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TV writer who eats danger for breakfast

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Remote Work Survival Guide: How to Work from Home and Not Lose Your Goddamn Mind

March 24, 2020 by Amy Suto 1 Comment

So, I heard you’re working from home now! WELCOME to the league of pajama-wearing workers like myself. We’ve been doing this for awhile, come on in, the water’s just fine. (So you can stop hoarding water bottles now, okay?)

I’ve written a whole book on freelancing for creatives which has a bunch of tips n’ stuff. If you’re a creative facing the uncertainty of the world and trying to make money online or replace your day job entirely, check out the book and also my articles on freelancing here on the blog:

  • Day in the Life of a Freelance Writer
  • How I Made My First $10k as a Freelance Writer on Upwork
  • How to Ghostwrite a Memoir or Hire a Ghostwriter for Your Autobiography

But if you work a normal job that has just gone to remote-work only, working from home can be ESPECIALLY jarring. Suddenly, you have to be productive in a space you’ve probably designed to be a prime Netflix-watching binge-cave.

Not to mention that it’s hard to focus on real responsibilities right now when you’re sanitizing every single surface in your house and wondering if every sneeze means you’re going to die of the coronavirus.

I’m hoping that amidst this pandemic your boss/team/whoever you work with and report to are chill about you maybe not being on your a-game because the Trump administration keeps on suggesting that maybe we sacrifice our grandparents at the alter of the NASDAQ like some kind of death cult ritual. Cool! Not terrifying at all!*

It’s enough to make you want to social distance yourself from all of society and cut your internet cord and go running off to the forest to write a wandering book on why you refuse to pay your taxes and live as a sovereign soul whilst still having your mom do your laundry.

*this last part is sarcasm just in case you didn’t pick up on that, I would like everyone to survive thanks

**this is a Henry David Thoreau joke just in case you didn’t know his mom still did he laundry when he was writing Walden

Anyways. Here are some of my ~top tips~ to survive working from home now that we all live in a remote work world.

Set-Up Your Home Office

my desk, where I can watch birds do dive bombs and scare squirrels off of the power lines

Okay, we’re going to start this section off with DUMB AMAZON PURCHASES I MADE FOR MY HOME OFFICE THAT ACTUALLY IMPROVED MY PRODUCTIVITY. These are affiliate links btw like all the Amazon links on my blog, so if you buy something on Amazon with them you further enable me to keep devoting time to writing weird blog posts like this and purchase more dumb things from Amazon (yay capitalism!) If you can’t see the Amazon links it’s probably because you have your ad blocker on.

I joke but at the same time we’re going to be here for awhile. If you can allocate some funds to make the place you sit down and work every day a little brighter, that’s rad. While true joy comes from relationships and not material possessions, a Himalayan salt lamp might also be a nice way to fill the void of the warmth of other humans because you’ve been self-isolating for so long you forgot what that was like–

Okay, okay, jokes aside, let’s go.

Get a Desk Lamp (or Two)

I have two desk lamps: a reading light and a mood light (the salt lamp). The reading light I got is awesome, it has a touch-screen like dimmer panel and you can also make the light quality warmer so you don’t get that gross white light.

Both lamps have dimmers so I can control how my workspace is lit: if I’m reading or writing notecards, I’ll have them turned up all the way, if I’m focusing on the computer, I’ll turn on flux at night and dim my lights so that my eyes don’t get strained.

Good lighting is also nice for video chats. I like to be well-lit so that when I’m chatting with clients or friends I don’t look like some kind of ghoul coming to steal their souls.

I also have a few LED tea lights with cute li’l covers that I got for a Kingdom of Pavement secret show that I also sometimes turn on and put on my desk. I love normal candles, but my cat likes to participate in my video calls so would prefer her tail not get caught on fire while I’m working.

For the Love of God, Get a Good Desk Chair

This is as much of a tip for you guys as it is a reminder for me. I really need a new desk chair, because my $40 chair from Ikea I got four years ago isn’t exactly the best thing in the world for my posture. So don’t be like me and invest in a good desk chair now that we’re all going to be working from home for the foreseeable future because we can’t yet band together as a nation and all get on the same page about social distancing!!! Come on guys!!!

There’s also some cool converters that turn your normal desk into a standing desk, which I’ve considered for my own office. Ideally, you’re getting some Outside Time (TM) in this pandemic, but sitting is just as bad for our health as smoking, so the more you can stretch your legs (at your desk or otherwise) the better.

