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Hello forum people, time for more spleen venting and brain ranting from me, the forgotten staffie.
I need motivation. I was 22 in December, and a few days after my birthday, I had realised that I had pretty much wasted the last year of my life. When you realise just how short life is, a year is a hell of a long time to let pass by, especially when you're in your early twenties. You see, my problem is that I'm lazy. There's loads of things I want to in life, and I very rarely get round to doing any of them, purely down to lethargy.
For example, I love music, love listening to music and enjoyed playing in a 'band' briefly. I can read and write music, and secretly reckon I'd make a pretty good songwriter if I put my mind to it. So why not do it then? I've got guitars, Lord knows I've got plenty of spare time (more on that later) and I've even got proper recording equipment at my own home - my Dad's into recording music for adverts etc., so anything I could possibly need to write/record/mix songs is readily available. Yet I haven't recorded a single song, not even attempted so much as learning how the equipment works. Why? What's my major problem? This is what I'm trying to figure out.
Lots of people have said to me "Why don't you just get down and do it?" and I say it's not because I can't, it's because when the moment comes, I can't bring myself to do anything worthy with my life, and settle down comfily on my bed to watch telly/play games/dwindle another year of my life away. I'm fully aware of what this attitude leads to, it leads to loneliness, a lack of self worth and the horror of reaching 30 years only to find out the best years of my life have just been washed down the plughole. You can also apply the above formula to writing/getting a girlfriend/losing weight, it's all the same when you boil it down. It might sound a bit David Brent, but one thing that terrifies me is wasted potential, in myself mind. I know I can do these things and I know what'll happen to me if I don't get myself sorted out, but have I done anything about it? Have I fu...
So it's going to change. For once, I'm going to make New Year's Resolutions that are going to mean something, and that are going to stick. This year, I'm going to record at least 3 songs and press them to CD, I'm going to write a film/screenplay/short story, I'm going to set up a website and gosh darn it, I'm going to get a girlfriend. I'm fed up of being sat on the sofa while the soul drains out of me, I'm going to ruddy well (this swear filter is rubbish) do something about it, and I'd like you all to be witnesses. Website must be up by April 1st, songs must be recorded by July 1st and film thingy must be written by October 1st - girlfriend will come in time (no pun intended).
For God's sake people, hold me to this. Pop this topic as much as you want, and remind me what I've said I'm going to do. I do want to get my life in working order, but it's abundantly clear that I'm ill equipped to do it without some help. If you've got any ideas you want to give me, by all means go ahead, I'll give you my personal e-mail address and we can brainstorm *does David Brent finger thing*. Really people, I mean it - bully me if you have to, but read this post, and make me stop playing videogames - this morning I played Tiger Woods for about 5 hours, great start to the year, huh?
It's going to happen, really it is. Even just writing this makes me feel like something's changing. Of course, one month down the line I could by playing Tiger Woods again, but then I can hold you responsible (ha). So, first up - the website. Those of you who caught the ill-fated Digifelch website may have some idea about what it's going to be like, only not as face-achingly nerdy. It's going to have honest reviews (ahem) and intelligent writing, and people from this forum are going to help me - you all know who you are, and I haven't even asked you yet. Cheers guys and gals.
It's the first day of 2003, and I feel better already. My brain's in perfect working order, my life is just in need of a reshuffle, that's all. I'll keep you all updated, naturally, and I'll contact a few of you about ideas and stuff I'm interested in. So here we go. It's a bit scary actually, but I know I can do it, it's a big step to admit you've been wasting your life, but I have done and I'm fully ready to move onto the next stage. I'm a mature bloke, and I'm ready to grab hold of things and start dictating how I want then to be.
And I'm going to start by buying a laptop. Seeya soon people, wish me luck.
