Working (or trying to work) as a creative person isn't easy, for lots of reasons. But one of the biggest reasons is that it can be difficult to make ends meet, especially when you have no guaranteed source of income over long periods of time. I have definitely felt that, even though I do have a job that is mostly steady. I work in the world of non-profit, which is just a teensy step above artist in the pay category, and then only because it's a steady paycheck. So, I thought that today I would share some of the strategies I've used to keep my head above water and live a relatively comfortable life free from financial drama. Hopefully someone out there is looking for information like this and will be helped by it. 

Step One: Knowledge is Power
Part of the whole problem is figuring out where your money goes and how to plan for it coming and going. I often feel like money is just water through my fingers, but with a little research and mindfulness, I've gotten better at knowing where I'm at. My first step was reading a book called How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt, and Live Prosperously, by Jerrold Mundis. This book is full of strategies for taking control of your finances, such as creating a spending plan, how to pay down debt, deal with creditors, and so on. Really good advice. I'd say that's step one. Step two, (or one and a half) is actually doing the things he talks about. Now that I know exactly how much income I have, and what my expenses are, I can track things and make sure I stay within my means. I also started using a great app/website called Mint.com. It's linked to all my financial accounts, including investment accounts, and the mobile version is great for those times when I'm at the store and need to know if I can afford that extra bag of marshmallows. 

Step Two: Set Your Goals
After knowing what the sitch is, I decided what was most important to me, and how I wanted my financial picture to change. One thing I did was make a decision to not use my credit card anymore. Ever. Never ever. And by paying every month on that, I've managed to reduce my credit card debt by over half in just under two years. And let me tell you, that feels great. Aside from that, I also set other goals. I wanted to set up reserve funds for various things, and luckily, there's a goal section in Mint that lets you do that. It keeps track for you, so you can see how far you have to go. I also keep my savings in a partitioned account with a high interest rate (well, relatively high, for a savings account). It's almost like virtual envelopes that I can keep my money in. For instance, I have an envelope for the car, for travel, clothes, and the house. Plus a general emergency fund and a rainy day fund. Each month I put a bit away in each account, and over time it really adds up (plus earns interest!). Then, when the house needs a repair, or the car insurance is due, or I need some fancy new duds, I'm not scrambling to figure out how to pay for it. It's already there. Believe me, there is great peace of mind in planning ahead. And for things like travel that aren't generally cheap, I don't have to whip out the credit card. The money is already there.

Step Three: Keep Working
This is kind of a two step step three. The first part is, keep doing your creative work. Work hard at it. Keep building your body of work, getting better, and putting it out there. The more you do that, the more likely it is that you'll be able to increase your earnings, as well as your skill levels, which ends up being a wonderful cycle of being able to charge more for your work and having more people seek you out, which brings in more funds to make more work, and so on and so on. The second part is to keep working at your financial fitness. There's no way you're going to turn into Warren Buffet on Day One. But, with a little hard work and diligence, you can improve. If you have a day where you have to use the credit card, or you go over your spending plan, don't panic, and don't beat yourself up. Just tell yourself you'll try to do better tomorrow. It's impossible to change your financial picture in just one day, but in one day you can achieve small goals. Not eating out, not using the credit card, putting money into savings, walking rather than driving, whatever. And those little goals become habits eventually, and then those habits add up to a more secure financial situation where you can breathe and not worry so much about where your rent money is coming from, freeing you up to worry about your next masterpiece instead.

Now go forth and thrive.

We often refer to writing as a practice. And yes, I do believe that the more you do it, the better you get. It just kind of happens. Some people say it takes 10,000 hours to become a master at something, but I'm not sure I truly believe that. (Still, you should totally check out Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers if you want to read more about it) I once had a coach that said "Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice does." That made sense to me. (He also said "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing", but that's another story.) I may not be an athlete anymore (I struggle just to get a good workout in more than once a week), but I do practice. I practice writing. But that, friends, is much like being an athlete, and I've developed some sports strategies that I believe help me along the way. Here they are.

