Blog
Articles on finishing self-generated work and building expertise-based creative businesses, with the Creative Engine, Ground Truth, and Capacity frameworks.
flexible container
Against grit: Why setting the bar low is the way to get creative work finished
You think your problem is that you’re a flake, that you don’t have what it takes to finish. But look at your life. You’re one of the scrappiest, hardest-working people around. You’ve got grit to spare. The problem is that grit is the wrong tool for creative work, and even if you had more of it, that isn’t how you’ll get the thing done.
Quota tasks: Finish your creative work without deadlines, word counts, or willpower
How to keep your dream project from becoming a toxic waste dump.
What is a Flexible Container? A methodology for finishing creative work tailored to your real life
The Flexible Container A methodology for finishing creative work built to fit to your real life Hofstadter vs Parkinson I’d like to introduce you to two fake laws of nature. Hofstadter’s Law (not a law!) was invented as a joke by the writer Douglas Hofstadter. It states that everything always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter’s Law. That means, whatever you’re setting out to do, imagine you make a best-case and worst-case estimate for how long it’ll take. Take into account Hofstadter’s Law, and you’ll see that your worst case isn’t even close. But then the actual time it takes is even longer than the “Worst Case Taking Into Account Hofstadter’s Law.” If you’ve…
How to stop putting off that major project in 6 simple steps
There are projects on your list that have been there a very long time. Everybody has them. I have them. Here’s how to (finally) get them done.
Growing Gills: How to Find Creative Focus When You’re Drowning in Your Daily Life
Go from overwhelmed, anxious, and stuck, to consistent, clear, and in control of your creative life.
“I know exactly what to do in the time I want to spend on making art.”
Michael’s biggest takeaway from the Creative Focus Workshop was breaking a project down to stages, and then tracking weekly. “I know exactly what to do in the time I want to spend on making art. There’s always something specific to do. You don’t have to wonder and get lost in it.”
The power of conscious decision: “Yes, I will actually do it.”
Do you have Idea Debt that you fear you ll never get a handle on? May I introduce you to Michi Mathias, proud author of a brand new book, 15 years in the making.