I need motivation. I was 22 in December, and a few days after my birthday, I had realised that I had pretty much wasted the last year of my life. When you realise just how short life is, a year is a hell of a long time to let pass by, especially when you're in your early twenties. You see, my problem is that I'm lazy. There's loads of things I want to in life, and I very rarely get round to doing any of them, purely down to lethargy.
For example, I love music, love listening to music and enjoyed playing in a 'band' briefly. I can read and write music, and secretly reckon I'd make a pretty good songwriter if I put my mind to it. So why not do it then? I've got guitars, Lord knows I've got plenty of spare time (more on that later) and I've even got proper recording equipment at my own home - my Dad's into recording music for adverts etc., so anything I could possibly need to write/record/mix songs is readily available. Yet I haven't recorded a single song, not even attempted so much as learning how the equipment works. Why? What's my major problem? This is what I'm trying to figure out.
Lots of people have said to me "Why don't you just get down and do it?" and I say it's not because I can't, it's because when the moment comes, I can't bring myself to do anything worthy with my life, and settle down comfily on my bed to watch telly/play games/dwindle another year of my life away. I'm fully aware of what this attitude leads to, it leads to loneliness, a lack of self worth and the horror of reaching 30 years only to find out the best years of my life have just been washed down the plughole. You can also apply the above formula to writing/getting a girlfriend/losing weight, it's all the same when you boil it down. It might sound a bit David Brent, but one thing that terrifies me is wasted potential, in myself mind. I know I can do these things and I know what'll happen to me if I don't get myself sorted out, but have I done anything about it? Have I fu...
So it's going to change. For once, I'm going to make New Year's Resolutions that are going to mean something, and that are going to stick. This year, I'm going to record at least 3 songs and press them to CD, I'm going to write a film/screenplay/short story, I'm going to set up a website and gosh darn it, I'm going to get a girlfriend. I'm fed up of being sat on the sofa while the soul drains out of me, I'm going to ruddy well (this swear filter is rubbish) do something about it, and I'd like you all to be witnesses. Website must be up by April 1st, songs must be recorded by July 1st and film thingy must be written by October 1st - girlfriend will come in time (no pun intended).
For God's sake people, hold me to this. Pop this topic as much as you want, and remind me what I've said I'm going to do. I do want to get my life in working order, but it's abundantly clear that I'm ill equipped to do it without some help. If you've got any ideas you want to give me, by all means go ahead, I'll give you my personal e-mail address and we can brainstorm *does David Brent finger thing*. Really people, I mean it - bully me if you have to, but read this post, and make me stop playing videogames - this morning I played Tiger Woods for about 5 hours, great start to the year, huh?
It's going to happen, really it is. Even just writing this makes me feel like something's changing. Of course, one month down the line I could by playing Tiger Woods again, but then I can hold you responsible (ha). So, first up - the website. Those of you who caught the ill-fated Digifelch website may have some idea about what it's going to be like, only not as face-achingly nerdy. It's going to have honest reviews (ahem) and intelligent writing, and people from this forum are going to help me - you all know who you are, and I haven't even asked you yet. Cheers guys and gals.
It's the first day of 2003, and I feel better already. My brain's in perfect working order, my life is just in need of a reshuffle, that's all. I'll keep you all updated, naturally, and I'll contact a few of you about ideas and stuff I'm interested in. So here we go. It's a bit scary actually, but I know I can do it, it's a big step to admit you've been wasting your life, but I have done and I'm fully ready to move onto the next stage. I'm a mature bloke, and I'm ready to grab hold of things and start dictating how I want then to be.
And I'm going to start by buying a laptop. Seeya soon people, wish me luck.
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Okay, I've had a little sleep on things (about 4 hours actually) and I've decided I'm going to buy a MAXX PC. The website will come easily, I've just got to think of a name. The leader so far is shiznit.co.uk. I came up with a good idea for a short story last night too, and I'm going to write a news item tonight with the headline MARTIN LAWRENCE ARRESTED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF EDDIE MURPHY.
