Ideas: Still reading on the downsides of optimization, better time management, and prioritizing meaningful things instead of trying to do everything and be everything, all at once. For a long time I tried to “optimize” in a lot of ways I started to feel the burnout. There are two sides of this spectrum for me: absurd laziness and absurd productivity. Both are their own special type of hell. There is a tendency to remain within whatever state you find yourself in and it takes conscious activity to change your actions, a force-pushing a sort of psychological inertia. I’ll run myself ragged trying to accomplish things for the sake of accomplishment. Two things I try to remember: the only reward for greater efficiency is more work, and from Seinfeld: “the secret to life is wasting time doing the things you like”.

Drums and music: Still working on improving double kick drum skills. Choosing one or two things to improve upon works much better than trying to improve on everything, as skills bleed into one another and enhance and change skills that are already present. Music choices are generally heavier, with an emphasis on experimental metal, film scores, and some old trusty-dusty with Radiohead. I listen to a lot of music, more that’s recorded on here, but I try to capture specific full albums on here because the album is an important artistic statement and should be consumed as a whole. Nowadays singles are king, and I get it, but when I can I try to listen to full length albums. The Zane Lowe/ Brain Eno interview was incredible. Eno’s way of viewing art is inspiring. I am dabbling in learning bits and pieces of melodic theory, which helps tremendously in songwriting. Being primarily a drummer this is a new world for me.

Reading: I don’t read as much as I’d like to. If I just did 10 mins a day, I would make tremendous progress. I’ve been using Shortform to ingest the meat and potatoes of nonfiction books, more like mining for information rather than reading. It works for me and my interests, but nothing will ever replace reading.

This log is sorta measuring, sorta recording. I felt like I squandered a lot of time consuming useless things and I wanted a way track it. It keeps me on track in a way and I have found that since I have been doing this I have been more consistent at reading, drumming, and giving whatever it is I am doing my full attention.

When we create we draw from the sources from which we are inspired. If you want to make good things you have to consume good things. You will see the quality of what you produce increase when you increase the quality of what you allow into your mind.

Looking at it from a different angle: garbage in-garbage out.

Drumming, writing, and visual design are important to me. A film, an article, or even a dish can inspire to create a musical idea, a concept, a scene. Everything can be mixed with and inspired by something else. And what is ultimately produced is a taste. Your taste. Self education is just as important as being inspired by a film or music.

This is an experiment, so it may change and look different from month to month.

~~Inspired by~~ Stolen and adapted from Soderberg's Blog.

Other places to connect with me:

Email: cannondispatchpodcast@gmail.com

The Cannon Dispatch

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