1. Do it every day.
As with any muscle, your brain needs to get used to things. It's a giant muscle with lots of other things it has to do, so if you want to write, you have to train it. I started with a daily journal, writing a minimum of 750 words every day. In the beginning, that was a bit challenging (both to do it and get to the word count), but I eventually got there. I used a great website called 750words.com to help me, too. After a while, I was in the habit, so I decided to extend the number of words I wrote every day. First by a little, then a little more. Now I write upwards of 1500 to 2000 words every day. Then I decided to work on something serious every day (the journal was just thoughts, no big deal). I started with twenty-five minute sessions, with five minute breaks in between using a great app called Pomodoro or Clockwork Tomato that I downloaded onto my phone. I currently am working on developing the habit of writing seven days a week, for a minimum of two hours (25 minutes on, 5 minutes off). I'm working on extending the time to three hours, but my brain needs to toughen up. So do it every day. Write.

2. Set performance goals
Another thing I did was set goals for myself. Like right now, I'm working on a screenplay. I'm trying to write ten pages per day (which is admittedly a tough goal), which would allow me to finish the first draft before I go on vacation over Labor Day weekend. With the goal, I know where I am, where I'm going, and how I'm getting there. It helps. I also set longer term goals, such as writing a novel by the end of the year, or having two scripts by then, and things like that. They do have to be adjusted from time to time, but it really helps.

3. Track your progress
Just like athletes, we need to see improvement. So I've created a little chart that tracks what I've done. It's just a simple spreadsheet, but I put the date, the amount of time I spent writing, what I was working on, how many words I wrote, where I wrote, and any other notes for that day. Then I can see when I have dips or peaks and try to figure out what was or wasn't working on that day. I can also see the progress I make overall towards finishing whatever I'm working on. And, I can see overall improvement. Maybe in the beginning I was only writing 750 words, but now I'm writing 2000. Yes, that's an improvement, and I'll take that as a victory.

4. Test your concentration
One of the things about being an athlete that makes one great is the ability to deliver their best performance no matter the circumstances. They don't have breaks in concentration or 'bad days'. They get out there and always bring their 'A' game. As writers, I know that sometimes we are very fragile. We're susceptible to moods, weather, distractions, and all manner of monsters that aim to keep us from writing. So we have to battle that. Once you have a writing practice in place where it feels stable and secure, switch it up. If you usually write in your office, write at the kitchen table. Or the coffee shop. Or the sofa. Or wherever. Just change your surroundings. This helps prevent getting into a rut and developing the belief that you can only write under specific and particular circumstances. This is bullshit, my friends. You can write anywhere. Yes, anywhere. I have found that I am able to concentrate very well when I'm at the airport waiting on a flight. Sometimes I can even do it on the plane (that one needs work). Who knew? But since I can't go to the airport every day, I like to switch it up sometimes, and see where I write well, and where I don't. And work on getting better at the places where I don't. That way, literally NOTHING can stop me from writing. Because I can write anywhere.

5. Join a team
Writing is often a solitary and lonely activity. Sometimes encouraging ourselves just isn't enough. So go get some teammates! I joined a writing group a little over two years ago, and we meet weekly to read and discuss our work. It's wonderful. With a writing group, you get feedback on what your doing, and encouragement for where you're going. I've had some difficult times in this group, but in the end, we're all there to help each other and make each other the best writers we can be, and it's due to this group that I've grown into the writer I am. They've been there to applaud me and steer me out of ruts. And I even managed to make some great friends out of it to boot. Seriously, get on a team. They'll hold you accountable when you slack, and pat you on the back when you finish. Just like in sports.

6. Compete!
Very few of us writers ever really plan to never show anyone our work. Nor should you. You did it, now share it! Whatever you're working on, whether it's poetry, a novel, a screenplay, blog, or short story, should be shared with the public. Maybe that means writing contests. Go for it! Maybe it means finding an editor or agent and getting published. Maybe it just means sharing it online with a select group of like-minded fans. Whatever it is, get your work out into the world. It would be silly if Usain Bolt just stayed in Jamaica and ran down the street for fun, right? We want to see him in the Olympics, showing us how his training and amazing abilities have made him into the fastest man on the planet. We want to see Michael Phelps  reach for the wall, and we want to see that gymnast get that perfect score. Likewise, we want to see you and your work live in the world and get the attention and love it deserves. We want to see you on that podium!

