creative – Atomic Slingshot Press

Working for Free

In the Creative Community, there are many creatives who work on projects for free. This can be for many reasons and at different points of the creatives career can be beneficial or detrimental. Knowing when to accept a low-paying or free gig can be difficult to determine that may require forethought and experience to navigate.

For creatives, one of the major hurdles of getting paid gigs is having projects on the resume. Many companies and employers looking to hire a creative want someone to have some experience. Dabbling in a field is never enough for them.

To do this, the creative will take a free gig. This is a valid strategy. By doing a free gig, this allows them to gain valuable experience and to have something to call upon for later. Especially when the next employer wants some experience.

But there is a limit to doing free gigs. There will always be employers who want a free handout. There will always be people who want to pay in exposure. After the first few free gigs, this is crap. Don’t do the free gig. Exposure doesn’t pay the rent.

To paraphrase the Joker: If you are good at something, you should be paid to do it.

The older I get, the more I identify with him. The free gig helps to get the foot in the door. Then it’s time to ask for money. And not a little money. If your work is as good as your mother says it is, then it should be professional rates.

You should get paid properly. This might mean you may have to turn people down. But be upfront with the cost. If you want to be paid, tell them. Have the customer sign a contract and get half upfront. This is to protect both parties. So both will trust the other.

There are some exceptions to this. Don’t charge so much for a product or service no one will pay. If you are making book covers, don’t charge two grand for one as no one pay for that. Find the market rate and if you cannot do it for that, then don’t make the product. Finds something else to sell.

There is a market for creative works, whether it is art, books, audio, visual, etc. You just need to find a way to monetize it. Just like I am.

This journey is not something I can do alone. It takes support from many people for it to become a reality. The easiest way is to visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. They are available in all countries and for free in Kindle Unlimited. I have a tip jar set up at Ko-Fe, where you can buy me a coffee. Or you can also visit me on Facebook. Your help and support are much appreciated.

Finding Time to be Creative

Being a creative person, in a creative family with every member doing something creative, I find it hard to hear others who don’t have loved ones to support them. My wife is a proper artist (paints, draws, digital, pottery, sculpture, etc), my son plays piano and is learning Blender and my daughter dances. This means that whenever I need time to get things done, writing wise, they are more than willing to give me the time required.

This is not the case for others, though. They don’t live with creative people who see our passion as a waste of time and a mere hobby. This is disheartening to hear as we require that time to get things done.

But what is a hobby and when does it become more? Is it only the amateur hobbyist, then the professional like J. K. Rowling, George Lucas, or Banksy?

I argue there is more to being a creative than that. It is a myth that professional creatives are discovered overnight. They go through years of training, hardship and rejection before they become an overnight success. Mainstream media ignores this as it is a better story if they are brand new and successful.

What is a Hobbyist?

A hobbyist is someone who does something creative for fun. They are still a creative and in some cases still artists. That is not what I am talking about. I am talking about their intention of creating. A hobbyist is someone whose intention is the act of creating. Sitting down painting the miniature, or canvas, is what is important. It is not important to complete the project, just to work on it. It is also not important how often the hobbyist works on the project. If they complete something, it is a happy accident.

Passionist

This is a term I just coined. It encompasses the middle ground. The large middle of those who are more creative than a hobbyist, but have yet to be the overnight success. They have a passion for being creative and every professional has gone through this process. It is for those who want to be professional. A Passionist strives to complete projects. They work to complete things and the act of working is the happy accident. The reason being that they can sell completed projects and make them the overnight success they desire.

Professional

These are the overnight successes. These are the J. K. Rowling, the Brandon Sanderson’s, the Banksy’s, etc of the world. The misconception of them is that they must have talent and therefore success. Each other of them worked hard to get through the middle stage until they got lucky. Luck has to do much to do with it. Many were in the right place, at the right time, and they all were proficient enough in their craft that they were noticed.

How much do creatives need to make to become a professional? Simple. How much are the expenses? If it costs two thousand dollars to live, then all they need to make is that number. They don’t need to make six figures to be considered a professional.

