Here I am again

Tried to run back home

Things I should have said

Could have brought this to an end

But I moved to slow

And I ask myself

How much longer

There's a part of me that wants to stay

The rest of me is gone

I believe

It's better to give than to receive

But you give me nothing I need

So I'm leaving

If I could get up enough speed

Sunlight September

But I feel so cold

And you're standing right next to me

So why do I feel so alone?

And I ask myself

How much longer

There's a part of me that wants to stay

The rest of me is gone

The rest of me is gone

The rest of me is gone

I believe

It's better to give than to receive

But you give me nothing I need

So I'm leaving

I believe

It's better to give than to receive

But you give me nothing I need

So I'm leaving

If I could just get up enough speed

Get up enough speed

Get up enough speed

Today I'm going to dissect one of my songs I wrote when I was 19. 

I grew up in Westport, CT and used to run into into this girl from the neighboring town of Weston. She was pretty and sweet and I liked her from afar. Once I went off to college at SMU in Dallas, I thought that would be it. 

But the first day of freshman orientaton - who walks in the door? This girl, Ray. It was fate! We were meant to be together! The only problem was this little detail of her having a boyfriend. Hence - the song: "Three of us in a boat... doesn't look like this boat's gonna float...." It was our first jackopierce original. www.jackopierce.com

Jackopierce is my band that I started with Jack O'Neill at SMU in Dallas in 1988. Next year will be 25 years of JP. Wo. "Three of Us in a Boat" can be found on our latest album, "Everywhere All The Time":

Everywhere All the Time - Jackopierce

I loved you and you know it

So I wrote this song just like Farley Mowat

(Farley Mowat is a Canadian author who wrote the book, "The Boat Who wouldn't Float.")

For a little while I was your dual lover

(there was another guy involved - Jerkface. Well I was really the Jerkface. Her boyfriend got sent home from school to go to rehab and I saw opportunity).

I knew this would happen one way or another 

Looks like I’m gettin ready to swim

The chances of his walkin the plank are lookin pretty slim

(this is maybe the fastest line that I've ever sung. It's a lot of fun live and I think you will enjoy it when you hear it. I just realized that in this verse I resolve to give up. I'm the one jumping! Why didn't I push him out? It's more fun this way. I had moved on anyway. He could have her).

Three of us in a boat

Doesn’t look like this boat’s gonna float

Three of us in a boat and it won’t float

(I have a fantasy of making a video of this song (the reggae version). It would be Jack and I wearing a cardboard boat costume with a very pouty, tall, disinterested super model type between us. Everywhere we go, we have to go together. We get in and out of cabs together, in elevators, try to walk up stairs, go into restrooms. Genius) 

Hope you have some agility

Hope you have some aquatic ability

(Jack and I were both in the ATO fraternity at SMU. It really was the foundation of our career. Pretty anywhere we would play, 20-40 of our brothers would come out. We had some tradition at the house for Big Brother night where we had to go swimming. Aquatic ability was essential. That's all I'm gonna say).

We all know this is your ship my dear

Don’t say a word it’s perfectly clear

I’ve got my suit on – I’m goin in

(I often say "Speedo" and get a good chuckle. I was a swimmer throughout my youth and wore many a Speedo. My fave was the star and stripes BiCentennial edition. My sister had the one piece to match. From grades 1-6, I lived in North Harbor/Sandy Springs/Atlanta and we had neighborhood swim teams. I remember all the other kids would eat powder Jello but our mom would make us Gazpacho (cold tomato soup). I also did 2 years at Staples HS in Westport, CT as a "diver" on the swim team. I was a rare bird that could do a back flip and walk on my hands. Since diving was considered one of the swimming events - and the swimmers were only able to compete in x amount of events... the team literally needed a guy to jump off the board. Woody called it "falling with style."

With a heart as fragile as mine why did we even begin

(yah - I 'm a sensitive guy. I was asking for it)

I’ve found new days of sunshine

(this line used to be "I miss my Ray (her name) of sunshine." Wow. That was pathetic.) 

Looks like we’re in for nasty weather (should have said you're in for nasty weather - she and boyfriend started fighting over phone).

