The Struggle To Chill..Is Real

"Relax? Don't Do It?" Has Frankie Ever Been To Hollywood?

HOLLY JOHNSON OF FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD

Born and raised in the Type A way, I struggle to chill. Even when I’m not feeling well—like today—I feel the need to be productive. Stupid sinuses are slowing me down. Probably for the best. I’ll take the hint and take the day off…

Until a few weeks ago, I typically started work around 4 am and usually didn’t clock out until at least 5 pm.

Even with occasional breaks, that schedule makes for a lonnnnng day.

I truly love what I do, but let’s just say that pace is not sustainable. At least not for the long haul. I’m very proud of how much I’ve been able to create and curate over the past year, but I wouldn’t recommend anyone do it my way.

Yesterday, I posted my first new montage on YouTube in three weeks. It was fun to make, but I realized I’m still a lot more tired than I thought. I had planned to post a new montage on Substack…but that was overly ambitious. So look for it in the coming days. Clint needs a day (or two) off.

Over my many years of creative play and work, I’ve found there’s a fine, fine line between dedication and burnout, and I’ve been walking it for a while now.

When you work for yourself, the pressure to keep producing, keep engaging, keep growing never really stops. There’s always another idea, another post, another project waiting in the wings. And when you genuinely love what you do, it’s even harder to step back and take a breath.

I’ve been telling myself that I need to slow down, that I need to rest, that I need to—dare I say it?—relax. But actually doing it? That’s another story. I think part of me has always associated rest with laziness, even though I know that’s ridiculous.

Rest is necessary. Recovery is part of the process. Even machines need downtime, and I’m certainly not a machine…though I use a few to do my work.

The funny thing is, when I do take a break—when I force myself to stop for a bit—I actually feel better. My ideas flow more freely, my creativity sparks in ways it doesn’t when I’m running on fumes. But still, the guilt creeps in. The feeling that I should be doing something, anything, to move the needle forward.

So, long story short, I’m trying to find a balance.

I’m trying to remind myself that taking time off doesn’t mean I’m slacking. I’m trying to reframe relaxation as a necessary part of the creative process. And I’m taking inspiration from artists, musicians, and creatives who understand that rest fuels the work, not detracts from it.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s “Relax” is now officially on repeat. Maybe I’ll do more than just sing along as I steam ahead. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll learn how to relax.

Old dogs can learn new tricks, right? RIGHT?! 🤓😎🥸
Clint 🌈✌️

P.S. Big thanks to

Douglas Thompson

for sharing this live performance of “Relax.”

ON THIS DAY = MARCH 2

BIRTHDAYS

• 1886 = Willis H. O'Brien = American animator and director

• 1894 = Renata Borgatti = Italian classical pianist 🌈

• 1904 = Dr. Seuss = American children's book writer, poet, and illustrator

• 1905 = Marc Blitzstein = American composer and lyricist 🌈

• 1914 = Martin Ritt = American actor and film director

• 1917 = David Goodis = American author and screenwriter

• 1917 = Desi Arnaz = Cuban-American actor, singer, and producer

• 1919 = Eddie Lawrence = American actor, singer, and playwright

• 1919 = Jennifer Jones = American actor

• 1921 = Ernst Haas = Austrian-American photographer and journalist

• 1930 = John Cullum = American actor and singer

• 1930 = Tom Wolfe = American journalist and author

• 1938 = Lawrence Payton = American singer-songwriter and producer

• 1942 = Lou Reed = American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor

• 1943 = Peter Straub = American author and poet

• 1943 = Robert Williams = American painter and cartoonist

• 1950 = Karen Carpenter = American singer-songwriter

• 1952 = Laraine Newman = American actor and comedian

• 1962 = Jon Bon Jovi = American singer-songwriter and actor

• 1968 = Daniel Craig = English actor

• 1977 = Chris Martin = English singer-songwriter

• 1980 = Rebel Wilson = Australian actor and screenwriter

• 1981 = Bryce Dallas Howard = American actor

• 1988 = James Arthur = English singer-songwriter

• 1988 = Matthew Mitcham = Australian diver 🌈

• 1990 = Luke Combs = American singer-songwriter

EVENTS

• 1901 = United States Steel Corporation is founded as a result of a merger between Carnegie Steel Company and Federal Steel Company which became the first corporation in the world with a market capital over $1 billion.

• 1903 = In New York City the Martha Washington Hotel opens, becoming the first hotel exclusively for women.

• 1933 = King Kong premieres at Radio City Music Hall and RKO Roxy.

• 1949 = The B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II landed in Fort Worth, Texas, to complete the first non-stop circumnavigation of the world by airplane.

• 1965 = The Sound of Music is released in theaters.

• 1978 – The late iconic actor Charlie Chaplin's coffin is stolen from his grave in Switzerland.

• 1982 = Wisconsin becomes the first US state to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

• 1983 = Compact discs and players are released for the first time in the United States and other markets. They had previously been available only in Japan.

• 1992 = Nirvana releases “Come As You Are” as a single.

• 1992 = Red Hot Chili Peppers release “Under the Bridge” as a single.

HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES

• National Old Stuff Day

PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go.”
Dr. Seuss

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