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When I was in high school, my Dad bought me a 1979 Fender Stratocaster. Even as I attended College, that Strat was one of my favorite guitars. Not long after I got my first job, I sold that guitar because I was convinced that newer, more modern guitars were somehow better or would get me closer to finding my tone.

Now, over 40 years later, I have just built my dream-Stratocaster. It turned out to be an amazing instrument! Again I learned that the grass is not always greener. I have many modern, high-tech guitars that play effortlessly and stay in tune perfectly, but I tend to drift back to old-school guitars and tube amps. The way a classic instrument sounds and feels is something to be cherished. ©RSJ

A new year, a new decade, another opportunity to abandon unproductive old-ways, and establish new foundations of discipline.  Last year, my son and I built a pull-up bar in our backyard.  Excited to display our manliness, we both grabbed the bar and struggled to complete even one pull-up. We didn’t give up.  Three times per day, we would struggle, strain, and help each other complete a few pull-ups.  Two weeks later, we were able to accomplish five or six with style, and no outside help.  

I learned through this process, that the discipline of consistency, produces amazing results in a short amount of time.  Whether it is learning to play an instrument, writing a script, or physical fitness, the act of making small advances daily, adds up to life-changing outcomes.  Commit your efforts to complete those goals that have eluded you for so long!  ©RSJ

In 1977 I was eleven years old, and my neighbor, Danny, was seventeen.  Like an older brother, he gave me some very influential hand-me-downs, that, little did I know, would play a major role in shaping my musical journey.  As he was upgrading his stereo system, he gave me his old “Craig” receiver, turntable, and a pair of speakers so large I thought my bedroom floor would buckle from the heft. I spent that weekend listening to records: KISS, Zeppelin, Ted Nugent and The Eagles.

Forty-two years later, my fifteen-year-old son, Tyler, has starting buying vinyl, and prefers records over CDs and Mp3s. He and I love to visit the record store and flip through the $3 bins, grabbing up those same classics that I discovered in my youth. When we get home, we sit on the floor, listen to the records, and marvel at the liner notes and jacket graphics.  My advice to you: order a pizza and spend time with friends and family around a record player. The conversations and camaraderie will foster creativity, a love of music, and maybe even a musician. ©RSJ

Over the course of my three decades in creative media, I am continually reminded of the importance of writing.  Sometimes it’s just jotting down an idea that pops in my head, or waking up from a dream and making a quick note so it can be remembered tomorrow. Often it’s a concerted effort to compile notes and ideas into something formal: a script, a song, or a concept that needs to be birthed. 

I have worked with countless creative geniuses who, from their mouths, could spew tales that would make Spielberg blush! But that’s where they ended. Those ideas were never written down, never flushed out, never turned into reality.  Conversely, I have witnessed others, some much less talented, putting pen to paper, documenting their ideas, and ultimately seeing those ideas come to fruition.  The foundation is poured when we take the time to “write it down.”  ©RSJ