What does this mean?

Hobbyists are hobbyists cause they want to be. Most are happy where they are and have no intention of trying to become a professional. Those Passionists have grown to love what they are doing, and they want to do it for a living. It is these who need the most support. They need people to buy their completed projects, to give them the time to complete them. They are not hobbyists. They are ambitious and want to be professions. The best thing we can do is to nurture and support them. As for what can be done. Sometimes it’s a simple act, like giving them a few hours a day to work on their passion. Cause one day they may become that overnight success.

Doing things outside your Comfort Zone

In my journey through university, I have finally found where I must take a course, not in my minor or major. In order to keep my full-time status for my student loans, I need to take three courses. I managed to find two courses I can use. It’s not the story I heard of some students taking a full semester full of electives cause they can’t find a course they can use.

For me, I’m taking a photography course. To most, it does seem like a waste of time, but for my family and me, it is in line with who we are. My wife paints, sculpts, graphic designs, takes photographs, and is a potter. She is an artist. I call her a renaissance artist as she does everything. My daughter dances. She is in ballet and tap. My son plays piano and is learning how to code so he can make video games. For me, I write novels.

The photography is outside of my comfort zone. I’m not a visual person as my stories go from my head to the paper. I use words and sentences to tell my stories and not pictures. This is something in my wife’s zone. She is the visual artist, not me.

For being a creative, going outside of the comfort zone is essential. Being in the comfort zone forces the creative into a rut or a groove. The work becomes stale, and the artist becomes dissatisfied with the project. It happens to the best artists in the world. Going outside of the comfort zone forces the creative to think outside of the box.

Thinking outside of the box is something in the basic skill set of a creative. It is one reason many become a creative. They don’t want to be at a 9 to 5 job. They want to work for themselves, creating for a living. This, I understand, as I don’t want a 9 to 5 job. I want to write my novels.

However, doing a photography course is expanding my ability to see the world in a different exciting way. Photography has allowed me to take some interesting photographs. There is not going to be anything posted this week, but starting next week, I will share a few pictures.

This journey is not something I can do alone. It takes support from many people for it to become a reality. The easiest way is to visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. They are available in all countries and for free on Kindle Unlimited. I do have a tip jar set up at Ko-Fe, where you can buy me a coffee. Or you can also visit me on Facebook. Your help and support are much appreciated.

Change and being Creative

In the last two weeks, the world has changed. It has changed, and I fear it won’t go back to the way it was. No one wanted this specific change. No one wanted to be locked in their homes for months, yet here we are. Once this is all done and a memory. People’s mentalities will have changed as the disease has affected either loved ones or their friends.

I’m not going into detail about Covid-19. There are a dozen different people to read and watch who are smarter than I am.

For me, my focus is my writing and my creative pursuits. Before, I spent my time writing, and I do the same thing now. I write things and hope one day I get projects completed.

As a creative, it is crucial to keep working and keep being creative. I have seen other creatives bend under the weight of this change. They aren’t writing, drawing, etc. They spend their time binge-watching whatever Netflix has going on. Maybe they need to do that.

But is it the best thing to do as a creative? Life is full of change. It comes and goes. Many times it is unwanted, yet it will happen anyway.

Change is the only constant thing in life. There is no point going against it. There is only letting it flow around. To move with the water, not against it.

For this COVID bullshit, it is looking at the silver lining. I’m not starving, and I am not being evicted. I have the time to be able to do what I need to get done. I have time to write. I will make use of this time and do just that. There is no point in letting change ruin my life.

This journey is not something I can do alone. It takes support from many people for it to become a reality. The easiest way is to visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. They are available in all countries and for free on Kindle Unlimited. I do have a tip jar set up at Ko-Fe, where you can buy me a coffee. Or you can also visit me on Facebook. Your help and support are much appreciated.

Video Games and Distractions and Time off.

As a creative and an author who has written for 349 days in a row, the hardest thing to do each day is to put the distractions aside and get started.

As long as I have some type of plan of what I need to write that day, starting those first few words is the hardest thing to do each day.

