Block.mov
Added 2024-03-22 22:00:18 +0000 UTCWhat're YOU thinking about?
See, that's funny because "What're you thinking about?" was the default prompt Patreon put in the text box and I'm turning it around on Patreon by asking them and/or you the question that was originally directed at me.
Comments
Hey, bro - trying to be “productive” all the time is a guaranteed route to burnout. Play sits at the heart of art; enjoy playing with the tools of your craft! 😊
Mary Smith
2024-07-07 18:18:48 +0000 UTCSo this all rings different now that the video has dropped.
Awasky Cromslack
2024-06-24 01:43:01 +0000 UTCwhat is most thought-provoking is that we are still not thinking.
Echoes from Elsewhere
2024-04-25 04:31:44 +0000 UTCI'm thinking I should stop procrastinating and get back to writing if I ever want to finish.
Heratio M. Salt
2024-04-22 09:57:02 +0000 UTCI am watching this instead of studying for my licensure exam. What does it say when I dig deep to find the strength and resolve to persevere and I find a chest with a few carrots, a spider eye, and a clown fish?
R
2024-04-20 23:01:36 +0000 UTCAs for what I'm thinking about, right now it's the steady hollowing out of rural America by wealthy companies leading to a constant sense of decline and then crisis, which was then steered towards fascist resentment of minorities and immigrants. Y'know, the usual.
Lex Kuzma
2024-04-18 03:54:49 +0000 UTCI personally think the LotR film adaptations fail in two main ways. One, Tolkien was good at writing man v. nature drama in a compelling way and while some screenwriters are good at that, the Jackson films really interject a lot of really shallow and lazy man v man conflict that is almost immediately resolved. It seems like a misguided attempt to add conflict, but it almost always plays as a fake-out. NO I won't do the thing! I will do the thing! But more importantly, that attempt to interject conflict undermines a lot of the characters. Sam is much more hostile and angry as the films go on. Which is the second problem I have with the adaptations. In general, the books are about demonstrating some common human virtues and the films throw a lot of that away in service of interpersonal conflict. Lindsay Ellis did a good series talking about the good and the bad aspects of the Peter Jackson adaptations and she had some insightful stuff to say. I'd love to hear your take on those films.
Lex Kuzma
2024-04-18 03:48:54 +0000 UTCGod I feel you on this. Some of my most satisfying days at work are spent "optimising" spreadsheets when I know I have such more pressing tasks to be getting on with
Victoria Arrowsmith
2024-04-02 10:51:20 +0000 UTCI can only speak for myself here, but watch your content & donate because I particularly enjoy *what* you say and *how* you say it, moreso than *what* particular topic you're talking about. Your topics are generally very interesting (/infuriating), but there's zero chance I'd spend 1 hour delving into Bakshi's LOTR if it was anyone else but you presenting it. So with that in mind, I'd like to say this: please don't beat yourself up over *what* topic you're struggling with talking about, and instead, talk about what you feel like talking about, and then put your usual production effort into that. This very video is a great example: you're just speaking your own thoughts and feelings, and it makes for interesting content. Given that Youtuber Burnout & Quitting is a hot topic right now, I think that there's some good potential for taking this video and expanding it to your usual length, depth, and production values. Caveats: I'm not a content producer, and I don't know the details behind The Algorithm or the economics that it necessitates. Maybe talking about your own difficulties is a bad business decision. (Then again, talking about the reasons why this is a bad business decision sounds like interesting content to me. This is starting to get very meta. 😛)
Craig Walker
2024-03-28 18:15:47 +0000 UTCAs someone who is currently on deadline for an article that is barely a paragraph long and has been for the past week, this is #relatable. I hate all the writing advice that says "just do it, every day, no matter what!" because I am a person who likes my ~muse but my ~muse is currently MIA so now I'm just stuck.
Stormy K.
2024-03-27 14:59:10 +0000 UTCIn her book What It Is, Lynda Barry kinda endorses what you are doing as a way to fight off procrastination. She says that when you are writing something and get stalled, you shouldn't get up and leave the document, but go though it and fix little punctuation mistakes, clean up the paragraphs--basically fiddle at the edges to keep your attention on what you are doing as best you can until you get the spark to get back to the meat of it. It has kinda worked sometimes for me, but I admit to still being a terrible procrastinator
Grrrbah
2024-03-26 19:12:07 +0000 UTCMight be the most relatable thing ever. Inspiration and motivation even to do the things we love can be in short supply and sometimes messing with the peripherals around doing it is the closest you can come to doing it for that day.
Grant
2024-03-26 16:28:53 +0000 UTCBtw did you ever get around to watching Inside? I just rewatched it and thought of you.
Burt Hagman
2024-03-25 14:04:46 +0000 UTCHard agree.
