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A Talk in the Attic
Expect the unexpected in this one-man variety show hosted by Kirk Ross from his studio in Grand Rapids, MI.
A Talk in the Attic
excerpt: self-indulgence
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excerpted from kirk's appearance on author jody sperling's podcast t.r.b.m. podcast. joined by co-host christopher tallon, the fellas discuss imposter syndrome and the fear of appearing self-indulgent.
1. listen to the whole episode
2. jody sperling website
3. christopher tallon website
all the attic links
It's a mess in this attic. Lot going on, but there ain't no need to panic. Come on up and join. We're getting wild, getting manic. Spitting truth for all you fanatics.
SPEAKER_00What's up everybody? Today is Thursday, April 20th, 2023. This is a talk in the attic, and of course, I'm your host Kirk Ross. I'm coming at you today with an excerpt from a podcast I appeared on earlier this week. The podcast is hosted by Jody Sperling. It's called TRBM, which stands for the reluctant book marketer. Jody is an author himself. The podcast, at least at first, centered around marketing a book when you're self-publishing. It's since transitioned to a podcast about all things creative, so I was lucky enough to be on that as a guest. I sat down with Jody and co-host Chris Talon, and we talked a little bit about a lot. One topic that I really enjoyed was the concept of self-indulgence when releasing creative works. So I'm gonna give you a little sneak peek of that. If you like what you hear, please go down to the show notes and click on the link to Jody's podcast and listen to the entire episode there. And if you like Jody's style, check out his books, check out his website, also down in the show notes. Thanks everybody.
SPEAKER_03If you've ever watched an odd, believed in public and film bored, TRBM is the end of the reminds me of a soothing cigarette enjoyed with friends under the night sky. TRBM is for actors, what time lapse was for painters, guitar solos and spotlight were for bands, what chain soles and ice blocks were for sculptors. But what does TRBM stand for? Thirsty Rolexes bleed mightily or twin-racing blazing mopeds. You decide.
SPEAKER_00You know, but at the same time, it it is absolutely self-indulgent. I'm taking nobody is asking me to do this. Nobody asks you to write a book, nobody asks me to do this, and I'm voluntarily spending all my time and and energy on it and putting it's absolutely self-indulgent. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Everything about it is self-indulgent because you do it because you like it. And then it's even a little bit more self-indulgent when you're like, hey, well, you look at this and tell me if you like it. But I mean, it all starts with you being like, I'm only doing this because for me, like nobody else is enjoying me cranking out that first draft.
SPEAKER_00You know what I mean? Exactly. And so the quicker we can come to peace with that, uh, releases a little burden off you, I think.
SPEAKER_02It's okay to be self-indulgent. The people that aren't self-indulgent are just sitting around planning their next self-indulgent trip.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, they're spending their time complying with the indulgences of their companies or whatever, just so they can go on their trip to Cabo every every spring or whatever.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and then like and then have have breakfast margaritas and that does actually sound really good.
SPEAKER_00Let's just do it. Let's just all go off the rails for a week. Then we'll get back together and see how it's.
SPEAKER_02Just tequila and blow all day for a long weekend.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I mean, that's what that you mean. That was my 2017. I bet you have stories. Yeah, I I probably do. I can't really remember though.
SPEAKER_02We could all make some news stories. Come on, let's do this.
SPEAKER_00Hands in. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And everybody's got a lot of things.
SPEAKER_00But honestly, just it's for for people listening.
SPEAKER_02I'm not an advocative blow by any means. Actually, let me just say that right now. Don't do it. I know people that that have done it uh and that do do it, and it's it's just it's not the it's not the coolest jam out there.
SPEAKER_00Well, you know what Robin Williams called it. He called it God's way of saying you have too much money. You know, and I can I can attest to that. You can you you can you can blow through a lot of cash really quick and it just uh empties your soul. And I would if someone told me I could never touch another drug pot, anything, anything on the spectrum ever again, and but a guarantee that I'm always gonna be able to have a creative mind and and have the wherewithal to put it down and produce something with it, regardless of how many people see it, I would make that trade every day just because that's the most intoxicating thing you can do. Taking an idea that that nobody asked for and that nobody really cares if you make or not, and making it happen and being proud of it, that's a really special feeling. Yeah. If there's one thing people should take away from at least my input to this podcast, find a way to sow your creative oats to some degree. You're gonna be happier for it. You're gonna have better relationships. Uh, the reason you don't feel like a kid anymore is because you're not doing any of the things that you did as a kid. So do that stuff.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I do want to talk a little bit more because I think there's something fascinating that people listening want to hear you talk about more to hear us converse about is the idea of self-indulgence, because you hit on it, and I don't think that we went as deep into it as I want to. Of I think, I think that self-indulgence actually is the way that you get to nourish other people. As weird as that sounds, it's when you pursue this thing that you're just you know you're meant to do. If you can get through the shitty feelings when your mom tells you just make sure you have another plan, to the point where people are are voluntarily wearing your hat on stage while they're playing a concert. Um, something inside of that transition, um, people are nourished when they when they listen to a talk in the attic, watch your videos, all those things. So what's another spin on that? I guess what's the spin if you don't want to call it self-indulgence because you know what you're doing is authentic, I guess.
SPEAKER_00What what's the other side of that argument? I I wrote something back when I said I hadn't done anything creative in there. Once in a while I would get an itch when I was in my working career life to sit down and just write something. And again, it would usually be something that I had been thinking about on travel. And one of the things I ultimately came up with is that the essential gist of it was like a case for being selfish. Okay. And honestly, at the time, I was probably using it to justify some of my own shitty behaviors too, if I'm being fully honest here. But the genesis of it and the real foundation of it is that how are you, as a as a isolated ball of energy that we are? You know, we have this little sphere of influence, literally, that of people with in it can feel us, and then when they're not, they can feel us. It's like, how are you ever gonna put out the frequency or the vibe or whatever you want to call it if you're not happy? Right? It's just it's not, it's it's impossible. So the only way for you to make positive impact on those around you is to get yourself right in a way that you're happy. Now, for some people, that isn't being indulgently creative or what have you, if we want to call it that. But some people might be putting their head down and really working hard on their career and getting successful in that way and doing that, and that's a great thing for them too. But they're happy about it. And we've all worked for managers who are who are negative Nancy's in their real life, and they're bad people to work for, even if they're the smartest folks in the room, you know. So it's like the case for being selfish, the case for self-indulgence is that it's gonna make you whole, it's gonna make your spiritual side more fulfilled. And when your spiritual side is more fulfilled, you're gonna be more forgiving to those around you, you're gonna give them more benefit of the doubt, you're gonna be a more positive and inspiring person to be around. And that's that. Hope you enjoyed that little excerpt. Please go down and check out the entire episode. Go to the show notes, click the link. We had a nice long conversation. Jody's an insightful, smart guy, and I had a good time talking with him. So I hope you enjoy listening, and hopefully, you can glean a little bit of something for for your life that you can apply to your life too. Alright, folks, talk soon. Peace out, everybody.
