Some people create stuff, and that takes guts. Starch. Balls. Because when you create art, some people might not like it. I’m always creating stuff, and I do so unafraid because I have to create. To quote the late great John Lee Hooker’s Boogie Chillen’, “It’s in him, and it’s got to come out.” So maybe creativity doesn’t take guts. Maybe what it takes is enough creative urgency, effervescent desire, and volcanic drive to overcome the of fear of criticism and hit the LAUNCH button.
If people don’t like what I create, no bigs. It’s okay not to like stuff. I see stuff I don’t like all the time. Usually I don’t say anything because I’m a creator myself, and I know that sometimes I put a ton of effort into creating things that nobody seems to dig. So even if I think somebody’s creation is kinda crappy, I often respect the effort. But I do appreciate constructive criticism. So when I do comment on stuff I don’t like, that’s what I usually offer. Constructive criticism: an essential part of a nutritious breakfast.
This morning I created a video for today’s WOD. Check it out. If you don’t like it, do whatever you want. Slam it, pan it, dis it, or if you’re in a Boogie Chillen’ kind of mood, just offer some constructive criticism. Note: This workout is a variant of one of the workouts in my book The Calisthenics Codex.
Instructions: Take a deck of ordinary playing cards, remove the Jokers, and shuffle. Put the deck on the floor and flip a card. Black = Push-ups, Red = Squats. Aces = 10, face cards = 12. Complete reps as indicated. Flip a card and repeat. If you do the whole deck, you will have done 200 Push-ups and 200 Squats. I got to 34 cards before I gassed. Oh well, there’s always next time!
Robert Mitchell Jr. 