Hand-painted signs aren’t a new interest for me.

At eighteen while working on maintenance at a private school, I met a fellow with his paint and brushes who had been hired to restore some of the historic signs around the school as well as painting, “WATCH YOUR STEP” with a yellow line at the top and bottom of every flight of concrete stairs around the grounds.

I remember watching him and thinking, “This is cool, is this a real job?”

I had enjoyed painting words and images on my own stuff as a child, when I was ten I painted “Wild Thing” on the side of a bright red billy cart my grandpa built for me before a Sunday school race.

Giving things a name, playing with typography, colour and design gives things a new layer of depth and meaning. These signs light up our brains with emotion, remind us of our hopes, dreams and intentions.

Rather than paying for some vinyl stickers for my ute, I decided to hand-paint my window cleaning logo on the tailgate.

Sign-writing supplies like paint and brushes aren’t readily available and I ended up finding a supplier in Melbourne where I purchased my first brushes and a few tins of 1shot paint.

Finding a few smaller brushes to complete my design however took a little more searching. Until one afternoon I placed an order with a business in Melbourne’s North East, Bi-wize.

Expecting the order to take a few weeks, I was very surprised to look out my window the next morning to see the Bi-Wize van. I put down the guitar and wandered out to say hello to a fellow waving a small envelope at me.

It turns out John, the Bi-wize guy, does deliveries in the Geelong region and figured he’d stop by with the brushes himself. He was curious about what I was using them for as apparently not many people purchase sign-writing brushes.

I showed John the hand-painted Logo on my tailgate, “Framed” in a Holden sandman style typeface. John grinned at me.

“Very Torquay. That’s art, that is.”

John went on to tell me about his time as a sign-writer and referred me to Larry Stammers, an old school sign-writer who teaches beginner workshops out of his home garage.

The exchange with John was brief but it breathed new life into a spark that had been dormant in me for a long time.

As I walked back up the garden path, I smiled to myself.

In an age where it feels like everyone is trying to outsource their work to machines or AI, there’s something invigorating about an industry that values the humanity of the craft. An industry where driving an hour and a half to deliver a few paint brushes makes sense.

An industry like sign-writing.

Sometimes the company line resonates with our own perspective. The company line is helpful to collect and direct collaborators who are working towards a similar vision, built on shared values.

As an individual it pays to check in with ourselves from time to time, to re-evaluate if our personal vision still aligns with the mighty company line.

Checking in with ourselves can be costly. We may discover our path is diverging from the institutional one. We may be tempted to ignore this divergence in favour of security and certainty.

Institutions are generally slow to change. It takes time to explore, re-evaluate and recalibrate the vision and values of a large group of people.

Individuals can move fast. When the call comes to move in a new direction, we can choose to make a change today.

The tension between personal and institutional direction can be the energy to slingshot us into the next season of life.

Looking back I think the task was part of an assessment, so teachers weren’t allowed to offer much assistance or encouragement. According to his regular teachers, the young man was intelligent, creative and quite capable.

Ability wasn’t the problem. Starting was the problem.

There are a whole lot of reasons why we find starting a new creative project difficult. From perfectionism to overthinking.

Sometimes the more we believe we can do a good job, the harder it is to get started. When we start, when we make the idea into a reality, we run the risk of it not meeting our expectations.

Starting in motion helps us sidestep the internal dialogue. It gives us the momentum we need to slip into flow state, opening us up to the steady stream of new ideas, floating around in the ether, just waiting to be engaged.

Running is easier when we start with a gentle walk. It allows us to warm up, not only physically but also by firing up the neural networks that tune us in to the movement and sensations of the body.

When we start in motion, our nervous system has an opportunity to gradually expand our window of tolerance, to get comfortable with the increasingly complex demands of the creative act at hand.

When a surfer catches a wave, they must first meet the energy of the wave by exerting their own energy. By starting in motion, the surfer’s effort is rewarded by an almost effortless ride.

Write nonsense.

Draw without clear direction.

Pick up the guitar and play a note, any note.

“Music is pretty low stakes for you, I mean it’s not like you’re trying to make it,” a friend observed over dinner.

This statement beautifully captures the status quo attitude many people have toward creative projects: play small, be safe, don’t be a tall poppy. When somebody says your art is low stakes, they’re saying it’s nice to make your art but it doesn’t really matter because you have another career.

When an artist hears a statement like this, it can touch a raw nerve.

For people who make art, regardless of the medium, it’s not just a nice thing to do in their spare time. It’s the lifeblood that makes everything else they do possible.

It’s the system that allows them to digest life and alchemise their experience.

It’s the window to their heart, an invitation to let others see who they truly are.

It may or may not pay the bills but art is the work we find most satisfying.

An artist doesn’t lie on their deathbed regretting the hours they didn’t spend at a day job they never loved.

An artist will regret not making and sharing the song, the painting, the book, the play, the photograph.

Because at least for a little while, art lives on. It’s the gift we keep giving even when we can’t be there to give it.

To me, making art is kinda high stakes.

Embarking on a new venture requires a degree of blind faith. Despite doubts about achieving results, choosing to take action initiates a subtle energetic shift. This energy becomes the driving force of creativity and action, propelling us forward even in the face of uncertainty.

Faith is the lifeblood of creativity and action that carries us forward even though our destination may seem uncertain.

By embracing curiosity, playfulness, and trust, I shifted from perpetual preparation to action. This website is my gift, given in good faith to you the reader. I have faith that these ideas, insights and reflections will help you as much as they have assisted me.

May Faith drive you forward this week. Mark.

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This episode is for those caught in the planning and thinking phase who find it difficult to take action despite publishing and sharing ideas being easier than ever before.

Michael is a talented athlete, inspiring coach, mentor, musician and all round gentleman.  Michael's story embodies the bold philosophy of following his heart to do what inspires him and serving his community with the best of what he has.

In our conversation Michael generously shares insights from his journey so far, reflecting on the challenge and joy of giving one hundred percent to his passion for boxing. 

  If you've ever felt like the beaten track just isn't for you, tune in to hear Michael's story of discovering where he belongs, finding purpose and sharing his unique gifts with the world.

  Looking forward to watching the next chapter unfold for Michael as he launches his 'Land the Jab' youth mental health program.  Go give him a follow on instagram @michael_theslenderman