Im writing this while I’m in the front seat of a taxi cab in Bangkok, on the way to the airport, about to see the love of my life (Cindy) after 4 days away.
I think taxis, Uber, and public transportation are the best time to do creative work.
I recently watched ‘Ghost in the Shell’ (the new one) and was inspired by a scene in the movie— you see two people in the back seat of a car, typing on their laptops (while their driver, or perhaps self-driving car took them around).
I got inspired — no matter what situation I am in, I can always do creative work. No excuses.
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A lot of Bangkok people complain about traffic. But if you are lucky enough to ride a taxi or have a personal driver— use that time to your advantage. Use that time to look through your photos, and share your favorites. Or use that time to write on your laptop or your smartphone. My friend Om Malik (writes photography stuff for the New Yorker) has done several pieces just written on his iPhone Plus. And for me, I can type pretty damn fast on my smartphone — I did a blog post on life lessons from the MATRIX while standing in life before getting my ticket (using the IA writer app on Android).
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To me, I see life as a fun game. Whenever I have a difficult situation — it gives me a fun opportunity to take it to my advantage.
If I’m bored and stuck in traffic— perhaps I can use that time to come up with some fun rhymes, and freestyle rap to myself over instrumental beats in the car.
Or when I am bored waiting at the airport— using that time to write, reflect, meditate, and read.
Or when I have some mental pain from the past— use that opportunity to write bout my shitty childhood, as a form of self-therapy, or to perhaps write some words of encouragement to others who are suffering from pain, anxiety, or depression.
Practical advice
The best advice I have is to not censor yourself. Live life with the hashtag: #NOFILTER.
Don’t filter yourself. Say what is really on your mind. Write like you talk. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
You are not right or wrong; you just have your own opinion and thoughts. And share them. Society is dependent on your ideas, images, and art.
The purpose of life
I think the purpose of life is to empower others. For me, I try to make art (through writing, poetry, videos, photos, whatever) to empower others. I think when in doubt, make more art). And to be an ‘artist’ is to just make more art.
We are all born artists. Children are all artists. Yet when we get older, we lose our inner-child, and lose our inner-artist.
So your job as an adult is to dig deeper— and silence the rest of the world (delete all your photos on Instagram and unfollow everyone) and spend some time creating art offline.
When you were a kid, you made art. You made art with color paintings, with crayons, and by drawing on the walls (to the dismay of your parents). Nobody censored you. You painted the sky purple. You didn’t see color in people.
You made art for the sake of making art. You didn’t care to ‘share’ your art with others. You just made a crayon masterpiece, and moved onto the next one.
Somewhere along the way — you built an ego. You wanted praise from your parents and teachers and peers. Then when you made a piece of art people didn’t praise you for, you would feel disappointed.
This is why when my future kid makes art, I am going to not tell them it is good or bad. Rather, I will admire them for ‘working hard’ and ‘staying true to themselves.’ I will reward the process and hustle of making art— not the final product.
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Sorry I got a bit off track, but know that the world is your own playground. Have fun.
Roll around in the grass. Make photos that are fun. Play with your friends. Don’t compete. Smile and laugh more and live more.
Have fun,
Eric
Learn more: CREATIVITY >)