Josh Allred's Blog

It’s truly magical. That in such a short amount of time, we have acquired so much knowledge in one central location that can be accessed by three-quarters of the people in the world in an instant.

But it is also an illusion in the sense that the internet is wrongfully perceived. This is nothing new even in this new chapter of AI and Chapt GPT. Most of the time, we use the internet in the wrong way.

Are we using it as a tool?

A way to connect?

To be entertained?

To be distracted?

Are we using it to be informed?

To solve interesting problems?

To see the world as it really is?

Since we spend so much time on the internet, we ought to have something to show for at the end of the day with it. If not, then we might need evaluate how we are using this thing.

Understanding that you are going to get tired, you are going to feel pain and perhaps suffer a little.

You also signed up for this run knowing this was going to happen.

The question then becomes where are you going to put all this in order to finish the marathon?

I don’t know any doctors that are under the illusion that Med School is going to be easy. And neither is boot camp or committing to a long-term relationship.

We need to hold a space to put the discomfort that adversity creates. Otherwise, we will never accomplish anything that we can point to and be proud of.

Tolerating is a muscle too.

When we frame problems as so big that there can be no possible way for them to be solved, we are actively positioning ourselves to be small. This is how we make it someone else’s problem—“What can I do? I’m just one person.”

Contrast that to a small role. A small role can make a big difference in a large scheme. Everyone has to do their part in order for this thing to function or to get better.

Think of it this way: Is now the only time to lead when we are called upon?

So what is our responsibility to others being one single person?

A lot actually. If we want it.

But that’s the thing, we can always say we are too small to make a dent in the universe. We can always hide behind the shadow of famous people. We can always point to someone else taking responsibility.

This isn’t to ignore how hard it is to change the culture for the better. It’s often a lonely path.

One sandbag won’t make a difference in changing the course of a river. But together, we can change the tide.

It’s not the fact that you had it bad but the perception that others had it so good.

We struggle with this image that others are happy while we suffer. Social media is a constant reminder of this. Sure the discourse can fall apart quickly. But often more than not, people are having a conversation of have’s and have-nots. And maybe this is the right conversation you want to have. But we also need to be clear, are we talking about justice or are we talking about some kind of status symbol or experience you are missing.

If you hope that the art you make can also support your lifestyle, it may be too much to ask from art.

For thousands of years, you made art because you wanted to. You made art because it brought you joy, happiness, and meaning. As a result, you shared your work with the tribe to bring everyone closer together.

Today, in commerce, we look to make a living with art. There is nothing wrong with that. You should get paid for your work. However, this is no guarantee. Make good art because you must. Not because you get paid.

We create in the service of art. And what you may be yearning for more than doing creative acts is what comes with a big hit–status, money, and title. You may just want to leave your job and sit at a beach all day. You could still do that anyway. Art doesn’t owe you anything.

Mindfulness is not just about focusing on the task at hand but also being in the moment. We can remember to come back to the here and now by following our breath. We can also sit back and observe what is happening. Observing our thought and actions. I am surprised by how much my thoughts wander on a minute-by-minute basis. They say the days are long and the years are short. That’s because our brains are wired to create a predictable future. We, therefore, make predictions and choices that architects a foreseeable outcome. It isn’t a crystal ball but we can really agonize over it. Missing the moment in front of us to just get to the next.

“If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.” – Lao Tzu

One of the most rebellious choices one can make in this day and age is joy. Joy is a revolutionary act. Too much of our culture gives the spotlight to those who are miserable and we can all sense the discontent in the air. It’s a shame that the world works overtime to squash out our humanity and tries to make us cogs in a machine.

If you are going to say yes to joy, it may also mean you have to say no to something else–feeling sorry for yourself.

You might feel like you’re done, but the truth is you’re not. Not yet anyway. Don’t let the culture change the fact that life while a struggle is also beautiful too.

We are all unreliable narrators of our own stories.

How we experience something differs from person to person.

What we choose to focus on is what we see.

What we are taught informs so much of what we learn going forward.

Citizen Kane is regarded as one of the best films of all time. Directed by the great Orson Welles, one of the things that this film is prized for is how many “rules” it broke during filming. As Welles put it, it was just, “sheer dumbness.” He didn’t know what he didn’t know and confessed that the basics can be learned in simply a day and a half.

While it is important to understand how to use the tools we do not need to be bound by them. How much training do you really to start making art? Or are you just finding another excuse to begin?