What's this newsletter about? YOU

Hey Past-me,

(I know you’re not me, just go with it.)

So I’m you, in 2023…about 18 years into your creative journey.

It seems like a long time, but at the same time it feels like you’re just getting started.

But for the last 11+ years you’ve worked in Action Animation TV Design for shows like Nickelodeon’s Rise of the TMNT and in your off times you would hustle making all sorts of things like print illustrations or enamel pins or stickers—whatever your creative juices were flowing into at the time.

Cool cool.

So what the hell am I writing letters to myself for then instead of making up super cool sh*t all day??

Alright, so I find myself in a position these days where I need to clarify my knowledge and pass it on.

And I figure If I could help anyone in the world (where I felt qualified to actually help) I would go back in time to help 16-year-old me just starting their journey with art.

Cause for as much awesome stuff we get to do now, it took a whole lot of figuring out on our own to get here.

And it sure would have been nice to have had some kind of direction.

So here’s a start.

A Quick Story: Jazz Dads

As a kid, Dad was often sick and had a hoarse voice, of which he’d often be teased for.

Even when we were kids ourself, Dad’s voice was still a little scratchy.

And even though it was tough to talk, he’d often tell stories about how his father, Lolo (our grandfather) taught him how to play piano.

See, Lolo was a traveling musician and that’s what he did best.

He learned to play saxophone as a teenager and soon became a successful band leader. He’d start a family and hoped to pass on what he knew to one of his kids someday.

Growing up poor in the Philippines, Lolo and Lola (grandma) had to be resourceful to feed their family of 7 boys. And everybody had to pitch in the best way they could.

Eventually Lolo retired from the road, but none of the kids showed real interest in music, but here came Dad, the 6th boy, and when he showed a little promise, Lolo took him right under his wing.

By around age 14, he got him good enough to play gigs in nightclubs.

He became the ‘kid sensation’.

Appearing on TV and playing for politicians and celebrities, night after night.

It wasn’t easy though.

He’d often have to skip playtime with his friends for practice time on the keys.

But late at night, he’d play his heart out, and come home with a bowl full of tips each night.

He'd be falling asleep in class the day after, but at the same time he would also be making far more money than his teachers.

Fast forward when we come into the picture, we’d listen to him play too.

And it would move us.

The sounds he’d create could make us smile, make us dance, and even make us cry. We didn’t know how or why, but we didn’t just hear his music, we felt it deeply.

Lolo knew what it took to become something special.

He gave him a chance to find his voice.

So Dad was lucky that way.

Lolo distilled everything he knew about being a renowned traveling musician, skippin all the bullshit and getting to the goodshit. He gave him a path to not only express himself, but to survive the streets off of not just his music, but his creativity.

Not everyone has that path laid out for them and a guide to lead them through it, some have to pave it for themselves.

That's what I'm gonna attempt to do for us now.

So here’s my offer:

And if I’m doing it right, you’ll learn everything I know, and my ceiling will be your floor.

But my journey’s not over yet.

I have fuller dreams now.

I’m eagerly still learning.

But now I see that I’ve already gone down a path and I have something worth sharing for people wanting to go down a simliar one.

And I finally have a way to say it.

So here’s a nugget of knowledge to chew on:

And your first piece of homework:

Write down that tip on a piece of paper and place it somewhere you’ll see everyday.

It’ll serve as a reminder that people often fear what they don’t understand and knowledge sets us free, as long as we put it to good use.

It took me a while to learn what it was that I feared the most—that no one understands what the hell I'm saying.

But I’ll never stop trying.

We all deserve to be understood and that’s what I love about art.

It gives us all that chance to express ourselves in ways that words alone can't describe.

• If you think this letter could help someone, please forward it to them!If this was forwarded to you and you want to hear more, you can sign up here: http://mindseyemaking.com

• Also, if you have any questions, go ahead and reply to this email and I'll see how I can help.

Catch you later this week for the first official letter of the year.

Thanks for listening.

-Future-you