End of the Black Dog

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Finally, I think I’ve pushed through my period of panic and uncertainty and unhappiness with my work.

I wanted to find a way to balance money-earning work and uncommercial creative work better – and to make good money from my skills and talents without having to do the same thing week in, week out. I’m easily bored and am much happier working on new ideas and completing projects quickly.

So: stop the simple cheap websites for people – start making more online video for slightly larger companies doing good things who need video to tell their stories better.

Short, well-paid, achievable projects, and no guilt for spending time working on personal video projects (self-development).

It seems obvious, but JESUS it’s taken me a long time to work it out.

Thank you Katie for putting up with me through these recent Black Dog days and helping me see the light.

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12 thoughts on “End of the Black Dog

  1. Heard every word you said, my man. I’d have tons of things to say right now, but I don’t want to take space on your blog with my ramblings. Thanks for this post, will watch it again a few more times offline.

  2. WOW! – that dog was random. cute dog. as for changing the world – yes! – totally. as for small audience, small is still an audience. if you effect and make one person rethink. then it works.

  3. You know the only reason I still teach? Because I get to introduce my students to a whole new world – I work my passions for visual/media literacy and social media, and ideas like Creative Commons, into their course work. Some do not get it, but a few light bulbs go on each semester. I believe you can only change the world one person at a time. As Phil was saying, if you inspire even one person to incorporate change, they go on to impact other people. Ryanne & Jay made a fun video about using cast iron cookware, and that inspired me to get rid of the teflon in my house and dig my grandmother’s cast iron set out of the attic. I’ve had a few people over that have wanted to learn how to cook with it and I showed them. That’s social change. That’s how it works. Your vlog is a part of my life, and your ideas inspire me, too, and I share that inspiration with others whenever I can. Believe me, it makes a difference.

  4. that was a VERY cute dog (if scary…)

    and WHICH part of London do you live in where you say “hi how you doing are you going to the pub?” to random strangers?

    and rupert, if you’re shaking, you probably don’t need more coffee! 😉

  5. I’m thinking of Emily Dickinson, writing wondrous words in obscurity.
    Or Blake compelled to create irrespective.
    The creative act has a mind of its own. It will out some way or another. Or go mad.

    The trailer for the Attack of the Old English Sheep Dog is coming along nicely. A comic masterpiece from what I could see. I laughed to the point of exhaustion. Forgive me.

  6. I told Amy the story of the dog, and now she wants to see it every time she goes to the park.
    @phil & cheryl thanks, yes – you’re right.
    @goodacre you’re watching? jesus! now i’m embarrassed.
    @croma you saying that made me think of Digby, The Biggest Dog In The World, which was my favourite film when i was a kid. my first dog was an Old English Sheepdog. I’ve never seen this one in the park before. I think it was a message from God. Or Dog.
    @trine i was asking him if he was going to the park! but actually, he’s the guy who runs the offie, so the pub would have been just as appropriate 🙂
    (and you’re right. the coffee did just make me shake more. who knew? i figured surely if i was shaking, drinking something that makes you shake would cancel out those shakes – like negative waveforms. or homeopathy. or something.

  7. Rupert, Cheryl turned me on to your site this morning. Very nice – inspiring, and like that. I think you are right about making the videos and doing it for others, while keeping up with the pieces that you want – really want to do. I hope I’m stating it correctly. Have you seen the writing of Joseph Campbell? He, and others of course, really believes in “following your bliss” which I also subscribe to. In fact there are folks around that believe that it’s even good for staving off cancer – another topic altogether.

    Anyway, gotta to get to work on a piece that I’m not excited about – on poverty in Rapid City among the Indians here.

    later,
    Milt

  8. This is wonderful. I haven’t looked into too many video blogs, but wow, just listening and watching to this, I see the potential now. I would also like to know what the hell you were scratching your neck with at the end, it looked like some sort of New Age bottle opener. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

  9. love your honest thinking, rupert

    art and commerce
    one follows the other and it better be art or else change won’t happen

    the dog says it all. he wasn’t in the script! spontaneity and chance are a part of the secret. its very hard to package and sell spontaneity and chance. doesn’t fit the industrial model of production. this is the nut to crack – at least for me.

    what you are doing here are like little essays on chance.

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