Fun is the Point

Not recognition. 

Not followers. 

Not engagement. 

Not monetizing. 

Not attention. 

Fun. 

Fun is the point. 

All that other stuff would be nice, but it's not the point. 

Fun is the Point

Fun in the point. 

Not followers or likes or listeners or eyes and ears on your creations. 

Those things can enhance the fun. But they're not the sole provider of the fun. 

The fun comes from creating something from nothing. 

The fun comes from taking what's in your head and bringing it into the real world. 

Writing and playing chords that fit with sung words that tell a story and convey an emotion. 

THAT's the fun. 

And fun is the point. 

Don't get it twisted. 

For the Right Reasons

 The right reasons:

- For fun

- For fulfillment

- For making the world a little bit of a better place

The wrong reasons:

- Accolades

- Recognition

Re-calibrate and get back to doing it for the right reasons. 

What is the goal?

Writing more music? 

Recording more songs? 

Releasing an album?

Reaching more people?

Having fun?

Becoming a better musician?

Telling good stories?

Making money?

Playing live shows?

Connecting with people?

...

Keeping the promise to yourself?

My fingers hurt

 ... in the best way possible. 

Because I'm practicing guitar. 

And just like getting into shape for a marathon or exercising to lose weight, there is pain associated with strengthening my guitar finger muscles. 

It really is freaking fun to play music. 

Guitar

Was not my first choice. 

That was drums. 

But both have been wonderful muses. 

There's not always a point which in and of itself could be the point. 

Guitar is fun. Drums are fun. 

Maybe fun is the point. 

Maybe creating is the point. 

Maybe all of it is the point. 

It is, but it isn't. 

Eventually we all off have to get off the fence. 

Except no the fuck we don't. 

We have no choice but to keep going. 

And that's the point. 

Woodshed: Have Fun

You can practice all you want and get better and develop good technique and pile on more and more exercises and eventually become an amazing musician...

But it's all for nothing if you're not having fun.

For Fun

I ran a 5K and a 10K this year. And I trained for both races, which was rad because it meant devising and sticking to a plan and checking off intermediate goals and taking it one day at a time, always with the end goal in mind, always focusing on the pace and the distance, taking steps each training session towards achieving the set goals. Training went well, and I achieved my goal pace in each race. Actually, I went faster than expected in each race, which is even more rad.

The 5K was on July 4th, and the 10K was a week ago on September 17th. I haven't signed up for another race yet, and in all honesty, I probably won't run another actual race till 2012. I'd also like to complete a sprint triathlon some time next summer, which will require even more training.

So it's the "offseason". I don't have any upcoming events, and for all intents and purposes, I can take a break for a bit and lay off the accumulation of fitness.

That being said, I really wanted to go for a run today. Schedules permitted and I had a chunk of time and Chase was with me and I love running with him because he's such great company, glancing up at me every once in a while or throwing both arms behind his head and chillaxing or making noises when airplanes take off from John Wayne and fly over the back bay trail we've run together a couple times.

And in the middle of that run... I realized how much fun I was having.

Yes, I was keeping track of time, and yes, there were people that I had in my sights to pass, and yes, there was still a target pace to be had. But it was fun. And not because I was training for something. It was just fun to be out and about in southern California on an overcast day running a beautiful back bay trail in Newport Beach with my almost 2 year old son and it started to drizzle and Chase fell asleep and it was a pretty dreary day actually... but it was a lot of fun.

I really enjoy running. Not just for fitness or to achieve health and race goals... it's genuinely fun for me.

And it's completely mine. I have about 3 or 4 activities that are truly mine and that had very little outside influence (relatively): golf, a genuine love of sports, music, and now running. These are the things I do for fun, the things that fill my day when I have extra time, the things I will stop to witness while channel surfing, the things I search for while I'm on the internet, the topics of conversation with my family, the interests I hope to share with my son.

Why can't what we do for fun be what we do for a living?