What's Next?
Hello dear readers!
This week I'm going to step outside of my structure a little bit and dive right in, seeing as what's on my mind and what I'm working on are actually the same thing. That being, what's next?
Now that I've completed 2 projections (which can be viewed below), I'm left with figuring out where to go from here.
Being very detail oriented, I've learned along the way that I generally work backwards on creative projects. Rather than starting at a large "someday I want this to happen" type of goal and then breaking that down into smaller projects, I start at the bottom with one project and expand outward as I go, increasing the complexity along the way and shaping that larger goal accordingly. My best guess at why I work this way is because it tends to mitigate the overwhelm I face when problems arise. It's taken me a long time to recognize this pattern, but I'm so glad that I've figured it out so I can try to not only be kinder to myself, but also explain my experience to others.
When I encounter a bump in the road on part of a project, instead of leaning into my detail oriented nature and focusing solely on solving the issue, I sometimes panic, zoom way out, and begin catastrophizing about the entire project, telling myself,
"If I can't do this piece exactly the way I envisioned it, then I doubt I can do the project at all, and if I can't do the project at all, then what do I do next?"
What was once just one problem snowballs into many hypothetical problems and if I don't step out of the way of the massive snowball, I get clobbered by it.
In regards to the mandala project, it was bite-sized enough to determine whether or not learning projection mapping on my own was achievable, and also if I would enjoy the process. The result was a resounding yes to both things. Despite having to pivot from my original plans due to weather, then running into voltage issues with the power inverter in my van that affected my Instagram Live, I've received some wonderful compliments and I'm excited to keep going. But...keep going towards what?
In order for me to devote the time and energy necessary to grow my skills and come up with new projects, it will need to provide some sort of income sooner rather than later. Hindsight has taught me that when money gets involved, thoughts tend to shift away from "What do I want to create?" to "What will people pay for?". There's a happy medium between those two questions, and I've been revisiting my many brain dumps about my values and intentions in regards to my work to guide the brainstorming process.
To read about what came up in my brainstorming, subscribe to the Extended Version! Subscriptions are pay-what-you wish, beginning at $1/month. Your subscription helps me continue to create!
-- ON MY RADAR --
Watching: The Gentlemen on Netflix. It's a short series directed by Guy Ritchie based on his film of the same name. As Netflix describes it, “When aristocratic Eddie inherits the family estate, he discovers that it's home to an enormous weed empire — and its proprietors aren't going anywhere.” Honestly, that’s kind of a boring description for how dynamic the show turned out to be, and the scene that Netflix chose for the trailer is somewhat boring as well, only showing the moment that the inheritance occurs. I really enjoy a good action comedy and this one is definitely fun, albeit somewhat violent in spots, as most mob shows and movies tend to be. Each episode feels like its own mini movie, complete with its own title screen.
Reading (Listening): How the Elites Ate the Social Justice Movement by Fredrik DeBoer
This book explores the failure of social justice movements of 2020 to enact any lasting change. It goes into why they failed as well as how they could succeed in the future. I’m currently on chapter four of eight and so far I’m enjoying it. While the topic is big, it’s not full of jargon or an abundance of references. It's more like a lengthy opinion article (the author is a cultural critic) than a deep dive into the history of social justice. Minneapolis is at the center of a lot of the discussion, naturally, and while I'm well aware of how spectacularly the city failed at taking action aside from the conviction of Derek Chauvin, it's still disheartening to be reminded of so much squandered opportunity for reform.
That's it for this week! As always, thank you so much for being here.
Until the next newsletter, be well.
—Giesla
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