“How productive do you think your work force would be if it was not toilet trained?” (Alvin Toffler)

This is the essence of “core economy”, as noted author, speaker and social justice leader Edgar Cahn calls it. This great blog post helped to better spread an understanding of his concept of time banking, whereby an exchange of time & talents is accepted as valuable social currency.

It’s the barter system in more pedantic verbiage. And it’s a concept that help build civilization, but one that’s been all but forsaken in modern society. In this time of economic uncertainty, why would we not go back to basics—especially considering those basics are what got us to this point of evolution in the first place? And why are we focusing on top-level crises when more and more people are going hungry, uneducated, unhealthy, illiterate and unable overall to even be productive members of the traditional workforce?

Expertise, manpower, generosity, training, companionship, assistance, and wisdom are much more valuable than dollars and cents. The idea of time banking helps prove just how true this can be if you’re willing to take a step back from your bank account and take a broader look at how you can get what you need without fixating on money.

Check out Time Bank USA, download their DIY kit for some great ideas, and consider what you can do on a daily basis that not only helps someone else, but also helps you in the process.

The U.S. is the most overworked nation in the world. That’s a scary fact and one that makes me all the more grateful that I’ve been able to achieve a fulfilling balance of work/personal time in my life. Most people believe, though, that they can’t do this. But when you read statistic after statistic about how much time and energy work sucks out of our collective lives (and you can click the aforementioned link for plenty of those depressing stats), you have to wonder whether it is worth it.

A good friend used to tell me all the time that it would be ideal if we all worked smarter, not harder. I used to take that to mean that there was some secret formula I’d stumble upon that would make me suddenly more productive – that my work would sync with my talents in some magical way that reduced effort and increased output. But after many years of searching for such a formula – everything from The Pomodoro Technique to switching offices to switching jobs altogether – I discovered that, of course, the trick had to do with me, not any kind of external circumstance.

I had to figure out for myself what was going to work for me and would then, in turn, channel my life experience, work expertise, innate talents and potential creativity towards the most effective work output. When I examined the best way to work that worked for me, not my boss/co-workers/clients, then I was able to get the most work done in the most efficient fashion. And that of course made my boss/co-workers/clients much happier and more productive themselves.

Working smarter starts with you and the belief that “work” doesn’t have to be hard, especially if you’re employed at something you enjoy. How can you change your routine to be more productive with your work while also increasing the time you have for yourself and the rest of life?

I’m thrilled to help spread the word about a great Huffington Post article written by pioneering experimental/indie filmmaker Jon Reiss. When I first arrived in Los Angeles to work in film, I was lucky enough to intern with Jon for several years while he worked hard on music videos, narrative features and documentaries that were not only revolutionary in vision but also in the way he went about bringing them to fruition. I’m not the only one who would classify him emphatically as a great teacher and generous mentor.

Jon’s latest opus, the graffiti documentary Bomb It, coupled the most successful grassroots techniques in funding and promotion along with new strategies Jon and his team tried out for the first time. He hasn’t become the richest man in the world as a result, but the rewards have been much greater, as Jon is recognized as undoubtedly the most exciting, provocative and inspiring independent filmmaker leading the way into the future. He’s a great balance of old school expertise and fearless experimentation, and his “A Christmas (and Hanukkah) List to Save Independent Film” is not only filled with great ideas for last-minute holiday gifts, but offers a wealth of advice for artists across the board who are looking to make a living off of what they do.

A large number of clients that come my way ask for help in one very specific area of their business development and promotion without realizing that, if they took a few steps back, the problem they need to address is actually inherent to their fundamental business structure. They may not have put enough thought into composing a strong business plan and therefore don’t grasp who their customers are, who they’re competing against, how to phrase exactly what it is that they do, or how they get it all done.

The following link takes you to a well-written, very illuminating article about this issue, “What makes a website successful? It might not be what you expect!” While it focuses on a company’s online presence, the gist of it takes in the bigger picture of what I’m talking about above: you must understand your own business/work in order to communicate what you do to the world and succeed with customers. Without this understanding, your brand will be incoherent and forgettable, your messaging will be off-target and unappealing, and you’ll spend too much time trying to go after customers without connecting their needs to your services.

Unfortunately, having worked with so many artists and entertainment industry professionals, there is a pervading belief that rules of this nature don’t apply to creative crafts. But if you plan on making money to live off of and a viable career out of your creativity, then you must employ business structure to what you do. It need not take all the fun out of things and in fact is a way to help you connect with capable professionals (CPAs, financial managers, professional administrators) who would be eager to partner with you and look after this sort of stuff while you’re out there dazzling the world with your artistry. Don’t become another statistic proving your parents’ fears weren’t unfounded (“You can never make a living as an artist!” – remember all the times you’ve heard that?) by running your creative business into the ground because you refused or were afraid to take some simple steps.