My biggest distraction is the pile of video games I have in my Steam account. Some creatives can play video games and have the unique ability to be able to turn them off.

I am not that type of creative. Once I turn on a game, there is always one more level, one more turn or one more thing to do. The next thing I know, it is hours later, and I have yet to get a word.

Other distractions for me are Youtube and school work. The latter being something unavoidable, while the former being something I use for noise. Usually music.

Why am I talking about this?

Cause it is vital to recognize what is causing the distractions and losing one’s focus. Know the problem is the first step from solving it.

But solving the distractions is not a topic for this post.

What is the topic is that sometimes distractions are essential for mental health. Having written for almost a full year in a row and suffering through one burn out, it is crucial to recognize the signs when a break is required.

As stated in my previous blogs, my breaks are writing the minimum daily requirement. This keeps my daily writing goal going, allows me to make my word count goals.

It also allows me to keep sane. If you can call this sanity.

The task of recognizing the days to take the break and the days to put on one’s boots. Finding the balance is hard and takes self-reflection. Knowing yourself is essential in getting things done.

If you like what you are reading and wish to support me in my endeavours, please sign up for my newsletter, visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. Or buy me a coffee. Your help and support are much appreciated.

Mantras: An Update. Part One.

(Note: Due to a misclick, this wasn’t published on Sunday. Apologies.)

Since the start of starting this blog, I have written over a hundred blog posts. I believe that this will be the hundred and first post. And throughout my writings, I have mentioned that I have adopted some personal sayings that help me keep perspective and encouragement.

There is a couple of points to go over first. These work for me, and may not work for you. If anything that I have seems to work for you, please feel free to adopt it as your own. I am NOT the creature of any saying. I found them from other people.

Sometimes life is about risking everything for a dream no one can see but you.

I honestly don’t remember where I saw this one. I found it on a piece of paper that I had written down a while ago. But this makes sense to me.

Being a creative, I do things that many people in my own family don’t understand or even try to understand. And this is fine. I don’t want or need them to understand. Me attempting to make a living writing is not open to debate. I’m going to go after my dream.

I hear this all the time. A non-creative family member not supporting a creative cause they don’t understand it. They don’t understand it, cause they can’t see the dream. And as such, they don’t support the creative in their task. Some up to the point of hindering the creative. And by hindering, I don’t mean just pure ridicule, though that happens. Hindering by not allowing them the time to do the creative things, or even selling their computer on them.

(A writing friend told me that her spouse sold their laptop to make rent once.)

I have my dream, and I have laid out a path that should get me my dream. I don’t need anyone else to see my dream but for me.

If you don’t risk failure, then you don’t deserve success.

Failing at something is terrible for people. Right? Wrong. Failing at something means that you tried. And that is the crucial part. Many people think that if they don’t try, then they can’t fail. The truth in the matter is that by not trying, you have already failed.

Like signing up to a college class and not writing the exam. You still failed the class. In life, you are already signed up to the class. To succeed in life, one MUST try to succeed and in that sense, risk failure.

I have seen many people that get paralyzed, myself included, by the fear of failure. It is this dark lurking beast that stands over you while you are doing the thing that you love to do. In my case, it stands over me while I write my books.

But the truth in the matter is once you get over the fact that you fell on your face, you can get back up and ask the fundamental question. The question that many people don’t ask. What went wrong?

Many people get emotionally attached to what they are doing and when they find out that it wasn’t as good as they thought, then they give up. They put up the pen and do something else. They give up on that creative desire cause that desire was hard, or they slipped the first try.

You have got to risk the failure and fail to get anywhere. Cause it isn’t without failure that anyone gets any better.

The only easy day was yesterday.

This is actually a saying from the US Navy Seals. The meaning is that every day, you will need to work harder than the last. But when you work hard every day and see what you’re now capable of, then yesterday seems easy.

And that is important as a creative and a writer. I have got to keep going, keep working hard at it. Each book needs to be better than the last. Each character that I create more real, each setting more natural. Each book takes a shorter amount of time, is cleaner. Fewer edits needed than the one before.