So I'm not the only lazy bast in the world? Reassuring, although I appreciate how easy it is to "get into a rut" and end up "wasting" life. The problem is that doing nothing is the easiest option and most people just want an easy life. However people like that (like me) end up regretting their lack of enthusiasm and resent/envy those that have this quality in abundance. This in turn leads to self esteem issues and a lethargic state of "hibernation".
Situation can lead to the aforementioned though, when I get back from work, usually about 9pm (I go to the gym most nights) I am not in any fit state to do anything constructive or creative. I couldn't face looking at a monitor for another second and so end up watching a DVD or something. I also become very anti-social due to tiredness. A Wastrel yes, but am I wasting life in these circumstances, perhaps.
The weekends are the key though, which I invariably DO waste, silly really.
Anyway this ramble HAS to finish on a high (if you've read this and it doesn't you've just wasted another 3mins of your life!), so good luck mate and if you need a hand with owt (especially the script or website thing) then say so and I'll see what I can do...
IN BRENT MODE *Click*
You're simple the best, do do dah dah, *claps hands*
Better than all the rest...
Situation can lead to the aforementioned though, when I get back from work, usually about 9pm (I go to the gym most nights) I am not in any fit state to do anything constructive or creative. I couldn't face looking at a monitor for another second and so end up watching a DVD or something. I also become very anti-social due to tiredness. A Wastrel yes, but am I wasting life in these circumstances, perhaps.
The weekends are the key though, which I invariably DO waste, silly really.
Anyway this ramble HAS to finish on a high (if you've read this and it doesn't you've just wasted another 3mins of your life!), so good luck mate and if you need a hand with owt (especially the script or website thing) then say so and I'll see what I can do...
IN BRENT MODE *Click*
You're simple the best, do do dah dah, *claps hands*
Better than all the rest...
Well done. The only real way to get yourself out of a rut such as you described is kick yourself up the backside, and it looks like you have. I look forward to illegally stealing your music from peer-to-peer programs in a few months :-)
I know EXACTLY where you're coming from.
I can't do bold, so I have to do capitals.
I have so many ideas that sit in my head until they're forgotten, time is so easily taken away by other sitting around playing games/ watching movies type activities.
I did try to make a start last year, and got a website up.
But then I left that for a while, before returning to it last month, submitting it to search engines, and the like, and it's starting to get more hits. A couple of hundred in a month, but I'm convinced no one is looking at it, it's only getting hits when the search engines trawl through it!
I've been trying to get serious with the writing too, and have sent emails to varios game and film magazines, asking if they'd like to read articles I've written. On a number of occasions they've said "Yes", so I've sent them the article, but then they didn't even bother to reply. I've also sent out letters, with SAE's, and no one can be bothered to write "no" on the envelope and send it back. It knocks the confidence, and makes the next letter even harder to write.
I just need to keep going, I think.
What I NEED to do before Sunday, is make huge changes to my website, and stick coments boxes on every page, then I might get some feedback, and know if any one is actually visiting it...
Oh yeah, and I blame you, yes you forum occupants, for not replying to more of my stupid posts. When I spend some time writing something, and get one reply, it bugs me, makes me think that it's rubbish, and that I'm rubbish.
What would help would simply be an indicator to see how many times a post had been read...
Anyway, all the best, man. Maybe what we need is a bum kicking ring, where we all push each other on, only that sounds so wrong, so worded somehow differently.
I can't do bold, so I have to do capitals.
I have so many ideas that sit in my head until they're forgotten, time is so easily taken away by other sitting around playing games/ watching movies type activities.
I did try to make a start last year, and got a website up.
But then I left that for a while, before returning to it last month, submitting it to search engines, and the like, and it's starting to get more hits. A couple of hundred in a month, but I'm convinced no one is looking at it, it's only getting hits when the search engines trawl through it!