There are some really great (and mostly free or low-cost) small business resources out there. I suggest you start with the Small Business Administration (SBA), which has offices in many cities across the country, plus a suite of online tools including their Small Business Planner which gives you a great structure to start with. They also employ successful small business owners as mentors who can be paired up to coach you through the implementation and growth of your own company.

A great community for exchanging small business ideas is the American Express OPEN Forum. Yes, it is sponsored by the credit card, but the use of their small business message board and interactive tools, as well as access to the inspiring, informative articles they recruit experts in all areas to post, are free with no obligation to apply for or use the card.

So before you start going crazy with a logo and type treatment, before you invest a few thousand bucks into a sweet website, put a little bit of thought into an explanation of what you’re doing, why you’re doing it better than anyone else, how it’s going to get done and who’ll benefit from it most. The payoff will be getting to run your business so much longer thanks to clear messaging and a strong foundation that customers continue to appreciate.

One of the creators whose work has changed my life (by exploding it and putting it back together again, repeatedly, in the best possible way) is Werner Herzog. Notably irascible and unpredictable, Werner is giving like-minded filmmakers the opportunity to powwow with him via his new Rogue Film School. It’s expensive, but could prove worthwhile if you’re one of the lucky few to be selected.

Although his work comes across as daunting to many, and reports of his interpersonal skills note him as “difficult” to say the least, he’s always been extremely kind to me, with truly insightful pointers about life and work. So based on these previous experiences with Werner (which include interviews as well as random drooling fan encounters), I feel confident in stating that anyone who can’t afford the $1500 fee for Rogue Film School can get a pretty solid education in Herzog filmmaking, philosophy and living from reading his books, watching his films and truly taking to heart what he’s listed on the “About” page for RFS.

So this is what Werner has to say about Rogue Film School:

“- The Rogue Film School will be in the form of weekend seminars held by Werner Herzog in person at varying locations and at infrequent intervals.
- The number of participants will be limited.
- Locations and dates will be announced on this website and Werner Herzog’s website: www.wernerherzog.com approximately 12 weeks in advance.
- The Rogue Film School will not teach anything technical related to film-making. For this purpose, please enroll at your local film school.
- The Rogue Film School is about a way of life. It is about a climate, the excitement that makes film possible. It will be about poetry, films, music, images, literature.
- The focus of the seminars will be a dialogue with Werner Herzog, in which the participants will have their voice with their projects, their questions, their aspirations.
- Excerpts of films will be discussed, which could include your submitted films; they may be shown and discussed as well. Depending on the materials, the attention will revolve around essential questions: how does music function in film? How do you narrate a story? (This will certainly depart from the brainless teachings of three-act-screenplays). How do you sensitize an audience? How is space created and understood by an audience? How do you produce and edit a film? How do you create illumination and an ecstasy of truth?
- Related, but more practical subjects, will be the art of lockpicking. Traveling on foot. The exhilaration of being shot at unsuccessfully. The athletic side of filmmaking. The creation of your own shooting permits. The neutralization of bureaucracy. Guerrilla tactics. Self reliance.
- Censorship will be enforced. There will be no talk of shamans, of yoga classes, nutritional values, herbal teas, discovering your Boundaries, and Inner Growth.
- Related, but more reflective, will be a reading list: if possible, read Virgil’s “Georgics”, read “Hemingway’s “The short happy life of Francis Macomber”, The Poetic Edda, translated by Lee M. Hollander (in particular the Prophecy of the Seeress), Bernal Diaz del Castillo “True History of the Conquest of New Spain”.
- Follow your vision. Form secretive Rogue Cells everywhere. At the same time, be not afraid of solitude.”

The last line is most important. It really does all boil down to this and I bet anyone who participates in the RFS weekend seminars will realize this in the end.

Check it out for yourself: www.roguefilmschool.com

The Zen Habits “simple productivity” blog has a lovely little piece up about why you’re more productive, happier and stress-free when you make your life about doing what you love – specifically, as your career and source of income. It’s not gonna happen overnight, but it is a feasible goal to shoot for, especially when you keep the long-term benefits in mind. Feeling more fulfilled, less stressed, and more energized about how you make a living ultimately leads to a healthier lifestyle where the work is not just about the money. And here’s the bonus catch: because you love what you’re doing and don’t mind working hard at it, the money comes your way.

Read “The World Needs You To Do What You Love“.