DEAR ALL,
It was a tough week last week. Was it for you? Angst ridden, a general feeling of turbulence, a rough and borderline vicious vibe, more so than even the norm we’ve now become accustomed to. It was intense. Perhaps the huge loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg set the tone; or the tense political air preceding the first presidential debate; or simply because Mars is in retrograde? Whatever it was, every day seemed to begin with a barrage of mishaps or mess ups or misfired communications. Nothing was simple, orderly, practiced and specific, it all seemed a little off, sometimes a lot. The story of Sisyphus comes to mind, pushing the proverbial rock up the hill, only to have it fall to the bottom — and thus the process begins again.
Here at Mr Feelgood, Pete and I were into our fifth week. We’ve been working so hard, really around the clock, when it gets to Wednesdays there’s a massive pressure on us to get everything signed off and lined up. We can disagree on certain copy, have passionate opinions about all sorts of different aspects of what and how we are presenting content, and sometimes hit a wall.
But I think the best thing we did this week was check in with each other, communicate. Make the time to actually broach the subjects, talk about it, and most importantly listen. This path we’re committed to is indeed a marathon, maybe even an ultimate runners’ game. We have to pace ourselves, we have to rest, we have to stop, check the oil, the water, take a breath, and enjoy the satisfaction of production and of achieving what we set out to do.
It’s also notable that currently we do all this work remotely — we’re not in the same room, which hopefully one day we will be able to remedy. It’s the banter between the priorities and the to-do lists that can make light the work load and cement the foundations of a collective effort and goal. It’s the laughs, the piss takes and the camaraderie that keep us going when the going gets tough. This week our efforts were thoroughly rewarded, and then some, on Monday, when legendary photographer David Bailey agreed to answer our WTF? questionnaire. I guess, with persistence, the proverbial rock doesn’t always have to slide back down the hill!
We are a work in progress. There will always be bumps in the road. We’re just learning to navigate the terrain and acknowledge where our strengths and limits lie, whilst aiming for the very best in quality, reaching for the moon if you like. It makes me think of one of my favorite MLK Jr quotes.
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.
So, I hope my sharing this helps anyone else out there experiencing something similar. The pride in getting the job done and receiving such positive feedback makes any obstacles we encounter disappear.
Whatever you’re focused on, whatever you’re passionate about, when you hit that wall, don’t despair. Don’t allow the darkness to flood your mind with ridiculous notions. Take a breath, take several, try a different perspective, be omnipresent, take another breath and talk. Not only will you straighten things out, you’ll have built more trust and faith in who you are and the value of what you’re doing!
For those who have accompanied us from the start, thank you — for those who’ve jumped aboard more recently, perhaps even today, welcome… lets discuss some stuff, celebrate much and figure out the best way forward for all of us.
Always with love,
Cheers,
