matt dash low dot com

I borrowed a book on the library about instilling a creative habit. It follows the life of a dance choreographer and how she handled different things in her life from coming up with fresh and original numbers, to dealing with failure. Every so often, there’s little exercises that can be done.

Here’s the first one.

What is the first creative moment you remember?

I had a ridiculously vivid imagination when I was 7. Grade 2, right? Yeah, there was a section in the classroom with paints and large paper. I drew me a ship. With wings. It had full sails and everything. Always wanted to be an engineer. So much for that though.

Was anyone there to witness or appreciate it?

My teacher. Most kids drew flowers or scenery with trees and the sun. She raised an eyebrow when she came to mine.

What is the best idea you’ve ever had?

Probably my WoW blog. I never thought it’d become that popular or that’d I meet the people I’ve met over the years (at the convention and otherwise).

What made it a great idea?

It’s opened up a lot of door and opportunities.

What’s the dumbest idea?

Investing in new projects and overextending myself.

What made it stupid?

Because I will never learn that there just isn’t enough of me to go around and that I continually stretch myself too thin.

Can you connect the dots that led you this idea?

The blog came as a result of a need for an outlet. Lots of cool WoW writers out there but there was a niche that wasn’t being satisfied. There was a gap out there and that it had to be filled. (That’s what she said).

What is your creative ambition?

To write stuff that people will find beneficial and worthwhile to them. Bonus points if it’s appealing.

What are the obstacles to this ambition?

It’s not an easy profession to break into. It’s too late for me now to pursue a degree in a related field. It’s not widely accepted as a real job either (even among friends), and it won’t be unless I can somehow make it work. Freelancing is tough especially the way things are right now. Income is dependent on what comes out the other end of your pen.

What are the vital steps to achieving this ambition?

I honestly don’t know. Catch the attention of someone who is well connected, I suppose. Definitely continue working on my craft. Develop a sustained and consistent writing schedule. I’m way all over the place. I seem to be at my best in the ours past 9 PM until 1 AM. I also appear to be on form during the mornings.

How do you begin your day?

Rolling around in bed for about 10 minutes before finally getting up and making myself coffee. I used to rely on caffeine pills but, certain people vehemently insisted that I stop. Fire up the computer, check my EMail, and then pop open up my word processor of choice.

What are your habits? What patterns do you repeat?

Coffee or some other warm beverage. There’s a tendency to read a lot. Anything I can get my hands on, I’ll spend at least an hour reading per day.

Describe your first successful creative act.

One of my earliest posts on what made certain people good in the game at what they do. They each had distinct traits about them that were shared with other people doing the same thing.

Describe your second successful creative act.

I started delving into guild leadership stuff. How to organize players in an online video game and why the stick and carrot weren’t as useful in this arena.

Compare them

I think what made them both successful to me was the positive feedback I received on both. To me there were two messages: People were actually reading my stuff and people liked reading my stuff.

What are your attitudes toward: Money, power, praise, rivals, work, play?

Money: Need it. Wish I had more of it.
Power: Must be used intelligently and wisely.
Praise: Only when it’s earned. False praise does nothing.
Rivals: You run faster knowing there’s someone chasing after you. I study what my “competition” (other blogs) do. When they do one thing, I do something else. I take care to never follow in the footsteps of my rivals. Instead, I make my own footprints so others can follow me.
Work: Mentally stimulating. Sometimes it takes me a while to get in gear. Procrastinate too much.
Play: Don’t seem to have as much time for that nowadays.

Who do you admire most?

Brian Clark. Seth Godin. Garr Reynolds. Darren Rowse.

Why are they your role models?

Because they’re brilliant people who know their stuff and they have their own writing style which benefits their audience.

What do you and your role models have in common?

I’d say we’re all geeks who like to write.

Does anyone in your life regularly inspire you?

Nope. In my life, not that many people give a crap really.

Who is your muse?

I have none.

Define muse.

I think it means someone who helps generate ideas or inspiration. I don’t know anyone like that. Most of my ideas come from a wide variety of sources.

When confronted with superior intelligence or talent, how do you respond?

An acknowledgment of their ability followed by the innate desired to match or exceed their talents. I’m fairly competitive when it comes to stuff like this. It’s all in good fun though. It helps me get better at what I do when I notice someone superior.

When faced with stupidity, hostility, intransigence, laziness or indifferent in others, how do you respond?

Stupidity: Inwardly, I want to slap them behind their head. I end up trying to correct them if it’s something simple but I move on if I can sense there’s no hope.
Hostility: I don’t even bother working with them and just move on.
Intransigence (Refusing to moderate a position, especially an extreme position; uncompromising): Sometimes I’ll give in just so we can go forward. If I feel strongly enough about it, I’ll abandon it altogether and go my own way instead.
Laziness: Either try to motivate them out of it or find someone else who can do the job with the necessary enthusiasm.
Indifference: Generally a good sign if they’re okay with anything. It’s like they have no opinion and you retain executive control of everything no matter what you say. After a while it gets dull because you want to know what position they take and why. It gets boring if there’s no thought behind it.

When faced with impending success or the threat of failure, how do you respond?

Success: Sigh of relief. That something I’ve worked on for a while gets accepted. Means I can move on to the next thing.
Failure: Generally, I shut down for a bit and reflect on why something went sour so that I don’t do it again next time. Depending on the severity, I can shut down for a long time.

When you work, do you love the process or the result?

Oh god, I love the process. The writing process is great, but the editing and polishing process does it for me the most. How can I spice up my writing more? How can I convey my message more effectively? Just going through that and experiencing the *click* That’s IT! moment is what does it for me.

At what moments do you feel your reach exceeds your grasp?

Always in the beginning of something. Sometimes I don’t think I’ll ever meet the end goal but I know I have to try and see what I can do with a certain topic. I usually end up getting lucky.

What is your ideal creative activity?

Brainstorming ideas. I’ll change my environments frequently to try and spark an idea.

What is your greatest fear?

Sucking. I am terrified of failing. It’s curious though. When it comes to my creative work, I’m scared about pushing something through that’s not going to be received well, but I’ll do it anyway just to see what happens. I take a lot of risks by writing about stuff that’s never been written about or writing things in ways that have never been done before. But, try as I might, I cannot translate that hardened “I don’t give a crap” writing approach to life. I can’t remember the last time I asked someone out :\.

What is the likelihood of either of the answers to the previous two questions happening?

The first one happens pretty often. I’d say it’s a weekly routine. The second one’s rarer but it does happen.

Which of your answers would you most likely to change?

The second one. I wish I weren’t so afraid of failing. I think it’s held me back more often than I can count.

What is your idea of mastery?

Being able to do something without thinking. Mastery can be attained after working on skills for such a long time that they’re just ingrained in your system. You don’t even have to consciously think about something. You can just react. Being a master feels like there is nothing you can’t do, yet you continue to learn new things and add them your arsenal. At the same time, I think it holds you back. Ever wonder why ninjas don’t have a favourite weapon? It’s so that don’t become dependent on them.

What is your greatest dream?

To get a position somewhere where I can get paid well for what I write about (and quit school!) and where what I write about has a positive impact for some reader out there.