Live + Learn + Learn Some More
Newsletter + On This Day
It’s early Monday morning, the beginning of the “official” work week for most. Like most creatives and “solopreneurs,” I usually work most days. At least a few hours. Yesterday, after finishing a couple of montages I started last week, I spent the day doodling and noodling on how I can become a better content creator.
Like most of my so-called career (and life), I never planned on becoming a content creator. And yet here I am, posting videos—on Substack and YouTube—and writing a blog/newsletter before the sun comes up. If you can’t tell, I love creating and curating. They give this old dog an excuse (and purpose) to keep learning new tricks every day.
Learning new stuff, for me, is the key to staying in the game of life. Even when I don’t wanna, I know it’s good for the brain meats to stretch and run on the mental treadmill.
I find when my brain grows bigger so does my heart. The more I know, the more love and respect I have for others. Even those I disagree with. (To be clear, I still struggle to love/respect truly disagreeable folks. Ughs make me go “Ugh!”))
Over the past 30+ years, I’ve started my work week in various ways: as a film/tv crew member, as a freelance web designer, as a full-time graphic designer and art director, and now as an independent content creator. My “career” may sound linear to some, but it only makes sense to me when I distill and simplify it.
If you didn’t know, Collide Press began as an art and design collective focused on creating original art and design. Me and my creative friends knew it couldn’t last forever, but we had a blast and learned so much from each other.
As the original Collide Press Crew started moving on to other projects, I decided to (re)focus on creating and curating a motley mix of art, design, history, photo, and video. The changes, big and small, continue to ripple across the Shop, Substack, and YouTube. I’m still figuring out what works for me…and what doesn’t.
How do I learn best? Usually by doing, by trial and error. I also learn by listening to and watching other people doing similar types of work. People like Kevin Kolbe, a former TV creative director turned content creator. At age 57, he was laid off and decided to turn his YouTube hobby into a full-time career. I just found his channel yesterday and already feel encouraged/inspired by him and his story.
Long story short, however old (or young) we are, I think most of us are capable of learning something new. Of living and loving something(s) new too.
Whether we’re focused on becoming a better content creator or becoming a better human being, most of us likely know how to drive. I see life as a choice between the accelerator and the brake. Both are necessary to get where you’re going safely, so both should be applied with care. Don’t forget to shift gears whenever necessary.
Thanks for reading!
Clint
P.S. Yesterday, this happened, over on YouTube…wow!
P.P.S. With 900+ subscribers here on Substack, we’ll likely be celebrating 1K within the next week. So an early THANK YOU for subscribing…and sharing my work too!
TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD…
ON THIS DAY = SEPTEMBER 16
BIRTHDAYS
JAMES CASH PENNEY (1875)
Entrepreneur + RetailerLAUREN BACALL (1924)
ActorB.B. KING (1925)
Singer-SongwriterAMY POEHLER (1971)
Comedian + actorNICK JONAS (1992)
Singer + Actor
“MY UPBRINGING WAS FAITH-BASED, BUT WE BELIEVED YOU SHOULD LOVE ALL OTHERS AS YOU WANT TO BE LOVED, BECAUSE EVERYONE SHOULD BE TREATED EQUALLY. THAT'S HELPED ME HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF PEOPLE ON DIFFERENT JOURNEYS AND IN DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE ALL THE SAME, BECAUSE WE ALL WANT TO BE LOVED.”
NICK JONAS
EVENTS
The Mayflower departs Plymouth, England, with 102 Pilgrims and about 30 crew for the New World. (1620)
The Wall Street bombing occurs at 12:01 when a horse-drawn wagon explodes on Wall Street, New York, killing 38 and injuring 143. (1920)
Los Angeles City Council approves a 300-acre site in Chavez Ravine to build Dodger Stadium. (1957)
Maria Callas dies in Paris, France, at the age of 53. (1977)
Metropolitan Opera House opens in Lincoln Cente with Leontyne Price starring as Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra by Samuel Barber. (1966)
Webster premieres on ABC. (1983)
Miami Vice premieres on NBC. (1984)
Punky Brewster premieres on ABC. (1984)
Fraiser premieres on NBC. (1993)
Richard A. Heyman dies of AIDS-related pneumonia at the age of 59. Heyman was mayor of Key West from 1983 to 1985 and from 1987 to 1989. He was one of the first openly gay public officials in the United States. Under his leadership, the City of Key West passed a resolution to make it illegal for employers to fire staff who had HIV/AIDS. Heyman’s long-time partner was artist John Kiraly. (1994)
Nearly bankrupt, Apple Computer Inc. names co-founder Steve Jobs as interim CEO, beginning a renaissance of innovation and success at the company. (1997)
Israeli couple, Yuval Topper-Erez, a transman, and his husband Matan, became the first to be jointly recognized as biological fathers. (2013)
Playwright Edward Albee dies in Montauk, New York, at the age of 88. He is best remembered for his 1962 play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (and made famous by the 1966 film). (2016)
A Little Late with Lilly Singh premiered on on this day making Singh the first late-night host to ever publicly identify as bisexual. (2019)
NEW + FEATURED
MORE FROM COLLIDE PRESS
Ko-Fi + Linktree + Shop + Storefront + YouTube
Congratulations on your success here on substack and elsewhere, Clint! Trial and error is a very effective tactic for finding one's way through challenging situations, regardless of one's chronological age. By the way, I am convinced that an individual's chronological age has little to do with their physical, mental, emotional or spiritual age.