Gone fishin'
It's very difficult for me to get away on vacation. It's the burden of a small business. But this week I managed (or shall I say am managing) to do it. It does take a little preparation to make it work. Tell all your clients that your business will be closed while you are away. Give some advance notice, too. And perhaps an emergency alternative contact. Better still, schedule a regular vacation the same time each year and tell your clients you will be "closed" at this time. And don't budge on it. Complete any projects and deliver anything you've promised before leaving. Create a "vacation" message for both voice- and e-mail. Enjoy the break. This is your time to refresh. When you get back, pick up where you left off.
-- jpf
Posted at 01:02PM Aug 02, 2007 by Jeffrey P. Fisher in Status | Comments[0]
Anatomy of Success, part 3
Stomach = Guts
You have to take risks -- whether you have the stomach for them or not. There are two key issues to address. One, is it's OK to make mistakes. That's how you learn and grow as a person and as a professional. Vow not to repeat errors and try to limit the downside to every venture you take on. Elbert Hubbard sums this up best: "The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one." Two, give yourself a challenge. Don't rest on your laurels. Always push yourself to do and be better. It is this constant pursuit of bigger, better, brighter that drives the most successful artistic temperament.
To make your life and career the success you envision, get your head, heart, and stomach working together. That's the anatomy of success today.
END
Posted at 11:10AM May 17, 2007 by Jeffrey P. Fisher in General | Comments[0]
Anatomy of Success, part 2
Heart = Passion
Desire comes from your heart. It's the love you have for yourself, others, and your art that counts. According to authors Ron Rubin and Stuart Avery Gold in their "success@life" book: "Passion provides you the best possible odds to successfully catch and live your dream." That's good advice ? if you follow it.
Is there a fire inside of you that won't burn brightly unless you achieve your dreams? If that's you, channel that passion into everything you do. If you don't have the passion inside of you, ask yourself why. And then take steps to stoke the fire. When you feel passionate about your art, that positive energy works in your favor. Your enthusiasm will rub off on people creating a good experience for customers and others with whom you associate.
More to come ...
Posted at 05:09AM May 16, 2007 by Jeffrey P. Fisher in General | Comments[0]
Anatomy of Success, part 1
Those who play sports competitively know the value of getting your head into the game. Along with immense physical preparation comes intense mental concentration. To be a success you need to bring the same physical and emotional power to the table. Specifically, you need your head, heart, and stomach at their peak performance.
Head = Brains
There are two sides to your head: creative and logical. You need your creativity to serve you well in your artistic pursuits. But don't ignore the logic either. To make it in the crazy world of arts, learn all that you can about how the business works. The more you know, the better off you will be.
More to come ...
Posted at 06:01PM May 15, 2007 by Jeffrey P. Fisher in General | Comments[0]
A Lynch in time ...
I recently started reading David Lynch's book, "Catching the Big Fish" with his thoughts on creativity and meditation and how he applies all of it to his life and films. It's a short piece that should be read a little at a time so you can ponder the meaning -- how what he says applies to your situation.
I feel we all need a little inspiration from time to time. And learning how others approach their art is worthwhile. This book is especially poignant as it's not a biography. It's a bunch of random thoughts on random topics that somehow, like most of Lynch's film, seem to sum into a greater whole.
Here's my favorite line for you to ponder from the book: "The more the artist is suffering, the less creative he is going to be. It's less likely that he is going to enjoy his work and the less likely he will be able to do really good work."
Posted at 04:05PM May 12, 2007 by Jeffrey P. Fisher in General | Comments[0]
There's a guerrilla in our midst
Make sure you check out "A Guerrilla in the Midst," the new book by award-winning Guerrilla Filmmaker, Stan Harrington. This is the story of his first feature and includes the DVD of the movie. I worked with Stan on his second feature, "The Craving Heart." Get more details here:
http://billboard.prweb.com/releases/2007/4/prweb520911.htm
Posted at 04:04PM May 12, 2007 by Jeffrey P. Fisher in General | Comments[0]
Welcome
The yin and yang of it all. [Read More]
Posted at 04:17PM May 10, 2007 by Jeffrey P. Fisher in General | Comments[0]
