Max Riffner

The Parlor

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Half as Hard, Twice as Good

Since last week I crashed so hard, this week’s yoga class theme was working where we were comfortable. I’ve been wrestling with this theme for awhile now, how working half as hard can make the experience twice as good. I’ve especially tried this philosophy out in two areas: cartooning and career.

With cartooning, I’ve focused on making my lines very economical by trying to say what I want to say with two lines instead of five. And why say it with two when one will do? The more simple the art, the more iconic it is. The more iconic it is, the more people can relate to it. Plus, I don’t have to draw as many lines!

In regards to my career, I focus on making my life easier as quickly as possible. For example, last year at about this time, there was a larger demand for our creative services internally within the company. Marketing initiatives were the focus of the fiscal year after being neglected for a time. In response, I was growing frustrated, not just with the job list, but with my own project management. Once I nailed down that a good portion of our time was wasted due to poor project management on my part, I decided we needed a project management system. Of course, my first reaction was to make one myself. That is just adding to the problem though, isn’t it? So, I talked to my supervisors about Basecamp and haven’t looked back since. Sure, it isn’t an exact fit, but it is about as close as you can come. Problem solved in less than an hour. Monday afternoon, I set up the entire schedule for our Halloween promotions which will begin production in two weeks.

So, that’s my thing. It isn’t perfect. I totally thought I could do a headstand and crumpled like a cheap suit. On the other hand, I rocked the really hard leg poses. I didn’t get upset; I know my upper body is nowhere near as strong or balanced as my lower body in certain poses. I can almost do a handstand by myself now, so it will happen eventually with time and practice. The point is not to kill yourself every time or else you’ll have nothing left.

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