So today I thought I would take it out and see what it can do, and I'm sharing some of the photos I like best here with you, so you can see what this lens can do. Yes, it's somewhat limited, because it has a very specific purpose. It is only the second lens I have, as the first lens I have pretty much does everything from wide angle to telephoto. And I'm not a professional photographer, so my need for lenses is somewhat limited. But this lens produces such beautiful and lyrical images, that I feel I have a use for it. Maybe I could even make a movie with it. Or maybe just part of a movie. Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure I can find some lovely things to photograph along the way, and if not, I still have a beautiful brass lens. And if you think you need one too, you can always get one from Lomography for your very own. 

Below are the photos I took, in about a twenty minute time span this morning at the rose and succulent gardens at Balboa Park. If you're wondering why so many of them have stars in the background, it's because I experimented mostly with an aperture plate that had a star cutout in it. I plan to experiment with some of the others, but for the sake of time, I mostly stuck with the star because it's the most pronounced shape, so I know when I'm really getting the effect. It's kind of magical and weird, and even unpredictable. Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the photos, or what else you think I should try taking some pictures of next time I go out and test the lens. Maybe a test somewhere in Los Angeles should be in the works.

Today I participated in a fundraiser for a great non-profit in San Diego called San Diego Writers, Ink. It's peopled with writers who help other writers become better writers, and whenever I participate in something they put on, I'm not disappointed.

But somewhere, deep down, is a nagging little voice asking me why I'm working to raise money for another non-profit besides my own. But that voice really needs to pipe down. Why? Because I'm working to raise money for the non-profit I work for every day. Yes, EVERY day. In case you didn't know, Media Arts Center San Diego has been around for quite a while, spreading the gospel of digital media and storytelling since its inception. That gospel has grown to include camps for kids, documentary classes for teenagers, partner programs with California libraries, and workshops for adults. Everything from how to take pictures with your fancy new DSLR to how to build your own steadicam.

Oh, and we also show movies.

That's my job. I often get an odd reaction from people when they find out what I do. "You mean you get to watch movies? All the time?"

Yes, all the time. I'm lucky enough to have a job that includes something most people (including myself) enjoy. I get to watch movies, meet filmmakers, and sometimes visit film festivals. I'm not going to tell you that it's not as glamorous as it sounds, because you wouldn't believe me anyway, and that's like complaining that your Maserati doesn't purr at 20 mph like it does at 80. Small potatoes.

So yes, I do love what I do. I love watching movies. But I also feel like I'm participating in something that matters. Yes, the education programs that are provided by Media Arts Center are wonderful. There is a wonderful staff of people that attend to all the details and ensure that they are enriching for kids young and old. The video production programs are also wonderful. Media Arts has managed to help a plethora of organizations that don't have access to the digital media tools and knowledge that we have in order to help them send their message around the internet and back again. Because that's what we do: provide access.

So now we have this Digital Gym, where you can get training on all things digital, like the YMCA, but for your brain and creativity instead of your body. And we also have a movie theater, which is where I come in.


But how does that fit in? Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing enough, not contributing enough, or not do-gooding enough. And then I reflect.

I've been at the organization for six years, programming films for the San Diego Latino Film Festival, Que Viva! Cine Latino, Cinema en tu Idioma, and a number of other community screenings. We've partnered with the SD Asian Film Festival, the Jewish Film Festival, Horrible Imaginings Film Festival, and countless other community groups to get messages out and spur cross-cultural dialogue within the San Diego community. Now I program the Digital Gym Cinema, and I'm constantly asking myself, what is this film for?

It's simple, really. Film is for people. It's for ideas. It's for creativity and sharing. There is not one single filmmaker on the planet who makes a film to watch alone in their own living room. Films are made to be seen, by groups of people, to share something that filmmaker thinks is important. It's just up to me, as the curator of the Digital Gym Cinema, to try to figure out what the community most wants, or what the community most needs.

So if I may, I'd like to reflect on what's come along so far. A film about the danger of greed (The Brass Teapot). A film about a family dealing with the separation of living on both sides of the border (Aqui y Alla). A film about zero-emissions motorcycle racing (Charge). A film about French capitulation to the Nazis during WWII (La Rafle). A film about women in India as the country develops (The World Before Her). A film about the pollution of our land and oceans (Trashed). These aren't all of them, but they all have a story to tell that I think is worth telling. Some films were more well attended than others. I take no offense.

