Crafting a Creative Career

👋 Hi! I'm Dan. I help makers, artists, entrepreneurs, and creatives find the clarity and motivation to get their work out into the world. If that sounds good, let's go! 🚀

Hi Reader,

The podcast is back 🎉

I'm thrilled. Because we've got some great things ahead!

I'm kicking off a build-in-public style series with my good friend and often co host Raj Lulla.

We're pulling back the curtain on a book that he's written and is launching. We're digging into the writing process, the marketing efforts, and all the hard work that goes into an endeavor like this.

Putting something meaningful out into the world — with hope, desire, and expectation — is an act of courage.

Hearing Raj's journey will inspire you to do similar work in your life:

to get unstuck if you feel stuck,
to encourage you & inspire you to take the next step

... no matter what you're dreaming up, working on, and pushing forward.

Whether that's a business, whether that's a creative project, whether that's something else, it doesn't matter.

The work is the same.

Today we'll explore Raj's career and its major transitions, as well as the inspiration for his upcoming novel.

Stick around to the end of the episode because we have a special offer that I've been dreaming up around his book and how you can be involved in this process.

This is such a fun conversation.

One of my favorite moments is when we talk about identity crises, how much I'm draw to them, and seem to be always in one! hahaha (but also 😩 )

Listen in here: https://themeaningmovement.com/raj-book-launch/

Listen in here

Things I'm enjoying, ADHD productivity edition:

I could have a whole separate newsletter about productivity. I'm obsessed with removing friction in my day-to-day. Why? Well, two reasons:

1️⃣ Life is hard enough already. Why not make it easier?

2️⃣ Last year, I received a diagnosis of ADHD. For anyone who's been down this road, all it means is that you now have words for many of your struggles. One of them is "task initiation". I have a hard time starting things. But if they feel easier, it's... easier.

More on that for another time. Here are a few of my favorite tools and hacks:

⏰ Time Timer

I have a Time Timer on my desk that I use constantly. I like to turn off the ringer and try to race the timer. Sometimes I finish before it, and it feels like I won. But most often it gets to 0 and I never notice.

That's one of the superpower of ADHD. Starting is hard but continuing is easy.

My time timer right now. Gotta hurry! I only have five minutes to finish this...

🎶 Productivity Music

Instead of a timer, sometimes I race a track or a whole album. This is especially great with email. I'll give myself one song length to take care of as much email as possible. I prefer something without legible lyrics, or one song on repeat. Sometimes it's one song on repeat all day.

My recent favorites are:

Billy Eilish's What Was I Made For from the Barbie Movie. I'm a sucker for a depressing tune with some great melismas.
Pheobe Bridgers' track Funeral. Bridgers has a knack for turning a phrase. And I'm still a sucker for depressing tunes.
Taylor Swift's entire catalog. No explanation needed.
(And for something completely different) Deafheaven's sweeping and screaming Sunbather turned up loud. You can't sit idle while someone is screaming in the speakers.

⌨️ Keyboard Maestro

This desktop app automates all kinds of things. I have macros for words, phrases, links, and all kinds of things that I need to type repeatedly. For example: instead of writing The Meaning Movement, I type ";tmmn" for The Meaning Movement. ";tmme" for dan@themeaningmovement.com. Etc.

And that's just the start of what this tool can do! I love it. I use it all day, every day. I don't know how you actually work without it!

Your turn now

Anything great you've been enjoying? Hit reply and send it along! I'd love to know. Seriously.

Almost 8,000 people are getting this email, and I can count on one hand how many responses I usually get. You have the chance to change that! Hit reply. Tell me what's good!

Yours in meaning making,