📚writing by hand is the window to the soul. 📚[steem lifeblog #015]

heymattsokol (68)in #mindfulness • 5 years ago

I have handwritten my way through 40 pages (!) in this new notebook since two weeks ago. It’s a full size 1-subject notebook like you’ll find at any dollar store, not one of the small ones.

40 doesn’t sound that impressive as I write it here on Steem. But it is a lot of words!

_{This is my new daily Steem Blog, now in beta mode!}

INTRO

My goal in life is to start a new genre. To inspire and invoke a new form of art into the world, sending ripples of creativity out into the universe for generations to come.

Right now I'm grinding out the early stages, working two jobs, starting an anarchist art collective, and recording + rehearsing a ton of new music. This daily Steem blog brings you the most useful lessons and ideas that I'm able to extract from each day of my crazy life.

It's kind of like a motivational blog, but with a lot more angst and confusion. Call me the anti-Tony Robbins. Lets do this.

🔊🔊🔊

How about some music while you read? Unlimited free streaming and downloads at my Bandcamp page.

🔊🔊🔊

_{art from my first album, bloomer}

Coffeeshop, 11:15

It’s so useful to write out as many ideas and observations as possible. Otherwise our brains are forgetting the vast majority of what we experience. I don’t know about you, but I do NOT have a photographic memory!

One of the major keys 🔑🔑🔑 of journaling is to never do it at home. Home is a distracting place.

I recommend one of two locations for journaling:

(A) Somewhere secluded, probably in nature. Perhaps a babbling brook or a graveyard?

(B) “LOST IN THE CROWD” i.e. a coffeeshop or bar you aren’t likely to see your close friends at.

Both of these will let you have a “forcefield” against distractions. It’s even better if you leave your phone at home 💚

When writing a lot of material by hand, strength + endurance is a big factor. If you are trying to write for more than 5 minutes at a time, do NOT use a crappy ballpoint pen. You will hurt your hand trying to use those things for long writing sessions.

I can offer you a budget solution, and also an “ultra-budget” one too :-)

BUDGET PEN: The Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen w/ Pilot Namiki Black Ink Cartridges

Your initial supply (pen + ink) will cost about $30 and last you a few months, with each refill pack of 12 cartridges running a mere $6 and lasting many many pages.

Even if you eventually lose or break the pen (I made it a year and a half on my last one), it’s only $20 for the pen itself so that isn’t terrible to replace once and a while.

But maybe you aren’t convinced, or a pen isn’t making it onto your endless list of wouldn’t-it-be-nice $30 purchases, ok I get it — here’s the ultra-budget option:

ULTRA-BUDGET PEN: Sharpie Fine Pen (not the marker - this is a pen)

About $2 at the dollar store near me for one of these. The best quality cheap disposable pen I’ve found so far, these will be OK for long writing sessions. The ink looks pretty good too, dark and consistent — better than most cheap ballpoints.

My personal experience indicates that the pen matters much more than the paper. I am a pen snob, but I do most of my writing on generic 1-subject notebooks from the dollar store.

This is what I am thinking about at the coffeeshop before going to the grocery store down the street.

Grocery Store, 12:00

It’s another scorching hot day. Spring is over. Summer is here. It’s a lot of iced coffee and fresh-from-the-fridge sparkling water for me. Trying to stay hydrated and cool.

Sparkling water is really a dank sobriety hack, since they have it at most bars and coffeeshops.

My grocery trips are utilitarian AF now. I try to only buy as much as I can fit into my backpack. Then I’m able to ride a Lime home with ease. Keep in mind I don’t have a car.

Liming is fun. You can roll down that bike lane at 18mph like a champ, low-key praying none of the cars behind you swerve a lil’ bit and kill you.

_{INSANT DEATH!}

These scooters were hella obnoxious for the first 6 months they were here in Raleigh. Now things seem more reasonable, they are less common. I heard they were all going away soon due to legal issues, but I hope that is not true.

Rolling home, I’ve got a few hours before my night shift at Kings. There’s a big guitar show tonight w/ Charlie Parr & Phill Cook. Many tickets sold. I am the one to check those tickets.

The few hours before the shift are mostly absorbed by cooking and cleaning. I’ve decided not to work on any music today. This gives me an abundance of time.

Kings, 18:45

At Kings, there’s a whole lot of people. More than 150 paying “guests” will walk into the venue before the night is over.

Technically the show is all ages, but I will only draw one set of “X”s all night. Old crowd.

With 150+ people to check tickets for, I’m busy for the first two hours of the shift. After that it’s a slow hour and a half while the bands finish playing. I like this part because it gives me a chance to write drafts of steem posts and leave comments on other content around steem, all while getting paid by my job.

Once the encore ends, I’m sweeping and mopping. It takes a lot of work to do this at Kings due to the large footprint. I have to move fast to keep pace with the bartenders.

It’s another night of work. Another paycheck closer to financial freedom.

Another long day comes to a close. After grabbing some drinks at Slims w/ the pals, I head home to sleep.