What I am always looking for is the movie that is simply a beautiful work of art. Something about it reaches down deep and pulls at you, whether it's the music, the visuals, the story, or a combination of all of those that keeps you in your seat for a couple of hours (or longer!) because you can't take your eyes and ears away from the screen. And sometimes I hear, "How is that helping people?"

I despise that kind of response. Movies are art. They contain art. They blend art. And I still believe in art for art's sake. Many years ago, I found myself in Paris at the Louvre. I went through the galleries and found myself in front of the Mona Lisa. I didn't stand there and wonder how that was helping people. I admired it, and the other works, as something that makes our lives a little less dull. An expression of something someone wanted to share.

Let me be clear: artists (and filmmakers) are not required to change the world. If Iron Man has taught us anything, it's that audiences don't expect movies to change the world. They expect something to be shared. A story, an idea, a thought. Some artists are activists, and I think that's great. Some are not, and that's great, too. But what all of them are doing is engaging. 

This is what I strive to program at the Digital Gym Cinema. So as we look forward, I'm excited about the variety of shares coming our way. A film about the coming-of-age of a teenager from the Dagreb tribe (The Lesser Blessed). A transgender story of impossible, unextinguishable love and romance (Laurence Anyways). A film about the complicated world of Somali pirates (Stolen Seas). A poetic journey from schoolbus to public transportation in Guatemala (La Camioneta). A film about two musicians who tragically died before their time, but not before their genius rooted (Greetings From Tim Buckley).

I sincerely hope to create engagement. What engages you?

Today we’re talking about music and film, two of my very favorite things in the whole wide world. Music is a form of expression that goes back to the beginning of time, where we created rhythm that somehow turned into a ticking clock that helped us measure the journey of the sun through the sky (Think about THAT next time the tic-tic-tic of a clock is annoying the crap out of you!).

Music infiltrates our worlds, our lives, our thoughts, in such ways that we don’t fully understand, but we know that it does. It can calm us down, pump us up, and research has shown that it can be used to improve your health. Some people even think it can make us smarter. Check out this article from CNN for the science.

In other words, music speaks to a primitive part of our being that we can never separate ourselves from. It is powerful, whether we like it or not.

And then there’s film. Film is a unique artform in that it combines all other forms of art: theater, visual art, performance art, dance, and yes, music too. It is a synergistic combination of different forms of expression that somehow amount to something greater than the sum of its parts. Film is, in short, magic.

Like music, movies affect us in ways we don’t fully comprehend.  There’s a great book by Colin McGinn called The Power of Movies that delves into how our minds meld with screens, in terms that even a non-scientist like myself can find engaging and understand.

Because of our close connection to music and film, it’s surprising that not every film is about music. However, there are several out in theaters, or coming soon that can vie for your attention, whether you love opera, folk, jazz, punk, or some other form of music.

Here are a few:
Violeta Went to Heaven
Greetings from Tim Buckley
Becoming Traviata
20 Feet From Stardom
A Band Called Death

So go ahead. Sing along. We’ll turn the volume up.

Seriously, is Kickstarter busted? And yes, that's a double meaning. Kickstarter has been around for only 4 years, but has significantly changed the way we look at funding art, music, movies, and even inventions. But in the last couple of weeks, Kickstarter has changed to such a degree that many are questioning the model. So, did people finally figure out how to really exploit what Kickstarter is about, or did they just break it altogether?

When the whole thing started, it seemed so innocent. Artists who had no money were finally able to find funding for their projects, either through their friends, or a network of strangers that truly believed in what they were doing. People were inventing things, and since they didn't necessarily have the means to put up cash for manufacturing their doo-dads, they found people willing to buy their products and basically front the cash in order to get them made. It was a fantasyland of ideas and wonder. I even found a project recently that was just some guy who wanted to draw cats for people. His enthusiasm was undeniable (who doesn't want a cute drawing of a cat?), but alas, the artistry wasn't quite there, and his project wasn't funded.