I don’t know if I am doing it. I am incapable of judging my own work. I see all the flaws in the novels, but I also see the right parts. I have to keep going, keep learning, cause the last project eas easy. Wait until you see what I have planned for next.

I have a few more to go over, but those will have to wait for next week. Until then, if you like what you are reading and wish to support me in my endeavours, please sign up to my newsletter, visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. Or buy me a coffee. Your help and support are much appreciated.

Dealing with Hours of Inactivity

Like most creatives, I spend hours sitting at the keyboard. The muscle that works the most for me is my brain and my fingers; the rest of me has gotten a tad flabby.

In my twenties, this wasn’t much of a problem. My weight sat around 220 lbs. I wasn’t (for the lack of a better term) fat per se. However, I wasn’t muscular either. I considered myself fit. Today, I am approaching 34 years old, and my body has changed.

It is a natural thing that happens to most men. When they hit thirty, their metabolism slows down, and it becomes harder to keep the weight off. In their twenties, a man can eat like a horse and not have too many problems. In their thirties, that gluttony turns against them.

I now weigh 286 lbs, and the health effects are becoming apparent. I won’t go into details, but least to say access weight is not a healthy thing. I know from experience.

As a Creative, How is this a Bad Thing?

It is simple really. Being overweight in general is a bad thing. No matter what some people say to the contrary. I trust my doctor in that regard. When he tells me that I have gotten “a tad flabby around the middle,” (he is British) and that fact is responsible for some of my ill health, I believe him.

I intend to write my novels until I am 90 and too old. I understand this. If I am to make it there, I need to look after my health. Which means that I have to listen to my Doctor and put the extra three helpings down. And stop eating fast food, candy, and cola.

To do this, I have forced myself on a diet. It’s a simple diet, which I call the Stop-Bloody-Eating-all-of-the-Sugar-Filled-Food Diet. It is excellent to go with the Stop-Eating-Seconds-and-Thirds-as-you-are-not-a-Hobbit Diet.

All jest aside, I’m a glutton. I enjoy eating food, and I enjoy cooking it. I have been joking with my wife that I should stop cooking good tasting food. Maybe then I will stop eating so much.

In the spirit of transparency, in my monthly reports, I will put in a paragraph about the status of my weight. It will give me someone to be accountable to.

If you like what you are reading and wish to support me in my endeavours, please sign up to my newsletter, visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. Or buy me a coffee. Your help and support are much appreciated.

Being a Creative and Giving up the Ghost

Once I finish my writing for the day, I will have written for over 90 days in a row. To me, this is a fantastic accomplishment. I have never lasted this long before giving up and washing my hands of it all. Before, depression, exhaustion, and real distractions would have caused me to give up.

Yet I feel tired, exhausted from all of the work I have done so far. I want to call it good, do nothing and play video games. Part of me wants to give it up. 90 days in a row is good, right?

However, this isn’t the time to give up. This is the time to push and get it done. Why not double the number? Why not write for 180 days?

I can name a dozen different reasons why that idea is a bad idea. It took hours per day to get the work done, it was taxing to the brain, the sun is in my eyes, and the wind in my face.

In other words, they are excuses. When times get tough, it is not time to give up. It is time to buckle down and get the work done. The work isn’t going to do itself, and there is the end goal. The prize at the end of the tunnel. There is no way you are going to get the rewards if you don’t try.

Burn Out

There is always a risk of burn out, of doing so much so quickly that you shut down. I do have a theory about burn out. It is when you do too much too soon over too long a stretch, and you aren’t used to it. Like someone going from a couch potato to working out two hours a day. There are bound to be consequences.

I may be wrong. However, the way to stop burn out from happening is to work yourself up in terms of productivity and to make sure you give yourself time to play.

If your work is taking so long that you have no time for yourself, then you are headed for burn out.

If you like what you are reading and wish to support me in my endeavors, please sign up to my newsletter, visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. Leave a review, or buy me a coffee. Your help and support are much appreciated.