Burt Hagman
2024-03-25 14:03:57 +0000 UTCI often feel under-represented on most platforms. Obvious discourse like 'Line Goes Up', 'The Future is a Dead Mall' or 'In Search of a Flat Earth' is weirdly missing. Someway or somehow you have the thing that enables you to make videos and post them that many of us aren't capable of or uncomfortable to post. You don't have any obligations, but you should feel comfortable in this space to do whatever you want/need. Considering the sheer and absurd logistical complexity of ~2 hour content, if you wanna upload shorter experimental content, I hope you feel comfortable doing so as a sort of pressure relief valve, because (from my perspective), whatever tangents you go on are fully supported. Your detailed long form discussion and dissection has given you a buffer to just chill/vibe on some videos. You're great, and I trust wherever you wanna go.
Ben Artes
2024-03-25 07:17:20 +0000 UTCi got really into synthesizers over the pandemic. They're so cool. I bought like a dozen different devices. I don't even make music. I just like learning about them and appreciating them. I like how they are each unique in their own way from each other. And I like sharing them with other people and I get excited when they see what I see in it. So Idk... sometimes it's fun to just like shit. I work as a developer. And I tend to feel really guilty when I spend a work day not really doing anything meaningful. But I realized that usually on those days I am thinking pretty heavily around the idea of the thing I'm trying to accomplish in the code. It's like... just stewing on it can be helpful. Taking slow time before the fast time.
Frank Albenesius
2024-03-24 14:14:15 +0000 UTCI spent most of my day on Tuesday working on a merchandise inventory spreadsheet that I will never need. I think I did it because it feels like work, and it feels like a way for me to experiment with what I will actually use when I do it for real. However, I had orders that I should have been working on, and so I don’t feel great that I did that, but it is a nice looking spreadsheet, and my psyche just really didn’t want to do the other thing. PS: I would like to hear your thoughts about Tolkien. I usually put the Silmarillion audiobook on when it’s time for bed (I don’t think it boring, I actually think it’s one of his most interesting works). In general I’m interested in anything Tolkien, and I’m like the only one in my social circle who has read more than the lotr trilogy and the hobbit, so I like hearing anyone else’s thoughts on him when they come up.
Camille Vogt-Spencer
2024-03-24 06:26:51 +0000 UTCFwiw I've never gotten self discipline to work for me. I've managed to be pretty successful and happy regardless, mostly by working really hard to structure my life such that the things I don't want to do are either things I don't have to do, or become things I want to do. No easy fixes but the older I get the less often I burn out and crash, so I think it must be working. Good luck figuring out how to work with your brain; it's the one collaborator you can never switch.
Lanth
2024-03-23 18:46:42 +0000 UTCThis reminds me a lot of how I as a writer treat twitter. I tell myself I'm doing productive stuff like connecting with fellow writers! marketing my books! keeping up to date on current events! practicing the art of turning random thoughts into concise, understandable, uniquely expressed ideas! but there's a difference between how I feel at the end of an hour of productive writing and the end of an hour of scrolling twitter
sarah
2024-03-23 16:59:57 +0000 UTCSorry to hear you’re having writer’s block. Hope you escape it soon. I have had the same problem for most of winter and it’s not easy to deal with when creativity is crucial to your sense of purpose and meaning. Best wishes.
Tuur Verheyde
2024-03-23 16:10:20 +0000 UTCI was born in 86 and also grew up on vhs. I think that's pretty normal!
