a director friend of mine several years back told me that the most important resource for a filmmaker wasn’t time or money, it was energy. without energy, time and money aren’t useful; with enough energy, no lack of time or money will stop creativity.
so lately, i’ve made finding and maintaining high energy a top priority. i think this will benefit everyone here, so i’m sharing what i’m learning.
there’s really only a few things under our control in life. three things we can control are:
our diet
our physical activity, and
our outlook.
diet
i’ve gotten back on my Maker’s Diet after having strayed from it for the last few months, particularly during the filming of the movie when i just ate whatever was nearby. after a couple of weeks of feeling the sugar detox, i’ve had full-day energy, clear thinking, and sharp focus.
no sugar crashes, less coffee drinking, lots more water. and i feel fantastic. no painful joints, no stomach aches. clear head and a body ready to keep up.
physical activity
i’ve added some physical activity — some light resistance workout, some physical training (my neighbor is an instructor!), and riding my bicycle (designed by Viktor Schreckengost!).
at this point, i think the physical activity might be contributing more to the energy than the diet, but only because my body is used to being on this diet (for the most part) over the last ~15 years.
outlook
i try to keep “what are you thankful for?” on the tip of my tongue, not just for myself, but for others. starting the day or a conversation with gratitude reframes everything into a positive direction, and usually creates association with relationship (being thankful to someone — God, family, friends, etc.).
i’ve also been learning like crazy — some for freelance work, some for the movie. i used to do 3D animation a long time ago, but i started learning blender again the past couple of weeks to get back into it.
here’s the result of Andrew Price’s Blender Guru tutorial series.
click the image to play (and follow me on instagram while you’re at it!):
what do you think?
i’ve also been learning how to make Snapchat and Instagram filters, which ended up landing me a quick freelance gig for an international client.
all the learning keeps adding to my talent stack, which is unique to me; it’s what makes me valuable and rare.
the curiosity and learning have my energy racing.
all time high
my energy is currently at an all-time high. i’m producing more per hour and for more hours. i’m sleeping well and feeling great. sure, i’m losing a little weight as well, but i can’t really control that. i can only control the factors that drastically affect my energy. if i take care of my energy enough, everything else will be smooth sailing.
what do you do to take care of your energy? did you learn anything from this? please let me know in the comments.
more to come
more behind the scenes and filmmaking content is about to be unleashed (after a few skimpy months), so make sure you’re behind that pay wall with the other cool cats!
On outlook, I’ve learned that My attitudE begins and ends with ME.