ALSO! Before you buy office furniture of any sort, I recommend checking out a discount website like Wayfair. I got a bookcase from there for under $30, and my gorgeous, fake-concrete desk for under $300 which is a steal for how big and awesome it is. I also got my file cabinet for less than $30 at Ikea, and while my desk chair isn’t the best it’s also still a steal for the cost. You DON’T have to spend a fortune to get a nice home office set-up, and Ikea and Wayfair both deliver obviously so you don’t have to worry about figuring out if there are any office supply stores still open in your area now that we are in Pandemic Times.

Enhance Your Workflow with a Whiteboard or Bulletin Board

One day, I hope to have enough wallspace to just cover everything in whiteboards. Whiteboards are my JAM.

But, if you don’t have very much space in your apartment/whatever, you can also get some snazzy corkboard squares you can use to put up notecards or whatever you need.

I also take over my closet mirror when I REALLY need space to put up notecards or work through a story problem or an assignment for a client. Blue tape and notecards can convert any wall into a work wall.

Stop Craning Your Neck and Get a Monitor

The best work from home purchase I have EVER made was getting a super huge computer monitor, a bluetooth keyboard, and a magic trackpad. I just hook up my laptop to it via an HDMI cord and voila, I have a gorgeous desktop setup that won’t break the bank unlike getting a desktop mac would.

I can’t tell you how useful it is to be able to have a huge screen. I’m able to splitscreen work, and when I was doing dumb tax stuff this year I could just have a spreadsheet open on one side of my monitor and have my bookkeeping software open on the other side.

I got my monitor at Best Buy for under $100 and got the rest on Amazon. If you have a mac, be sure to get the right HDMI adaptor for your HDMI cord to connect your mac laptop to your monitor.

Special Equipment (like Podcast Equipment) and Work-from-Home Guilty Pleasure Office Supplies

Ideally, all of this work from home stuff you’ll need for your work is at the very least tax write-off-able, but depending on where you work, see if your employer can cover the costs.

I edit a lot of podcasts for our interviews at KingdomofPavement.com, so I got additional podcast supplies to up our production value (including this awesome microphone set) and then my guilty pleasure buy was a pair of Beats Headphones because aside from podcast editing, I also listen to music all day and wanted a nicer listening experience.

Buying nice headphones was also a bit of a necessity because when I got them, there was a lot of construction noises during the day outside of my window, so I needed the noise cancelling headphones to get any sort of work done.

Honestly, your home office can include whatever makes sense for you and your budget. Just try to make it as comfortable and ergonomic as you can so that your body doesn’t hate you for sitting all day and you’re able to feel a little more comfortable with this whole existential crisis we’re in.

Seriously, You Probably Need A Daily Work Routine

While everyone on Twitter is dunking on the hustle-and-grind folks who are spouting productivity tips, you probably DO still need to keep some sort of daily routine to stay sane while you work from home.

I’ve talked a little bit about my routine on here and in my book, so I won’t repeat myself about what I’ve found works for me.

When creating your work from home routine, I would recommend finding some way to track the essential, if-I-don’t-get-this-done-I’ll-get-fired tasks.

Stripping down your to-do list to the daily essentials will help you battle the feeling of overwhelming sense of existential dread in the face of the coronavirus and other fun current events. And, it’ll help you to maintain some level of productivity if you’re still expected to be a functioning part of society.

You can do this just be being like “every morning I’ll wake up and work for 3-5 hours and try to get done my 3 most important tasks and after that we’ll see how it goes” and writing those three tasks on a sticky note. That’s a simple way to create a “routine,” and then you can throw in some self-care items like a workout, a walk outside, meditation, etc.

Keep it simple. Then build from there if you feel like it.

If you’re a pro or find yourself overwhelmed with work and to-do lists or different projects like I am, you may want a little bit more sophisticated structure.

I’ve used a bunch of those fancy shmancy planners out there, and I swear by the BestSelf planner. I’m garbage at drawing so can’t do a standard bullet journal to save my life, and what I love about the Best Self planners is that they have a lot of built-in positive psychology features, like daily gratitude reflections, a place to record your daily and weekly “wins” and lessons learned, today’s targets and goals, and a simple habit tracker. It also comes with a wall-calendar so you can track goals over a three-month period.

I’ve been using these for the past four years when I work from home, and it’s really helped me visualize how I spend my time and cut down on the anxiety of being overwhelmed with things to do and not being able to visualize my priorities.

If you do end up using the Best Self Journal and need some advice on how best to use ’em for creative project tracking or for freelance projects, let me know here or on my Twitter.

You can also just use your calendar to schedule and block out time for tasks and priorities.

