, other days it looks like sleeping or skipping a work out so I make sure to make dinner and hydrate. For me it’s listening to my body and believing that I know what’s best for myself in the moment, going with the ebb and flow instead of swimming against the tide. I’ve been healthier than ever physically and mentally, and my creative career has began to expand rapidly. Whatever you do, please make it a habit and a discipline to listen to yourself and what you need, work, work, work is a habit of destruction.
My first encounter with your channel and I’m only 0:58 in. Your subtle and smooth introduction has me hooked. I hope more creators realize this is the way to invite people in instead of sensationalism and loud effects.
only 10min in but just wanna say: another great video and topic. thank you for sharing a bit of your personal story ♡ ♡ we appreciate you and your work. also your references and where you draw from keep getting better and more interesting (george orwell, movies, visual artists, yes to that). being comfortable feeling uncomfortable is such a key thing to make peace with on our path to great things, thanks for the reminder
I really appreciate the time you put into this video. I feel like it’s definitely a more current event happening, where this main character ideology is unconsciously altering our perception and open mindedness. I can say I sometimes get fought in that look of rendered space. Thanks man
I believe it is imperative that you understand how to love yourself first before you can enact any change in the form of self discipline. Conversely, self discipline may lead to that self love that you had trouble finding before.
Fuhcking hell this was a phenomenal video.. This. This is so helpful and so deeply inspiring. I've learned so much about the creative practice, life and myself. Not just that, I am inspired to create. So many ideas just flowing through me.. Thank you.. THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
I have so many work in progress projects I'm itching to get out into the world, but my life has been too unstable to dedicate the necessary time to see them through. Doing my best to delay gratification and still trust I'll go back to the projects as soon as my life allows it. Training myself to become more patient has been one of the biggest difficulties of my life. But also reevaluating my values and priorities has been essential.
I accept my own demons, that's not a problem for me to let myself be happy for who I'am. It's an issue from everybody else perception of me, when I share MY opinion about ME. And that's when we all f+ck it up giving our opinions/thoughts/advices/points of view/ and on and on. That's freedom to be, to enjoy art, your own art is valuable. Maybe it's not valuable for others, but It has value for you. And that's power, to be loved by you. That's selflove, and it's beautiful. Love myself MF! 🧡
I wanted to leave a comment that touched on some of what you have said; however, if I were to address one aspect of it including my own personal experiences, I could not stop without involving a great many things. Nothing exists in a vacuum. Everything is connected. Plus it's late & I have a long night of dream yoga ahead of me. I laud your efforts & I wish you well.
Appreciate you leaving the comment, and recognising the efforts. Some of the topics I touched in this are mad different and complex for different people, and still processing in my own self. I appreciate you leaving your thoughts, and spreading the love whilst also recognising 'Nothing exists in a vacuum'. Peace thanks for dropping in on this one.
I'm a great artist and I don't struggle with self-discipline. I struggle with social media and children. You are a great artist and say no to criticism, you will improve overtime without needing to have your dreams crushed (if u struggle). Love your shit and cry a lot! ~- Says Rock and the Avant Garde :)
I said I’m not the type of person to write in the comments so here I am 😅, This video was very informative and made me look at creativity and discipline through more than one perspective. Thank you for making this man 🙏
I'm not lazy. I have ADHD. I'd put money down I am more active and do more than every other person in the room. There's no way to show it, but share my experience. Getting up with an equivalent of being roof'd every morning and with a heavy load placed on my body. To choose to be ethical and moral while nobody else in your job is not following rules, because the rules are law. Even if knowing that is not true, but the body resists breaking these laws and pressurizes self. To climb the ladder takes even more work. To force oneself to look around and grow as your own teacher. The exhaustion is so much in the 9-5 that Saturday is an all day sleep. I imagine others do this, but I argue that I do more and will always do more than others. When I find the competition, I'll acclimate faster than most and there is no quarter given on this ship. I suspect others that are starting businesses are along the same lines. Sharing a thought that came to me while listening.
Good video. Im a girl so the perspective on the recent self help stuff was interesting. Im also an artist so I like all the examples you used. Thought provoking for me.