I've been trying to get serious with the writing too, and have sent emails to varios game and film magazines, asking if they'd like to read articles I've written. On a number of occasions they've said "Yes", so I've sent them the article, but then they didn't even bother to reply. I've also sent out letters, with SAE's, and no one can be bothered to write "no" on the envelope and send it back. It knocks the confidence, and makes the next letter even harder to write.
I just need to keep going, I think.
What I NEED to do before Sunday, is make huge changes to my website, and stick coments boxes on every page, then I might get some feedback, and know if any one is actually visiting it...
Oh yeah, and I blame you, yes you forum occupants, for not replying to more of my stupid posts. When I spend some time writing something, and get one reply, it bugs me, makes me think that it's rubbish, and that I'm rubbish.
What would help would simply be an indicator to see how many times a post had been read...
Anyway, all the best, man. Maybe what we need is a bum kicking ring, where we all push each other on, only that sounds so wrong, so worded somehow differently.
§n][peŽ wrote:
> How did snuggly get those bold letters in o.O
Something to do with being god, I think
> How did snuggly get those bold letters in o.O
Something to do with being god, I think
Christ, I had a mental image of all the staff being 30-somethings yet I find they're all about my age. You realise Snuggly you'll probably win a GAD for this?
This year is 27 hours old and already I've read two very uplifting threads about depression and peoples human struggles to beat it (the same Mojojojo on both?) This one isn't so hardcore as the other one tho, but they have the same "these are my problems and I'm damn-well going to whack them" theme. Motivation is the key thing missing from my personality as well, I always thought I could go all the way in life, but now I realise I'm too bone-idle. I could change, I could become much better, but I don't think I was a born hardworker when I look at my parents :O(
The only thing that has truly changed my life in a stroke was buying a bike - I convinced myself to ride the 8 mile trek to Uni, a promise I blatantly had no chance of keeping for more than a fortnight or so. But I did keep riding, over the harsh winter and into the summer, and it changed me for the better. It seems petty, but I've never done anything I'm more proud of than sticking at that.
Having said that, meeting a girly has thrown my rhythm out, and now I don't go riding more than once or twice a month. My waistline has suffered as a result, and it's something that's going to change. You're going to do your website, I'm going to start riding my bike again, and the world will be a better place.
Deal?
This year is 27 hours old and already I've read two very uplifting threads about depression and peoples human struggles to beat it (the same Mojojojo on both?) This one isn't so hardcore as the other one tho, but they have the same "these are my problems and I'm damn-well going to whack them" theme. Motivation is the key thing missing from my personality as well, I always thought I could go all the way in life, but now I realise I'm too bone-idle. I could change, I could become much better, but I don't think I was a born hardworker when I look at my parents :O(
The only thing that has truly changed my life in a stroke was buying a bike - I convinced myself to ride the 8 mile trek to Uni, a promise I blatantly had no chance of keeping for more than a fortnight or so. But I did keep riding, over the harsh winter and into the summer, and it changed me for the better. It seems petty, but I've never done anything I'm more proud of than sticking at that.
Having said that, meeting a girly has thrown my rhythm out, and now I don't go riding more than once or twice a month. My waistline has suffered as a result, and it's something that's going to change. You're going to do your website, I'm going to start riding my bike again, and the world will be a better place.
Deal?
How did snuggly get those bold letters in o.O
I hope you fulfill what you have written Snuggly. Many people in your situation don't actually realise what you have till they are 26-30. I have seen many people take that path and it is actually quite sad because they say they will do something and don't even though the path is their to take.
If you believe in yourself, as you do from the contents of that post you can do it.
Don't rush though, take it carefully and mark everything down.
It will be great to see anything you create from a song to a script because anyone CAN do anything if they really want to place their mind to it. No, I'm not talking about flying, I am talking about things that most of us want so bad, and yet when it comes we let it go past.
To get you started, I know the name of a fantastic free ScriptWritting program...
If you believe in yourself, as you do from the contents of that post you can do it.
Don't rush though, take it carefully and mark everything down.
