Category: Journal

Between the ages of 17 and 25ish, when I wasn’t training as an artist (or just wasting time), I spent the bulk of my time in the gym. At various junctures I worked as a trainer, assistant manager and salesman at a string of clubs the connective tissue being my friend and mentor Mike. Arnold Schwarzenegger entered my life around the same time, not as a movie star, but as the most successful bodybuilder in the world. (more…)

Drowned Rat

I was caught in an epic downpour yesterday, hence the title, but I’ll get to that in a bit.

During my sabbatical this past year, in addition to writing novels and story treatments, I dedicated a significant chunk of time researching success – its causes and obstacles (the Fundamental: Success project). This started with curiosity about why many of my clients notionally accept the idea of formal, proven process, and then immediately go about dismantling the process in favor of familiar routine.  (more…)

10 Movies that Changed My Brain

I’ve been thinking a lot about stories lately; how they’re built, what engages us, why are they important, etc. I think the thing about a good story, one that affects you deeply,  isn’t so much that they implant something new into your brain, as much as they trigger recognition within you of something like a universal truth that you may not have had a clear bead on yet.  (more…)

Matinees and Ghosts

Got it into my head I needed to see “Star Trek Into Darkness”, decided to avail myself of the aggressive schedule available,  and chose a 9:30 am show up the street at Courthouse.  After the blissful warmth of Friday, this cool grey Saturday was tailor-made for a trip to a celluloid (well, I guess it’s digital now) temple.  (more…)

I gave myself the gift of a good walk today, allowing myself to see things I tend to ignore. And it was a good reminder that you don’t need to be scaling Kilimanjaro, nor riding donkeys down the Grand Canyon to be treated to the sublime beauty of the world we live in.  I host a weekly meetup, and during last nights session I was reminded of the powerful difference curiosity makes when engaging the world. Look closely, make no assumption, and universes unfold where before there was nothing but a tree. (more…)

Site Update! Just a quick note that the Commercial Work and Visual Creations sections have been populated, and that the rest of the site should be operational tomorrow (Thursday, March 28).

Beyond that, the job search continues and I’m looking forward to exploring some new opportunities in the coming week. The first draft of “Hard Knox” is really coming along, I’m stoked for how this is shaping up.

Thanks for stopping by, drop me a note if you’re in the mood!

“Oooh Soouuuuperman!” A little girl at Barnes & Noble blurted that out, (she was on the floor in an odd posture that only little kids adopt, flipping through a large format photography book) to no one, she was just delighted and needed to get it out. This struck me for two reasons, her tone, and her unfiltered joy at seeing the character. Her tone was like what you’d hear when a kid sees Santa Claus, and her joy was instant. This is a character that’s 75 years old, and still has the power to make a kid involuntarily squeal out his name.

I just wanted to make a note of that brief moment, I want to remember the power that a great character can have, and redouble my efforts to create something that is that durable and wondrous.

Anyway, it was week three of the job search and lordy, is it a grind. Keeping my fingers crossed that this won’t be a protracted campaign, and that I can find an excellent team to join soon.

Ah, snow…or at least the threat of snow! We may actually get some kind of measurable precip tomorrow, and it’s nice that winter is coming out of hiding. This is the third week of my job search and if nothing else, it’s proving to me the power of online job boards. Monster, Career Builder, Indeed have provided an ludicrous number of incoming queries. It’s also proving to be a real challenge to keep focus on both the job search and my writing (and other) goals.

My, what a dull entry, my apologies. I’ve gotten out of the habit of ruminating “out loud” so to speak, and need to get back into the groove. Bear with me, it’ll get amusing soon!