I enjoy your thoughts Michael. I have been constantly bouncing around to different projects, endeavours, careers if you will. Through all of that I have written on and off all my life. Never in a personal capacity. I have a struggle seeing the work of it. Maybe respecting the work of it is more apt. I like the quote from that Dispenza guy ... to change one has to start thinking like and acting like the new person. I agree with that. Plus stamina and discipline. Thank you for putting yourself out there.
100%. Identity is core to reinvention. To get to an identity shift (not recreating yourself- building a newer identity) assess your value and desire. These make your identity. If you value new things, assign them to your identity. Great example is Lawrence Kasdan. Check out his story. A writer, but not a filmmaker.
For myself, my goal is screenwriting but I have a plan to get there, starting with stage. However I first changed the way I do things at work and at home. I forced myself to be a storyteller. Most people are or aren’t storytellers. I am but wasn’t very good so I’ve been learning and practicing. I’m better now.
Anyway to get where you want, add it to your identity first then build on it as your first evolution toward where you want to be.
I don't know, but it seems like everyone thinks this is a hard thing to do. I can understand that if you're young. And you're all pretty well young, unless you're retired, like myself. I worked my entire life in a sawmill, blue collar job, no real education except grade 12. Now I'm retired. But I've always wanted to be a writer, and so now I am. But I'm retired, you say. What are you giving up? Well, for one thing, my paycheque. I get paid my pension and gov't pension once a month, instead of twice a month, and at half the money I used to make. That means, I have to make this work. This reinvention of myself takes away my freedom. I'm sitting at a desk in front of a computer writing for Substack and making a whopping $50 a month.
And so you want to write a novel. I say just do it. Why are you sitting around thinking about it? It doesn't take much. Maybe a lifetime lived? I think you've got that. The life experiences we all pick up are there to help us. You have enough TV knowledge, that you could write an amazing story taking place in the early days of TV. Stick with what you know they say. But that's not really how it goes, does it? Otherwise, I'd be telling stories about working in a sawmill up here on the Left Coast, outside of Vancouver, Canada. No. You write about what interests you. Take a look at what interests me. I write a lot of novellas, it seems. And serial novels. I keep myself busy.
When I worked, I wrote. At least you're not thinking about leaving the writing world and becoming a plumber.
I'm struggling with sitting down and writing consistently. Just carving out that time every day and making it a priority because I feel feel like I've never made anything. I do a priority but everything everybody else does a priority. I'm a mom and I'm divorced.
Love this about the mindset work. I'm part of a women's coaching group that says yes, you must become that person who has already achieved that success to create it. It's so true. Michael you may also want to attend Writer's Conferences... I did those in the late 1990s when I first thought I wanted to write. You could probably also get on a panel at a few.
I thought I could change my life completely by the end of this year. It hasn't changed at all. It looks exactly the same. I still struggle with the same fears, anxiety and disbeliefs in myself I always have. But I started therapy for the first time. I went on my first spiritual retreat. I entered my first writing competition. I started learning a new language. I took on new responsibilities at work. I applied for an English arts degree in college. I feel a new me emerging when I think about all of this, however that scares the crap out of me, and I resist it. I self-sabotage in total awareness.
Thank you for covering this topic. And for the book recommendation.
I enjoy your thoughts Michael. I have been constantly bouncing around to different projects, endeavours, careers if you will. Through all of that I have written on and off all my life. Never in a personal capacity. I have a struggle seeing the work of it. Maybe respecting the work of it is more apt. I like the quote from that Dispenza guy ... to change one has to start thinking like and acting like the new person. I agree with that. Plus stamina and discipline. Thank you for putting yourself out there.
Not sure how to edit my comment but ... *personal capacity ... should read ... *professional capacity ...
100%. Identity is core to reinvention. To get to an identity shift (not recreating yourself- building a newer identity) assess your value and desire. These make your identity. If you value new things, assign them to your identity. Great example is Lawrence Kasdan. Check out his story. A writer, but not a filmmaker.
For myself, my goal is screenwriting but I have a plan to get there, starting with stage. However I first changed the way I do things at work and at home. I forced myself to be a storyteller. Most people are or aren’t storytellers. I am but wasn’t very good so I’ve been learning and practicing. I’m better now.
Anyway to get where you want, add it to your identity first then build on it as your first evolution toward where you want to be.
I don't know, but it seems like everyone thinks this is a hard thing to do. I can understand that if you're young. And you're all pretty well young, unless you're retired, like myself. I worked my entire life in a sawmill, blue collar job, no real education except grade 12. Now I'm retired. But I've always wanted to be a writer, and so now I am. But I'm retired, you say. What are you giving up? Well, for one thing, my paycheque. I get paid my pension and gov't pension once a month, instead of twice a month, and at half the money I used to make. That means, I have to make this work. This reinvention of myself takes away my freedom. I'm sitting at a desk in front of a computer writing for Substack and making a whopping $50 a month.
And so you want to write a novel. I say just do it. Why are you sitting around thinking about it? It doesn't take much. Maybe a lifetime lived? I think you've got that. The life experiences we all pick up are there to help us. You have enough TV knowledge, that you could write an amazing story taking place in the early days of TV. Stick with what you know they say. But that's not really how it goes, does it? Otherwise, I'd be telling stories about working in a sawmill up here on the Left Coast, outside of Vancouver, Canada. No. You write about what interests you. Take a look at what interests me. I write a lot of novellas, it seems. And serial novels. I keep myself busy.
When I worked, I wrote. At least you're not thinking about leaving the writing world and becoming a plumber.
I'm struggling with sitting down and writing consistently. Just carving out that time every day and making it a priority because I feel feel like I've never made anything. I do a priority but everything everybody else does a priority. I'm a mom and I'm divorced.
Thanks for this comment. I actually have a lot to say about this, Chrissy. I’ll try to devote a whole post to it soon.
thank you so much, Michael!
Love the underlying message of freedom to be who you've always been, not expected to be or forced to become.
Love this about the mindset work. I'm part of a women's coaching group that says yes, you must become that person who has already achieved that success to create it. It's so true. Michael you may also want to attend Writer's Conferences... I did those in the late 1990s when I first thought I wanted to write. You could probably also get on a panel at a few.
I thought I could change my life completely by the end of this year. It hasn't changed at all. It looks exactly the same. I still struggle with the same fears, anxiety and disbeliefs in myself I always have. But I started therapy for the first time. I went on my first spiritual retreat. I entered my first writing competition. I started learning a new language. I took on new responsibilities at work. I applied for an English arts degree in college. I feel a new me emerging when I think about all of this, however that scares the crap out of me, and I resist it. I self-sabotage in total awareness.
Thank you for covering this topic. And for the book recommendation.
Great! We're doing this together!