Happy Tuesday - and welcome back to the newsletter. ๐
Today I'm sharing three things I'm up to that I think you might like:
- โ๏ธ Daily Journaling
- ๐ค The Psychology of Money
- ๐ฆโโฌ Revealing My Album Artwork
1. โ๏ธ What I'm Doing: Daily Journaling
This May, I started journaling every day after my friend Cheska Navarro inspired me to start.
Fast forward to December, and I've filled 200 pages with my good/bad ideas, recurring fears, deep realizations, and daily stories.
Of everything I've done this year to focus on self-care, this practice has been the most game-changing by far.
It's gotten me to notice patterns of thinking and feeling that have held me back in my life, art, and business, as well as helped me document my growth and change through 2024.
Journaling has helped me say "no" early and often, slow down to reflect instead of speed up to react, value myself higher than ever, and make an active daily commitment to my longterm dreams.
(Now, I can't imagine NOT having my little pocket journal on hand to grab ideas ๐)
2. ๐ค What I'm Reading: The Psychology of Money
I get that you probably don't want to think about money post-Black Friday, but this book is an absolute gem:
Here's why.
I don't like finance books that discuss how to get rich quick or are littered with tedious spreadsheets and data points.
Nope - the finance books I love are the ones that talk about how to create a wealthy life regardless of how much money you make.
And this book does exactly that.
AUTHOR explores tough subjects like fear, greed, and finance risk - mindsets that can sabotage both our longterm wealth and happiness/fulfillment in our lives if left undiagnosed.
Here's a few of my favorite quotes so far:
- "There is no reason to risk what you have and need for what you don't have and don't need."
- "Good investing is about earning pretty good returns that can be repeated for the longest period of time. That's when compounding runs wild."
- "Getting money requires taking risk, being optimistic, and putting yourself out there. But keeping money requires humility, and fear that what you've made can be taken from you just as fast."
- "Planning is important, but the most important part of every plan is to plan on the plan not going according to the plan."
I highly recommend this one if you want to build a holistic, sustainable attitude around money.
3. ๐ฆโโฌ Revealing My Album Artwork
If you didn't know, I'm deep into writing a dark fantasy album titled "The Call of Raven's Hollow", inspired by games I love like Darkwood and Little Nightmares II.
After four months of work, I'm so pumped to announce that my album's now entering the final stage of demos.
Every track's got a beginning and middle, and most have an end - clocking in at 17 pieces and 30+ minutes of music so far.
More on that soon, but for now, I hope you enjoy the official album cover:
It was designed by Sheldon Siegar, whose style combines mixed media and a monochromatic palette to create what I think are really evocative, brooding pieces of art.
I was thrilled when he shared the finished piece with me. ๐ฅฐ
Having a creative vision of mine brought to life by talented artists is truly one of my favorite parts of the creative process.
If you've never experienced that before, take the leap and hire someone you trust and whose creative work you love.
It's 100% worth the investment.
๐ Ready for More?
When you're ready, here's 4 ways I can help:
- ๐ฅ My YouTube. Watch me in action over 300+ videos spanning nearly two decades.
- ๐ป Orchestral Mockup Fundamentals. Transform your mockups from good to great in my no-fluff, 3-hour crash course on MIDI performance, programming, and mixing.
- ๐ฌ Composing Career Bootcamp. My 6-week self-paced primer to help you master the fundamentals of non-needy networking as a media composer. (100+ students, 5 stars)
- ๐ Join the Pro Group. I work closely with a hand-picked group of incredible composers to provide ongoing guidance and help them achieve their dreams. If you're ready to join us, book a call and let's discuss your goals and determine if we're a great fit.
That's all for now!
Leave a reply to share your thoughts, questions, or just to say hi.
(I love hearing from my readers. ๐)
Otherwise, happy music-making and I'll see you next time!
- Zach
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