Finding Peace as You Work from Home

Whether you’re a remote employee or a freelancer, right now can be pretty scary. If you’re plagued by existential dread or financial anxieties, getting advice like “go take a walk” or “go meditate” can feel really damn trivial.

And I get it. I’m right there with you.

I’m here writing these blog posts, doing work for clients, working on my novel, and just trying to live life like normal even when it feels like the sky is falling and we can’t do anything about it.

There’s something comforting in maintaining the rhythm of work, so I’ll be here at my desk doing just that while still taking time off when I can to reflect and just absorb what’s going on and what part I can play in helping to fix our broken systems.

So let’s take everything one step at a time. Log off of Twitter, go outside, and give yourself a break every so often to allow yourself to feel what you’re feeling.

Sending virtual hugs,

-Amy

Filed Under: All Posts, Freelance Writing, Most Popular Posts, Remote Work, Writing

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About Amy Suto

I’m Amy, I write thrillers for TV and ghostwrite memoirs for people all over the world. I also write personal essays, short stories, and things for the internet. Check out my portfolio page, sign-up for my writing tips newsletter below, and don’t hesitate to get in touch and share your favorite coffeeshop recommendations! Want to work together? Tell me about you and your project here.

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Amy Suto

It’s here! Visit TheLastStationPodcast.com to listen to the scripted podcast I wrote and produced about the last radio host at the end of the world who gets her first caller and realizes she’s not alone. It’s a sci-fi mystery series and I can’t wait for you to experience it.

If you want to support the show, listen, subscribe, and review on Apple podcasts and consider supporting us on Patreon for cool perks!

Find Freedom in Freelancing

Hi friends! Not sure if you heard, but I wrote a book about how freelancing allowed me to travel the world and focus on my writing full-time in-between writers’ rooms. If you’d like to read about how I made my first $50,000 on the freelance platform Upwork while I was still an assistant and how I’ve grown my freelance business since then, check it out on Amazon!

Recent Posts

  • So You Wanna Be a Great Writer/Artist/Musician: How to “Honor the Work” as a Creative
  • How Much Does Hiring a Memoir Ghostwriter Cost?
  • Quarantine Nomads: How Freelancers Can Live and Work Remotely — and Safely During COVID-19
  • Nobody is Going to Make Your Thing: The Cavalry Isn’t Coming and Other Hollywood Pep Talks
  • Get Help Becoming a Freelance Writer + Writing Your Novel/Screenplay/Whatever: Consultations + Writing Coaching Sessions Open!



Ask Jeeves

Because I’m a Millennial

sutoscience

Amy Suto
Snippet from our shoot in the desert last year wit Snippet from our shoot in the desert last year with the badass @idaliavalles_ and @medwardsphx, can’t wait to eventually get back to filming projects again!