Brandi Ray
2024-03-23 14:52:02 +0000 UTCi wrote one book, and i only wrote it when it came to me to write the next part. and i might never write another book, and i dont care cause i wrote the book i wanted to
Aultemus
2024-03-23 10:38:35 +0000 UTCwhy is there a need to be so desperate to avoid wasting time or procrastinating, is there not always going to be some time that is wasted and avoiding it is pointless and it should be enjoyed instead of feared
Aultemus
2024-03-23 10:35:28 +0000 UTCSo I have many thoughts on this, some of which may even be helpful. First of all, I totally relate to playing with your gear (not like that, get your mind out of the gutter). I've played MTG for a long time, and one of my favorite activities is deckbuilding. Sometimes I'll pull out a deck I've put lots of time and thought into, and just shuffle it up and play out a hand against no one. There's a deep sort of satisfaction to holding something that valuable and personally meaningful, even if there's no purpose to it beyond the act itself. Another example is a Lego airplane I've had for many years. I long ago memorized its construction, and can fully disassemble it and then reassemble it from memory. I pull it out every once in a while when I want some tactile activity to do, generally while watching a video or something. Second, I struggle with executive dysfunction. Basically I'll be sitting there at my desk or lying in bed or something, and the thought will occur to me that I should do something, like do some writing, or work on job applications. It's often even something as simple as taking a shower, or getting some food for the first time in hours. Regardless, my body simply doesn't move. It doesn’t matter that I legitimately want to do the thing, it doesn’t matter if I feel guilty for not doing the thing, and frequently it doesn’t even matter if failing to do the thing is directly unpleasant for me. Often what forces me to finally actually get up and move is acute physical discomfort, like really needing to pee or getting very hungry. The bottom line is that this is a problem of brain chemistry. It’s not about force of will, or personal discipline, and thinking about it in that paradigm will accomplish nothing but making you feel guilty and miserable. In case it wasn’t obvious, I know this from experience. In addition to reframing the situation, consider setting aside some time just to play, without expectations or judgment. Taking time for relaxation or personal enjoyment isn’t inherently bad or wasteful, and expecting to be productive without time off is just ludicrous. I’ve seen some other people in the comments say similar things already, and I’ll say it again: give yourself permission to not be productive. Next, I want to talk about the importance of the physical space around oneself when working, or attempting to work. In contrast to popular sentiment, I really appreciate having a physical workplace to go to, because I have trouble doing real work at home, from my desk and PC where I usually play Minecraft and watch Youtube videos. Physical places can have strong psychological associations for us, and trying to work in a space where those associations aren’t conducive to working is putting yourself at a disadvantage. An example story that might be helpful to you is one that I heard from CGP Grey, on his podcast Cortex. He told the story of how he went to Amsterdam for a weekend, got a hotel room, and just stayed in there and worked the whole time. In his case, the separation from familiar spaces and isolation from potential distractions helped him be extremely productive for a few days, and the experiment was so successful it lead to his practice of “Greycations,” essentially repeating the process with variations (for more details you should just find the podcast, if I remember correctly it was one of the very early episodes–now that I think about it in fact, there’s probably lots of material in that podcast that you’d be interested in, given that the two of you have similar occupations). I don’t mean to suggest that this same method will work well for you, but I think the underlying principles are worth looking into. Even something as simple as partitioning off a room in your house/apartment and using it exclusively for writing could be just what you need, and the costs of experimenting with this strategy are relatively minimal. I think that’s about all I have to say on the matter for the moment. I hope you found some nugget of useful information/advice somewhere in there, and if not I hope you at least found some measure of comfort in my charming and not-at-all-off-putting personal anecdotes. Finally, I’d like to once again say that I greatly admire you and your work, and will gladly continue supporting you wherever and however I can. I eagerly await your next project (not to be dramatic, but your scientism video sounds like literally everything I’ve ever wanted), whatever form it ends up taking I’m sure it’ll be great. Best wishes!
Burt Hagman
2024-03-23 05:42:23 +0000 UTCI often find myself making the most progress on Task A when I have a Task B that I can tell myself I have to get done. Having someone to body double sometimes helps too.
Doug Moscrop
2024-03-23 05:16:30 +0000 UTCThank goodness you recorded this in SP, otherwise the uncomfortable silence at the end would be even longer.
Ross Vincent
2024-03-23 04:12:22 +0000 UTCI've dealt with similar feelings with my job. I sorta justify it as I have a set of responsibilities, some bring me joy, others do not, and a few grind me to a halt if my morale is dragging. So I will prioritize less important things as a "fun" project to get me the motivation to power through the muck work.
OhShazbot
2024-03-23 02:45:49 +0000 UTCEven though I was born in 1987 and grew up on VHS tapes this automatically looks like a horror/suspense/thriller style to me now. Is this because of all the indie horror game playthroughs I watch? Also, I now want to research what the “Analog” is in “Analog horror”
Taitaiheart
2024-03-23 02:25:04 +0000 UTCWhere can I get that sweet Lake Minnewanka pullover?
Chris Hamlin
2024-03-23 01:27:58 +0000 UTCMy two cents is unless you need to achieve something, it's perfectly okay to wander around doing pointless things for fun. I know if I didn't need an income I'd be doing that all the time. Unfortunately I can only do it like 50% of the time.
Marco M.
2024-03-23 00:50:24 +0000 UTCThat's very relatable. I think it's at least a good sign that your procrastination involves playing with the tools of the trade that you like - that sort of experience is never wasted.
Sean Carter
2024-03-23 00:27:40 +0000 UTCthe last minute didn't feel awkward; it felt refreshingly honest. i'm sitting at home, watching this while trying to do nothing to recover from burnout and thinking about how writer's block and burnout are similar but not identical things. google tells me that writer's block is not burnout because in writer's block you want to create but just cant, implying that in burnout you just don't want to do anything. problem is, i'm restless and want to create, but from previous recoveries i know better. sometimes your brain needs time to goof off, and if you have the luxury of indulging in that, i think it's okay to do so.