But if you’re meant to be than you’ll stick together

Don’t come cryin to me when your horizons turn dark and grey baby

(This is an excerpt from a book I am working on about Being Creative for a Living. I will post a new chapter most Fridays - or as close as I can get… I genuinely hope this blog inspires you… thanks for following)

We don't have to be scared. 

But we are scared - a LOT. 

We are scared to start a new company or launch a new product. Scared to leave our current job for a better one. Scared to pick up the phone and call that girl. Scared that we'll show up to the party and not know anyone. 

Some fear - like running across the highway at rush hour - is healthy fear. 

But I would contend the number one fast and slow killer of dreams is fear.

Tony Robbins says "we'll do more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure." 

We know going to the gym and getting in shape will bring us nothing but pleasure - but we're scared it will be painful working out. It's easier to have another couple donuts (less pain). 

We're so scared.

But what's the worst thing that could happen?

When I was going through my divorce, I was in serious pain, was in deep debt and thought I was in real trouble. I was paralyzed. 

A good friend asked me, "what's the worst thing that could happen to you." I thought long and hard about it. If everything fell away and I had nothing - no house, no car, no income - what would that look like?

It's important to define your worst case scenario. What does the WORST CASE SCENARIO look like for you? It may not be as bad as you think.

For me I thought long and hard about it. I would have to move into my parents house. It would be incredibly humiliating but they would not let me starve. I don't need any new clothes. I could take public transportation but I could probably borrow one of their cars a lot. It would not be great but things could be a WHOLE LOT WORSE than that. 

Once I realized my worst case scenario, I was able to stare it in the face - see it for what it was, and then move on. 

Regardless - if it's worse or better than you think - it's good TO KNOW WHAT IT IS. 

(This is an excerpt from a book I am working on about Being Creative for a Living. I will post a new chapter most Fridays… I genuinely hope this blog inspires you... thanks for following)

Get used to hearing that.

Better yet - get used to ignoring it - becuase you can do just about anything.

            My band, Jackopierce, was told for years: "we don't book acoustic duos;" "we don't do seated shows;" "we don't do non-smoking shows." "You can't do that." So we just quietly, slowly, kept growing our fanbase across the country to the point where we could dictate our terms instead of being dictated to.

            You can do just about whatever you are willing to put your mind to - period.

            You've heard the stories.. Sylvester Stalone took his script, "Rocky" to over 1,000 different people. He actually sold his dog to stay alive. Everyone told him he could not sell his script nor could he EVER dream of starring in the movie. "Rocky" was eventually made for $1.1 million but grossed $117 million. It was nominated for 10 Oscars and ended up winning 3 - including best picture. It also spawned 5 sequels.

            Roger Banister was told he could not run a four-minute mile. It was a physical impossibility. His legs would explode from the pressure and impact. In 1954 he broke the four-minute mile. Now high school kids do it. 

            Sell bottles of water? Sell expensive coffee? Make a record? Write a screenplay? Make a movie? "You can't do that!"

(This is an excerpt from a book I am working on about Being Creative for a Living. I will post a new chapter every Friday - or as close as I can…Thanks to all my new Followers who found me through TuneCore & other places. I genuinely hope this blog inspires you to grow, learn and have FUN).

I have a silly saying: "It's hard to get out of bed when you're still in it.."

 If you really want to get something done, get up a little earlier than everyone else. Once you actually get out of bed and get moving - there's a magic to being one of the only ones up. You've started your day - you've started your life.

            Master legal-thriller writer, John Grisham, wrote his first book by waking up every day at 5am to write for 2-3 hours before work (he kept his day job). He did this for three years. He started his next novel the day after he finished his first - and since 1988, he's written a novel a year. There are over 235 million of his books in print.

            Most of the great leaders of all time got up early.

(This is an excerpt from a book I am working on about Being Creative for a Living. I will post a new chapter every Friday - or as close as I can…Thanks to all my new Followers who found me through TuneCore. I genuinely hope this blog inspires you to grow whatever it is you wish to grow).

Nothing can replace FACE TIME. Plant Seeds. Send out Ships.

Financial Coach, Rick Ruby, said "if you're spending most of your time behind a desk, you're not doing business. You gotta get out there, take meetings, meet people."

            Great advice.

