Don't Skip the Recovery Workout
Tuesday Musings Vol. 2 | No. 33
My new business partner, Ben Andron (more on that below!), just finished a half Iron Man, which is particularly impressive to me because I can barely finishing saying half Iron Man. I'm sure he has a lot of advice on the discipline and perseverance one needs to be this kind of athlete ... and how we can all apply this to our creative endeavors.
But yesterday when we were working together, he mentioned that he has a big workout tomorrow. "Are you already training for your next race?" I asked. Not really, he said, this is a recovery workout; if I don't run after a big event, my muscles will get overly sore.
Recovery isn't only physical for athletes or mental for creatives — it's both. After a big creative push, indulge in activities that restore energy without demanding output, like visiting a museum, reading a novel, walking in nature, or making out with your significant other (tell them Jim Pascoe said it was for work). These moments of "creative input" refill the well of inspiration.
Athletes also risk plateauing. This can happen if they don't challenge themselves or if they overtrain. Creatives face the same danger. Alternating between rest and new, lighter projects can prevent stagnation while respecting the need for recovery … something we can't always achieve when working with clients and studio execs. Certainly something to remember when prioritizing our days.
I love Salvador DalÃ, and one of my absolute favorite moments involving him is his surreal performance on What's My Line? It’s a blistering example of absurdist performance art: Dalà answers "YES" to nearly every question, including "Are you an athlete?"
While this clearly defied the purpose of the game, Dalà understood something profound — every artist is an athlete. Even though only few of us can complete a triathlon!
love,
jpp
Cool Stuff
You may have heard the rumors. You may have noticed the new email account this Musing is coming from. But before the official press release goes out next month, I'm excited to share that The Refinery AV is now RAVE Collective. Along with owner Brett Winn, RAVE has named two new partners: Ben Andron as head of Creative Advertising and me as head of Creative Content. It's the same team I've been working with, so things are only going to be bigger and brighter.
With about two weeks until the drop of Squid Game 2, RAVE Collective is so excited to share a bunch of work we've done, including the teaser, trailer, and not one but two featurettes. More to come!
I've been very excited about Christophe Poncet's new book, The Tarot of Marsilio: Down Here, the first volume of his study on the origins of the Tarot de Marseille. Honestly, this book is blowing my mind. Less for folks interested in divination, more for folk interested in art history and the formation of occult thinking. Recommended!
While this PSA has almost nothing to do with smoking, the punchline hits SO HARD. Funny, creative stuff.
Oh yes, it's that time again -- no, not for Spotify Wrapped, but for JPP's 2024 Mixtape / playlist. It's an hour-42-minutes of crazy Jim Pascoe favorites, from doomy gloomy stuff to fun electro punk. Give it a listen!
Do YOU have a cool project you would like me to share with my readers? Hit me up and maybe we’ll see you in an upcoming Musing.