dariohudon

I've been fighting procrastination towards my creative endeavours for many years now. It's not unique, new, or annoying at this point. It just is. Like an unwelcome guest that takes up more time arguing with than accepting, I've decided to accept them.

However, I've also found a way around its barriers, but only recently.

I come to realize that the pieces with procrastination, like perfectionism, lack of discipline etc.. all work against me but if I replace myself as the individual benefitting from the work, they don't hold as much weight.

As an example, if I start a podcast for my son in lieu of myself, then suddenly I have a greater purpose to achieve the goal. Does that mean I don't respect or love myself enough? I don't know to be honest, but I have a work around and I'm going to take advantage of it.

What's the Podcast About?

It's fairly straight forward, it's about my thoughts on the world around him, myself now, and myself before I became a Father.

• Arts
• Education
• Business
• Food
• Travel
• Work/ Career
• Compassion
• Philosophy
• Passions
• Hobbies

You get the gist...

The format may be loosely based on having a topic and answering 3 questions on my perspective and why. Simple.

I want him to get a better sense of my thinking, my why and everything between now rather than trying to piece it together from memory, pictures, and video. This isn't to say that there isn't magic in mystery and that all my thoughts will be laid bare, rather, I want to share who I am now with him and not just who I will become when he's old enough to understand the subjects.

This is his Father now, when he's young.

Perhaps comparing the two versions when he's older and I'm passed will be an interesting perspective that I've afforded him.

Cadence?

I want to imagine that I'll create one per week, but I'm not there yet. Where I am at is allowing myself to create them, to avoid perfectionism and enjoy sharing what I think about X, Y, and Z — not to be right, to necessarily share with him what I perceive to be the 'right' way, more so about my 'why'.

Other Creative Projects for him

I currently create less formal >5min videos for him on things affecting me or that I believe are important to his character. They're uploaded to a private listing where my legacy logins are shared with his Mother.

Very morbid I know, but tomorrow is promised to no one, and he's the coolest fucking thing in the world to me. So the least I can do is lean into discomfort and share my life with future him, just in case I'm not there.

Ah shit, even just saying that has my eyes all watered up. I'm going to be a mess when he leaves for college haha!

Why Share it Publicly?

Maybe someone will like the idea and do something similar for themselves or loved ones. I have no desire to discuss these episodes with anyone, but if they find them useful then that's important.

Also, since these topics are more thought out rather than overly personal, I don't have an issue with it being on a small platform like write.as and Podbean.

— Podcast | s01e01 Monday, December 19, 2022 | An Introduction

A vague outline to photograph an individual for an entire year

Access

To truly capture all aspects of the subject, from their vulnerability to their strengths, an unprecedented level of access should be considered, this could mean the following:

• Key to their home
• Location access
• Open communication needs to be healthy with final veto belonging to the subject and if overused, discussion concerning it after the fact

Considerations

If the above access is provided, there will be a need for rules and consideration, such as:

• Is your presence acknowledged?
• What does alone time look like for the subject? Is it requested? How do you respect it and still stay true to the project?
• Silent camera shutter
• What is the balance between artistic license and the subjects desire to veto certain moments from publication?
• Is the content published at the will of the photographer or after the year is complete?

Marketing

What level of 'capturing the capturing' is needed without sharing details of the projects or overwhelming the final editing stage?

• What does marketing look like and is it a phased approach?
  • Is there any marketing that happens during the project?
  • Private YouTube talking head videos by the photographer to capture their perspective on the subject should be done regularly
• What does final publishing look like?
  • Book
  • Website
• social media
• Instagram channel, post project with fully automated editorial calendar
• Social media Ad Budget for boosting *Patron funded

Patron Support

Patron support would support expanding the subject matter from a local perspective to one that includes travel. Depending on the budget, this could include:

• road trips
• domestic flights
• hotels

Questions, such as do you share the hotel/ airbnb with the subject are ones that may need to be answered on a case-to-case basis.

Mental Health Concerns

The intimacy of a project like this requires acknowledging the mental health aspects that will inevitably show up. If there is an unwillingness to accept this truth, capturing it through the above photographer's talking head videos above could help them walk through it.

Some of the concerns would be:

• Conflating the subjects world and problems as your own
  • Death
  • Relationships
  • Subject's own mental health
• Losing oneself. Voyeuristic issues?
• Much like when finishing a Netflix series, the projects end could bring about sadness and a feeling of loss or grief

What can be done to help mitigate these concerns?

• Counselling
• Boundaries that are defined and respected by both parties but especially by yourself

Expectations

What are the unified expectations of the project both creatively and as a completed project?

• Do we want a book to sell?
• Will there be PR?
• Do we do a book tour?
• What does Marketing look like?
• Final reviews and vetos

Expectations need to be discussed and agreed upon before the project begins.