It will be great to see anything you create from a song to a script because anyone CAN do anything if they really want to place their mind to it. No, I'm not talking about flying, I am talking about things that most of us want so bad, and yet when it comes we let it go past.
To get you started, I know the name of a fantastic free ScriptWritting program...
go for it Snuggly.
I know what you mean.
If you need motivation for the film script thing then link it to the girlfriend objective (trust me on this one). You need to find someone who's vaguely acting inclined and during conversation you can mention the fact that you're looking for someone just like her to star in a film that you're currently writing. Then you can wow her with your witty-cult-Kevin-Smithy-humour/beautifully-moving/action film script (though possibly not the last one). That way you'll want to write the script to pull her and that'll happen if the script's half-decent (you'd hope.)
My year's going to involve two filmy-type things:
1. I've been thinking about turning some of the "news" stories I've done into a short Day-today/brasseye type news show. I taught myself after effects in the holidays so I can do quite a lot of the fancy logos and title bars and things like that. At most it'll involve plonking a couple of people in front of a blue sheet and then compositing a nice 3D studio and flying logos. If it looks nice I'll try sending it to Channel 4 and see what happens.
2. What I really want to do is film a short film (the script's half done) and then enter it for the Cambridge film festival. It already has a brilliant soundtrack, composed entirely of songs for which I haven't and won't be able to pay royalties, so I might have to try and find a prodigious musical talent who'll score a film on the cheap at some point. I need to finish the damn script though. I always get distracted. First it was the title sequence, which started off with lovely 3d Butterflies, well they looked more like flying coffins, and has now completely changed and finished with a rather snazzy minimalist line thing that looks cool. Meanwhile my script languished at 5 pages until I got stuck into it. Now I need to do the rest of the middle third and the final third and then it's done. The problem is I keep going back and changing stuff as well. It should be finished fairly soon though...
I'll post a link here at some point and try and get some of you to critique it...
Going camera shopping tomorrow. yay.
I know what you mean.
If you need motivation for the film script thing then link it to the girlfriend objective (trust me on this one). You need to find someone who's vaguely acting inclined and during conversation you can mention the fact that you're looking for someone just like her to star in a film that you're currently writing. Then you can wow her with your witty-cult-Kevin-Smithy-humour/beautifully-moving/action film script (though possibly not the last one). That way you'll want to write the script to pull her and that'll happen if the script's half-decent (you'd hope.)
My year's going to involve two filmy-type things:
1. I've been thinking about turning some of the "news" stories I've done into a short Day-today/brasseye type news show. I taught myself after effects in the holidays so I can do quite a lot of the fancy logos and title bars and things like that. At most it'll involve plonking a couple of people in front of a blue sheet and then compositing a nice 3D studio and flying logos. If it looks nice I'll try sending it to Channel 4 and see what happens.
2. What I really want to do is film a short film (the script's half done) and then enter it for the Cambridge film festival. It already has a brilliant soundtrack, composed entirely of songs for which I haven't and won't be able to pay royalties, so I might have to try and find a prodigious musical talent who'll score a film on the cheap at some point. I need to finish the damn script though. I always get distracted. First it was the title sequence, which started off with lovely 3d Butterflies, well they looked more like flying coffins, and has now completely changed and finished with a rather snazzy minimalist line thing that looks cool. Meanwhile my script languished at 5 pages until I got stuck into it. Now I need to do the rest of the middle third and the final third and then it's done. The problem is I keep going back and changing stuff as well. It should be finished fairly soon though...
I'll post a link here at some point and try and get some of you to critique it...
Going camera shopping tomorrow. yay.
cookie monster wrote:
> "Motivation, such an aggravation"
>
> Keeps this in mind when you need an excuse to give in.
ahhh muic taste
respectability: -1 point
> "Motivation, such an aggravation"
>
> Keeps this in mind when you need an excuse to give in.
ahhh muic taste
respectability: -1 point
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