Hacking for Creativity

You’re the creative type right? A writer, entrepreneur, photographer, blogger, podcaster etc…and you are tapped out of creative juice? Don’t get down on yourself it happens to all of us. Oftentimes, we just need a little inspiration and great dialogue to unlock our hidden potential. 

How do you do that? Some of my best ideas came very easy. I was able to do this two different ways. 

1. Talking with others. To do this your coworkers, friends nor family just won’t do. We need to brainstorm with other like minded creatives like us. Those people to who challenge us by engaging in intellectual dialogue. Daily activities and conversation tend to become stagnant. 
2. Listening to music. Music is a universal language. To be perfectly honest any day I go without listening to my favorite artists I feel off. Listen in a place without distractions, feel the music, analyze the lyrics. Try to deduce what the artist was going through while writing each song. My music of choice is pop. 

Here is a prime example. My private Facebook group The Podcast Discovery Center (PDC) just reached its one thousandth member. I co-founded this group with fellow Podcaster Scott Doucet. We’ve never met in person and he lives in Canada some 2000 miles away from me.

Everytime Scotty and I (or any other group members) chop it up we always inadvertently bouce ideas back and forth. There is an energy between us. Some synergetic forces cause a chain reaction in our minds. 

CREATE!

So go out and create something awesome today! Let me know what you come up with. Leave a comment or email me. Who knows maybe my next post will be inspired by you! 

If you’d like to follow more of my journey and projects the best thing to do is visit my website. There you will have access to podcast episodes, blog posts, and a newsletter to be informed of big things as they happen. Also if you find it in your heart there are some great things on the support page if you would be so inclined to get involved there as well
“Control the controllable, as for the rest Keep on flowing…Just be.”

Self Recognition – Are you getting enough?

 (Me, Myself and I Podcast Episode 18 Show Notes) 

Self Recognition – Are you getting enough?

By: Anthony Hayes

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I know very little about blogging, podcasting, and being a father. All of which I’ve only been doing for a years time. What I do know is that I have challenged myself each day to learn as much as I can about these endeavors and many others.

“I practiced all day yesterday for the challenges I will face tomorrow.” -A.Hayes

If your anything like me, you’ve probably got a lot on your plate. And it may seem like you get very little accomplished. Your missing a sense of gratification, confidence. Well look no further. Today we are going to recognize three things:

1. Accomplishments
2. Achievements
3. Milestones

To do this I used the App “Evernote” to make a list compromised of checkboxes and bullet-points. Very basic, very simple. It is a great task management tool with endless capability and functionality.

The Challenge

The point is to make it something you can visualize. Use a pen & paper if you please. Make it concrete by writing it down or making any type of a list.

Now this list can be as detailed as you want or just a bunch of words only you can comprehend. It can be categorized or even in chronological order if that helps.

This exercise can be done as often as you’d like. May it be weekly, monthly, every 6 months, or in my case, at the end of a long, difficult, adventurous year. I recommend letting some time lapse so as to build a solid foundation.

If you ever get discouraged or down on yourself that would be an ideal time to do this. This idea came to me as I was walking my Siberian Husky Luna.

I watched the sun reflect off the lake after a moment of feeling overwhelmed and defeated.

Do this and you will be amazed by all you’ve accomplished!

I stopped took a breath and momentarily set aside my to-do list. It wasn’t an excercise or my intention to do this. It wasn’t a practice I’ve ever done before. However going forward it is now something I will continue to do whenever I’m feeling STUCK. 

I don’t claim to have knowledge or insight on much. Nor do I feel I have better or worse than anyone else. 

Here is my list for notable life events that I found significance in:

 Began fatherhood

•  My baby boo

 Writing “Science”

• 20k words + and counting
•  Learned how to format a book for publishing

 Learned about podcasting

 Started a podcast

•  Upgraded equipment
•  Upgraded software
•  Learn how to produce/edit
•  Recorded first interview
•  Wrote show notes
•  Attended hangouts
•  Took tutorial course
•  Obtained introduction song approval

 Built a website (a little prior experience)

•  Learned about SEO
•  Implemented SEO
•  Hosted email

 Started two blogs

•  Attended blog webinars/hangouts
•  Transferred blog hosting sites

 Became admin for online community

• 150 members
•  Wrote mission statement
•  Made weekly schedule
•  Made a monthly challenge 
•  Made worksheets for challenge 
•  Assistant admin for a second online community 

As you can see it’s not a very long list. When broken down into its many components the list is much more in depth. I’m sure there are things I’m forgetting but that’s not the point of this exercise. 

It’s not a competition. It’s not a sprint. It’s a life-long commitment of self-discovery and continual growth. 

“Giving up on your dreams is giving up on yourself. Don’t give up!” -A. Hayes

If you would like a worksheet of your own I’d be glad to email you one in your preferred format. Such as Google documents or just plain word or rtf. file. Leave a brief list in the comments section to get started. 

Good luck with your next big thing. As you can see you’ve already done so much. Don’t stop now, keep stretching, keep growing and most importantly KEEP ON FLOWING!

“Control the controllable, as for the rest Keep on flowing…Just be.”

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The Science of Being

A journey; A way of life

Please Visit memyselfandiradio.com

Go on a journey with me through the trials, tribulations, and moments of enlightenment I experienced in my early to mid 20s with “The Science of Being.”

Everyone has their story but I would like to share mine with you and one day, the world. It gets a bit dark along the way but we will get through it together. I am the product of a divorced marriage but lead a great childhood nonetheless.

However, in 2004 a switch went off in my head that would forever change me and what I was to become. I’ve fought battles of depression, self medicating, divorce, and always came out to be victorious. It is with a sense of enlightenment I now possess that I was able to organize my journey on paper.

I’m not trying to sell a message, I’m trying to deliver it. After several working titles “The Science of Being” is in its final stages. With your help and contribution I will be able to share my story with others having similar struggles. Together we can show them the purest light even in the most crimson of skies. The Science of being is a way of life. It’s about flowing and traversing through your obstacles no matter how vast they seem. In the end the universe has a path for all. If you enjoyed the work of Elizabeth Wurtzel’s “Prozac Nation” you will enjoy my story. Lizzy is a great inspiration of mine and her memoir was the final push I needed to get this done. Her story was so compelling, so honest.

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“Control the controllable, as for the rest Keep on flowing…Just be.”

website | facebook | twitter | email | itunes | stitcher | spreaker

Blog hosting make over

Need for a change

Keep on flowing, Just be… Please Visit memyselfandiradio.com

I’ve seen numerous benefits from the use of WordPress by others. Which is why I have decided to jump ship.

I am in the process of converting both my blogs to be hosted here.

-Stay tuned!

Anthony Hayes
Author, Podcaster, Blogger

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“Control the controllable, as for the rest Keep on flowing…Just be.”

website | facebook | twitter | email | itunes | stitcher | spreaker