A Little A Lot

While catching up with an acquaintance, he made the comment on how much I seem to do so frequently. Most people will never see the late nights, the early mornings, the self-doubt, obstacles, risks, failures and money invested. They will only see the results and call you lucky.

I don’t expect them to understand, but I do feel that it is important to recognize what it takes to have even the mildest of success pursuing dreams. I crank out a tone of work each week. My best advice is to do a little bit a lot of the time. The way my brain works, I can’t stay focused on one project from start to finish. I like to stay fully present and enveloped in my work for as long as it feels compelling. As soon as I start to lag, I change directions with just as much energy towards something else entirely.

So when I mean doing a little a lot, I start several projects simultaneously. I’ve been doing it for so long, I know not to do anything too time consuming that would take more than a week or two or else I lose interest and want to move on.

Over the course of two weeks, I bounce between 3-5 projects chipping away at each until they waterfall into competition. I find it helpful to start similar projects together so that the similarity keeps the momentum going. A critical aspect is scheduling out time to allow myself to do the work. It is not a mandatory schedule, so if I want to doodle one idea in an hour or draw several pages of concepts, that time is always available for that one task. I also find that the my high level output needs a high degree of input to rejuvenate myself so that I can maintain such an aggressive level of work.

-Busy Brain

From 7-9 I’m typically reading a book while my brain is the most alert and receptive of information. From 9-5 I work as a product designer for a variety of objects within the camping and greater outdoor market. I then either lift, run or swim before cooking dinner and finally sitting down to draw, write or read while listening to podcasts until 11pm.