            I just got back from"exploratory" trips to both Santa Barbara, CA and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for Jackopierce Destination Shows we have coming up (June 8 SB, Aug 17 MV - working on SM for Oct '13). A more detailed explanation of Destination Shows can be found here: http://carypierceblog.tumblr.com/post/20535571990/a-bit-of-history-of-destination-shows  

And more info can be found in our store: www.jackopierce.bigcartel.com

I have spent a LOT of time researching online. I've looked at tons and tons of pictures of hotels, rental houses, venues and places to see/things to do but nothing could replace going to these places, meeting these people face to face, walking the properties where the events will be held. Nothing comes close.

            My manager had put a lot of calls into places for me to go look at but nothing compares to meeting someone face to face and seeing things for real.

            I got more done is the days hanging with the local experts than I would have in weeks of trying to figure things over e-mail and scouring websites. They gave me the scoop on the places to visit, the restaurants to eat at, the things to do and the hotels to recommend. I also had the opportunity to walk to property and spend some time talking over the details of our Destination Show. I could now see the event unfolding.

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Other "Get Out's" 

      I was talking to an artist in Dallas about producing her record. She invited my wife and I out to her show. While I was there, I saw the owner of the club. We chatted for a bit and he mentioned that he had thrown Jackopierce's hat in the ring to play an extremely lucrative festival. I immediately called our manager and got him to work on getting us the show. He did. We got it. We got paid extremely well, sold thousands of dollars of CD's, T-shirts, played in front of over 5,000 people and had a blast! I'm glad I "got out" that night and saw that guy!

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(This is an excerpt from a book I am working on about Being Creative for a Living. I will post a new chapter every Friday - or as close as I can…Thanks to all my new Followers who found me through TuneCore. I genuinely hope this blog inspires you to grow whatever it is you wish to grow).

Take fair out of your vocabulary. It is possibly the most ridiculous word in the English language. Take it out.

FIGURE OUT WHAT “WORKS FOR YOU.” DECIDE if a decision is "amicable," "agreeable," "equitable." Figure out if something "makes sense" for you.

            When I hear people, "that's just not fair" it drives me crazy.

            Of course it's not fair. Nothing is fair because "fair" does not exist.

            My interpretation of what's "fair" will always be (even if only slightly) different than the guy next to me.

            Some people want to be taller. Some people want to be shorter, skinnier, bigger, lighter, darker. Some people want more "success." Most people want "mo money." A lot of people think that when they don't have the things they want that life is “unfair.”

            So many people who have “made it” in this world being Creative did not get stuck in the "fair" game. They knew from the get-go that things were not fair and they went about creating anyway.

            To sit around and worry about what's fair and what's not will not get you what you want.

            To shake your fists “why?!” at the gallery owner that puts the "inferior" art of the "cool guy/cute girl" instead of yours into his gallery - or to sit around and wonder why everyone hates your book are bad questions to ask yourself.

            Ask a bad question - get a bad a bad answer.

            Quit asking "why" and start asking "How" or "What."

            Instead of "why did I not get into that festival?" start asking "how can I get into that festival?" or "what do I have to do to get more shows on my calendar?"

            Instead of asking "why am I so fat?" start asking, "what do I need to do to lose weight?"

            I just saw the movie, "Flash of Genius." It's based on the true story of inventor, Bob Kearns - a Creative that invents the intermittent windshield wiper for cars. Ford steals the idea. At one point in the movie, he is offered $300,000 (this is 25+ years ago) to settle. The lawyer (brilliantly played by Alan Alda) and Kearn's wife urge him to take the deal. Alda implores him,  saying that Ford will bury him in paperwork for the next 10 years, He says fighting them will turn him grey and old. But since the Kearns wants Ford to do what's "fair" and admit that they stole from him, he declines. Eventually he is offered THIRTY MILLION dollars to settle but he refuses again.

            His battle started in 1969 and did not end it until 1995 (36 YEARS LATER) after spending over $10,000,000 in dollars in legal fees. When he invented the wiper, he was a happily married 42 year-old-man and a father of six kids. When he won his nearly $30,000,000, he was divorced. He would die 10 years later at 77, of brain cancer complicated by Alzheimers.