So, Kickstarter became a place to find ideas, inventions, and all manner of emerging artists in all sorts of media. And then came Veronica Mars. Veronica Mars the television show lasted for three seasons, then vanished suddenly with very little warning and no fanfare. The series didn't even get the normal series finale that is afforded to most shows. It simply went away. Many fans were outraged. Mind you, this is a rabid bunch. They really can't get enough of their spunky gumshoe (actually, the show was pretty good), and wanted to see her move on to the FBI and 'big time' crimes. They wanted to see Veronica get her guy-- both the criminal and the love interest. But sadly, that never came. For years, there was chatter about a movie, but every time the gossip got off the ground, it quickly got shot down. 

Then Rob Marshall (the creator of Veronica Mars) got an idea. He would go straight to the fans. Warner Brothers gave their blessing that if he could raise $2 million, they would support the marketing of the film (which is actually very expensive). So he opened up a Kickstarter campaign, and lo and behold, within 2 days (2 DAYS!) fans had pledged the minimum amount necessary. By the time the campaign ended 30 days later, many Kickstarter records had been broken, Marshall ended up with over $5 million, and it looks like the Veronica Mars movie is a go. But the story doesn't end there.

Then comes Zach Braff. Many people know and love him from the TV show Scrubs. Some remember his film Garden State. And still others revile him for "ruining" Oz. Whatever the case, he decided to jump into the Kickstarter ring. And yet again, we saw a well-known celebrity manage to raise a large amount of money ($2.2 million as of this writing) in a short amount of time (6 days). However, there is a noticeable difference. In Braff's project, no amount of money can buy you a copy of the film on DVD. Or Blu-Ray. For $100 you can see the film in certain cities. For $150 you can even get a copy of Garden State (I guarantee Target has it for much less). So what's the deal?

Normally, when people fund a project, one of the incentives is that they will get a copy of the finished product. Not so in this case. Why? Because Braff wants to sell that, too. You see, big studios pay big money for the rights to distribute movies on DVD and Blu-Ray. So, in effect, Braff gets paid twice. You pay him to make the movie, then you pay to see the movie, then you pay for a copy of the movie. Are you starting to see how this is broken?

On a side note, it is interesting to note that both the Veronica Mars project and Zach Braff's project list being an 'actor' with a spoken line as one of the perks. Meaning, you pay $10,000, they let you say something on camera. Seems legit, right? Except when you realize that they are supposed to pay you for that. There are hundreds, no, thousands of actors out there trying to make a living, and somehow you are supposed to pay for the privilege to say "Here's your check, sir."? Seems like a complete negation of the craft of acting, but this is somewhat debatable (Keanu Reeves, anyone?). Anyway..

So, here's the deal. Has Kickstarter "gone Hollywood"? Is there any room left for regular people who have spectacular ideas? Is fundraising really just like being the prom king or queen, where the person who gets the most money is the one that's also the most popular? Is this how we're going to fund art?

I say this: don't forget about the world of grants. Yes, it is tough. You have to do a lot of writing. But you also have to have a project worth funding. Most grant committees care more about the merit of the work than how many Facebook friends or Twitter followers you have. Or how long you've been in syndication. Maybe we should start a fund for art that is blind to names, that looks at the work instead. Who's with me? Maybe I'll start a Kickstarter campaign to fund a grant that's for real artists. Who will give me $10?

I'd love to hear your take on this.

Because I'm responsible for choosing so many films that I think people will like or should see in San Diego, I find that there are many folks to want to know what I was thinking. Sometimes they feel as if I may have lost my mind, and sometimes they are grateful that I've found a story they connect to on a deep level. And sometimes they just want my help in remembering the title of a great film they say a few years back and can't forget(except the title, that is). Whatever the reason, I love talking to our audiences. This blog is an attempt to extend those conversations and be even more available for chats.

I don't pretend to know everything about movies, and like all art, film is subjective, so my opinion is only worth as much as people decide. At the same time, I have been teaching film for several years, and if there is some piece of knowledge that I can impart to another person who is hungry for it, I'm more than willing to give. I love teaching. I love talking. But most of all, I love learning, and I know that our audiences have much to teach me about what they love about movies and why they think certain movies are valuable while others should be banned to the trash heap. We all would put different films in each pile, and I think that is what makes it so awesome. Film speaks to pretty much everyone on some level. And now, I want to speak to you about what those levels are. Bring it on, cinema-goers!