I agree with the importantness of quality over time. Humans are a part of nature, look how a tree grows. It takes years upon years till we have a tree we can sit under. People admire nature quite a bit, it’s beautiful…and very patient
Great videos! I invest a lot of free time composing and playing Neo-Classical piano. Many shared to streaming platforms like Spotify. Yet since this part of me lives outside of any time spent otherwise income producing..my thoughts swing back and forth between I'm using valued time wisely and/or I'm absolutely wasting my time...a bit of a mental struggle
I clicked on this video trying to proscrastinate the creative piece I am dreading. this contest of artists was supposed to be a chance to talk to people and share their vision gently. instead, I hamfisted an instrumental, and could never get a moment of their time. just some vocals to salvage. People feel suprised by my work that it's so different to one another. but my story or mind is never simple. I keep fight club in mind similarly. "self-improvement is masturbation" so I live with most of my work learning honesty and accepting my hypocrisy I didn't get to do that with them because they were busy. it disturbs where the good work takes place when there's no excitement for horror or happiness
Thanks, this is a very valuable and well-made video! I'm very passionate about music and definitely notice a lot of the points you mentioned in my own life. I'm going to rewatch this again and make some notes.
Self discipline is a bunch of lies from the positivity movement cults. It is done in a way that when things don’t work they will always lay the blame on you and it will never be the bad advice given by the coaches. I’ve had horrendous experiences with this where these same people that claim they want to make you better have damaged my mental and emotional wellbeing and have caused me trauma that I didn’t have before these people got involved in my life without my consent.
I can see how encountering someone without your consent is possible, but not how they become involved to the level of causing horrendous trauma. If someone has that amount of access to you it would appear that you allowed it.
Hey. Thank you for your trained ability to create something that can help other people alternate their attention in some way. It must have been a lot of effort to come to all of these conclusions and to learn all that was needed on your way. I perceive your videos as valuable because they helped me in my own creative endeavor. What is even more interesting, is that I have been thinking about pretty much this topic for the past days/weeks. So your creation arrived at the right time to aid mine. Your work will have an impact on the future. And we can see, that different angles of making a positive mental influence is highly needed nowadays. Technology offers so much now. You are a part of people that harness it in a good cause. What could happen if many people would do the same? We'll see what can we bring into the future. PEACE :D
What I take from this is that art and money just don't mix well. Its hard to make art when it requires you to not only have strong fundamentals, but also to actually live life and give space to ponder, mull over your thoughts and ideas, fine tune and iterate over time. If everything is pigeon-held by time all the time then it makes it an arduous marathon with nobody. In truth it feels very contradictory to take your time when, as someone who's in his last year of college, I'm gonna have to make my own money soon and it feels like the clock is always ticking. I never want to be wasting my time, but it makes me feel like when I'm not working or hanging out with friends, even if its stretching or taking a walk, doing a hobby, that its a "waste of time." But those experiences are what build me, build my life, and the purpose behind why I do it in the first place besides money to survive. I must focus up on what I would like to try to pursue, and empty out what is getting in the way like social media and such, sure. But also give myself space in between tasks and when with people to actually live life. Enjoy observing what is within and around you. Give yourself space to think, breathe, live.
I hate certain terminologies but it seems as though "we" are the "neuro divergent". We arent lazy we just aren't with the bullshit of "going through the motions". No one artists before "Hollywood" worked like a slave for the sake of creativity. We create when the creativity is there. You cannot create art on the clock. No you can't. The problem is that its complicated to have a job that takes care of all of our financial needs so that we can enjoy our life in art. The industrial age is still looming, and capitalism is to blame. The fact that 40k today was over 1 million in ancient times let you know why people like us have a hard time only working
Regarding Junot Diaz point about considering what it might be like to receive your work, I thought of the Rick Rubin point about never considering the audience in your creative endeavours. So when considering what it might be like to receive your work, to listen to it/read it/see it, perhaps we should consider what that feels like but only what it feels like to us, and not to try to assume what a broader audience might like?
yeah that's an interesting difference between those two voices you've seen there. I guess there difference in format might be some of the change there too. I've heard a lot of novel writers say that they are always keeping the reader in mind, but your right, when I hear musicians speak, the idea is usually to try and forget the audience. Thanks for taking the time to add to the conversation here - and know it's appreciated.
Quality over (whatever monetarily has been dictated at the time) quantity and how fast it needs to be “produced” (forget creating) cannot be compared with the past anymore. Just 40 years ago our planet had half of our human population and all its impact on it. We are just accelerating our own “shooting in the foot” if you will. Online dictation of global “norms, demands etc” makes everything feel generalized and at the same time we loose sight of the things that are really important or relevant to our own habitat. We all long to create and make high quality, meaningful art or design etc but we’ve decided that that’s no longer in the interests of humanity. Rush-consumerism’s now the norm in order to pay the ever inflated bills. Help?! Cheers for your time.