Just Jen
2024-03-22 23:47:57 +0000 UTCWhenever I have to write a big thing, like an essay or a part of my dissertation or an important email, where I know vaguely what I want to say but not really how I want to say it, I've come to accept that a certain amount of fucking about is part of The Process, and The Process must be given its due of bullshit lest I be damned to not be able to write the thing. I don't know whether that specific perspective is helpful, but I think it speaks to how natural it is to procrastinate, and how you shouldn't beat yourself up about it to the extent that you can.
Izzy Killeen
2024-03-22 23:07:12 +0000 UTCPersonally, I am interested in hearing more about prompt fishing. However, your use of the VHS recorder got me thinking about nostalgia. Off and on, I've been writing something that may never see the light of day about revisiting things from my childhood and trying to analyze the impact it had on me and try to turn that into universal emotions. That's what I've been thinking about, I guess
Blaze Utz
2024-03-22 23:01:02 +0000 UTCIf you end up going down the ADHD treatment route, try to remember that while rearranging your life so you're more productive is a good option for many, giving yourself permission to be less productive and just exist sometimes without making progress on something can also be good.
Kyle Owsen
2024-03-22 22:42:31 +0000 UTCSorry Dan, writer’s block sucks, and the pile of complicated emotions you have around it all doesn’t seem fun either. A lot of what you said resonated with my experiences in college and grad school— telling myself I just need to be more disciplined to write and constantly going back to reading or formatting bc I literally could not get any words on the page. The writing process can be rough as shit! I hope you get some time to rest and have fun in a way that doesn’t make you feel guilty about the work you “should be” doing.
Kiki
2024-03-22 22:36:28 +0000 UTCI;m thinking about thos Beans
Robby Blum
2024-03-22 22:32:25 +0000 UTCThe emotional state you're describing sounds like Executive Dysfunction. You can Google it for lots more info but it often occurs because of an underlying condition like ADHD, ASD, Anxiety disorders, or Depression, among others. If you're struggling with this, there are absolutely people who can help you identify if there's an underlying condition contributing to this AND that may uncover a possible therapy or medicine that would help improve the condition for you. Basically, lots of people struggle with the emotional state you're describing and lots of other people have a lot of experience helping get folks back into better head spaces. <3
Ash Excinere
2024-03-22 22:30:28 +0000 UTCSometimes your brain needs a rest, and you need to do things that bringg you happiness. There is always the anxiety of having to choose an idea to pour time and energy into. It's the hardest part of being creative.
Jonel B
2024-03-22 22:26:23 +0000 UTCWas waiting for some kind of analog horror jump scare at the ending there. Hat Dan coming in from the backrooms.
Brain
2024-03-22 22:23:21 +0000 UTCI got it from the souvenir shop at Lake Minnewanka. Oddly Pursuit (the company that manages most of the tourist attractions) doesn't have an online merch store.
FoldableHuman
2024-03-22 22:18:04 +0000 UTCdisconcerting ending, thanks! I get the same issue when I’m writing; I am never more invested in the cleanliness of my kitchen than I am when I’ve got the final push on a piece to do. Then again, I don’t think it’s per se empty brain time—I find that directing attention to an entirely different avenue is often sort of meditative, because it lets The Thing The Piece Is About fall to a more unconscious state where I’m more likely to have an unbidden reaction or spark.
Luis
2024-03-22 22:17:53 +0000 UTCIf you’re having fun it doesn’t seem like much of a problem. Ain’t nothing wrong with having a good time. (Obviously with a million caveats or whatever. Ya know — don’t hurt others)
Liana Loves Snacks
2024-03-22 22:14:28 +0000 UTCI was watching this while weeks behind on commissioned illustrations, two and a half hours into doodling landscape thumbnails in Photoshop to "try out these new techniques I saw" while justifying it as good practice. I have dozens of these landscape thumbnails saved. I feel extremely uncomfortably Perceived right now.
Rejam
2024-03-22 22:12:45 +0000 UTCBoooy am I familiar with the feeling you're describing. For me, the solution (in terms of productivity) was to then use the thing I play-built to make something productive. I remember you mentioned in your original gear video that there's some videos you made that you consider "unwatchable" - you could refilm Foldie to the old-but-perfectly-fine audio using the camera you practise-built and who knows, maybe the remastered videos see the light of day (and get reintroduced to your newer viewers) or they don't. It's practise after all
Kathy Clysm
2024-03-22 22:10:18 +0000 UTCI feel deeply seen as someone with ADHD.
Jackson Bockus
2024-03-22 22:09:11 +0000 UTCi know this is such a weird question but I love the design and look of the lake minnewanka sweater, do you know where someone could find one?
Aurora H.
2024-03-22 22:09:01 +0000 UTC
