New Music Video 'Heartbreak Mashup' Finally Released! Battle Scars, Just A Dream, Love The Way You Lie, & Some Nights All In One Song!

After weeks of writing, recording, filming, editing, and months of procrastination I finally got around to releasing my first mashup this past Valentine's Day just as I had planned all along. I originally got the idea for this song last summer while listening to Just A Dream by Nelly. I was singing along (as usual) when it suddenly hit me that Some Nights by Fun and Battle Scars by Lupe Fiasco both sounded pretty good with it. This, and having just watched Pitch Perfect and become obsessed with mashups, inspired me to start making mashups, many more of which you will hopefully be seeing soon.

Routine vs. Spontaneity (The Rambling Road)

“Routine, in an intelligent man, is a sign of ambition.”
― W.H. Auden

“Say yes and you'll figure it out afterwards.” 

― Tina Fey

I don't know if it is the same for you, but one of the biggest struggles I face daily is trying to be spontaneous. However, at the same time I also face the challenge of figuring out how to create more productive daily routines so that I can accomplish what I want to accomplish and not become lazy and unproductive. It it this challenge of balancing following a following a set path to your destination vs. wondering and hoping you get there which is very vital in many successful (and unsuccessful) people's lives. How you live in the moment while also following a plan is something which varies from person to person, yet is universally human.

For the past couple of summers I have witnessed my grand ambitions fizzle out within the first couple of weeks and be forgotten completely, only to be picked up in a rush with two weeks left before I had to return to school. No one is to blame for this other than myself, which is both a bad and a good thing. While it is very easy to get yourself down playing the blame game, I have also been able to find encouragement in the fact that because the problem lies within me, the solution is also there as well. However, just because the solution is within me doesn't mean it is to come by easy; changing a routine can be likened to trying to change a bad habit since both are usually subconscious activities we resort back to in time of stress.

This summer I was initially quite excited about all the things I could get done. For one, I was just excited to be home from college, because if college has taught me anything it is that I should appreciate being home. But I also had a lot of work planned as well. Some of of the things, such as making videos for my tech channel on YouTube (Digital  Tech Reviews & Tips) was more "work" than real work, though I do make some money through Adsense and Amazon Affiliates. Other things, such as working at my family's outdoor movie theatre on weekends or heading up the social media department at my dad's local newspaper definitely had a more job like feel to them, even if in both situations I was only working for my parents. On top of this, I had the goal of recording several songs, and the music videos to go with them, for my music channel. I especially wanted to accomplish this because I really felt like I don't get to make music enough anymore. To wrap up my goals for this 2014 summer was of course the almost obligatory 'hanging out with friends',  as well as working out regularly and having fun.

Now here I sit (or lie on my bed actually - god I'm lazy), typing away, a full three weeks into my summer vacation and....I really haven't done much. Well I've done some things: I've filmed and uploaded some tech videos, worked at the outdoor movie theatre, and Facebooked and Twittered for the newspaper, but I feel unaccomplished and as if I haven't completed anything that I wanted to. Maybe this is because I have neglecting the things that I really wanted to do and know are good for me (like making music and working out) and instead have been focusing only on a few things. Maybe it is because I have slipped back into the dependent lifestyle that I tend to lead when at home (more on this likely to follow in later posts) and become the lethargic, computer addicted, 6'5" tall 19 year old that I am and there is nothing that I can do to change it. Or maybe it's because I just need to "Do It" (Thanks Nike) and add some spontaneity to my routine of not changing my routine even though I am not happy with the results it produces.

If you're still with me through that incredibly rambly bit above, I would like to know what you do to be more productive. What do you do when you get stuck in a rut and the only way for you to get out is to jump out into a new track? I am starting to change my routine by trying to write every morning (either for this blog, my tech blog (Digital Tech Reviews & Tips) or my forward thinking blog (We The People 2.0). Writing helps me crystallize my thoughts, clear my mind, and also feel productive at the same time. It is a fairly easy task with pretty much no constraints whatsoever. Maybe I'll even do some spontaneous things (like get outside before noon...nah) to spice up my blog and make it more interesting for the NSA (who I gurantee are the only people reading this).

Oh, btw, I hate to admit it but I don't have my driver's license yet. Pretty sad, but I'm gonna be working on getting that soon.