#Repost @idaliavalles_
・・・
A casual stroll in the desert 🏜 excerpt from @sutoscience projects 🎥 @medwardsphx
Happy NYE to all the people who saw my hair in var Happy NYE to all the people who saw my hair in various stages of disarray on Zoom this year!!! In 2020 I spent a lot of time running @kingdomofpavement, writing/producing @thelaststationpodcast, prepping @kingdomofink_writers for launch with the help of our incredible team, and I got to write some cool books with my amazing clients you’ll be able to read soon. Work aside, I also struggled a ton and worked a lot and dealt with all the existential dread we all went through. I would not be smiling and continuing to avoid my hairbrush without the love and support of the people around me, and I’m grateful to pieces. Here’s to another year of virtual meetings, moving our remote office to gorgeous new places, and pretending “windswept” is an accurate description of my bedhead.
In 2020, we were constantly faced with our own mor In 2020, we were constantly faced with our own mortality. If your life was taken away from you tomorrow, what would you do differently today? What would you change in yourself and the world around you? In reading this book about how different cultures around the world treat death so much differently than us, I also think our fear of death harms us. In thinking that we’re going to live forever, America pretends very real viruses don’t exist, and we don’t make the changes today that would lead to a better tomorrow. The fact that death is an inevitability is both freeing and a call to make the most of the time that we do have. Here’s to 2021 and the way in which we can make the most of it ✨
I'm doing a blog series heading into the new year I'm doing a blog series heading into the new year about building better habits and mental frameworks around our work as writers and creatives, and this first installment is about how to "honor the work" it takes to make great art. Check it out at AmySuto.com and I will one day also be updating my email newsletter before the end of this godforsaken year so if that's your jam feel free to sign-up!
Taking a yoga break in-between working on a key wr Taking a yoga break in-between working on a key writing project today— I’ve loved playing with standing balance flows lately because they help with focus. If you’re trying not to fall over it’s hard to have wandering thoughts 🙂 warrior 2 > triangle > half moon > crescent 🌙 lunge > warrior 3 > half chair > eagle > warrior 3 was one of my favorite challenge sequences I taught in my yoga classes pre-pandemic, and is a great way to quiet your mind even if you fall out of it like I did 🙃 one of my favorite yoga teachers used to tell me falling is just proof that we’re challenging ourselves. If we’re doing everything perfectly, we’re too far within our comfort zone.
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#yoga #writing #movement #yogapractice #yogaflow #yogadaily #writing #scriptchat #nature wearing @alo #aloyoga
I’ve spent most of 2020 in cozy spaces reading w I’ve spent most of 2020 in cozy spaces reading with my cat, and there’s something satisfying in the simplicity of sifting through all these good books. My current read is “Women Who Run With Wolves,” a book analyzing mythology and feminine nature that’s deeply fascinating and a life-changing read. We don’t think about the wisdom we need to protect our creative nature and inner worlds, and this book goes into how to find restoration and strength even in our chaotic environment. A full list of all my favorite books from this year coming to my blog soon!
This is been a year of climbing mountains. Whether This is been a year of climbing mountains. Whether we’re forming a fictional folk band and need to get our album cover or creating new systems and structures from scratch, I couldn’t be more grateful for the people beside me as we build a kingdom that can pave a new road into Hollywood and storytelling. Every day I get to wake up and work on projects I love, help fascinating folks tell their stories, and try to make my corner of this world a little brighter. In 2021 I’m planning to keep upholding the standards and values I want in our work, and to bring some really special art to life. Even as things are burning, we can find a way to use the flames to show us the way to what’s next.
Enjoying the last few days of working remotely in Enjoying the last few days of working remotely in Palm Springs. It’s been a lovely month soaking up the last of the summer (fall?) sun while writing by the pool and transitioning to fire pit days. Working in inspiring places has helped me focus on the top-secret writing work I’m doing for really inspiring people, and think deeply about the right way to tell a story from all angles. Soon, back to LA, home for the holidays, and onto the next adventure as we try to make the most of our quarantine world with really exceptional people.
Lots of late nights writing, working, and drinking Lots of late nights writing, working, and drinking whiskey lately 🥃 it’s been a busy year, but I’m lucky to be working on projects I love.
Spent all of the past month living and working rem Spent all of the past month living and working remotely in the Colorado Rockies, and here’s what I learned:

1) Fresh air and long hikes can fix a lot
2) What can’t be fixed by 1 can be remedied with good friends and long conversations 
3) What can’t be fixed by 1 and 2 can be solved by renouncing all material possessions and just moving to the woods permanently and taking up whittling 
4) While I’m not quite at 3 just yet, I’m working on trying to carve out a place in the world that feels full of life and heart and community. It’s going to take a long time to build everything we’re working on, with a lot of hard decisions along the road. But I’m excited to keep making progress and creating stories I care about with talented folks.

Stay safe and here’s to hoping we’ll get our blue skies back in LA sometime soon 💙
The trees are changing like we all are; the season The trees are changing like we all are; the seasons of life we go through can either cultivate personal growth or personal fear and I’m hoping to always have the courage to choose the former.
Spent the past four days off-the-grid, driving to Spent the past four days off-the-grid, driving to Colorado and spending a night in a yurt in the middle of the Utah desert 🌵 now we’re in the woods and back in semi-civilization to write, quarantine together, and work on all the things.
This is easily one of the most influential books I This is easily one of the most influential books I’ve read this year: even if you haven’t dealt with trauma personally (and there’s different levels of trauma), you interact with people in your world who have — even if you don’t know it. Understanding how trauma affects the core of us on a cellular level is critical to understanding how the mental affects the physical. This book is also an important glimpse into why people behave badly: usually, there’s unresolved trauma at the heart of someone acting out. If everyone was more trauma-informed, we’d be able to make strides to solving the public health crisis at the heart of these traumatic incidents, and be in a better place to help provide healing modalities like yoga, therapy, and EMDR.
Going to the woods for a bit to work remotely and Going to the woods for a bit to work remotely and write and maybe take up an obscure hobby like whittling. Maybe I’ll build a cabin with my bare hands and just work on the land. Maybe I’ll finally finish my Next Great American Novel. I don’t know. All I know is that pine trees are cool and we have to be well-rested for the revolution 🌹
In episode 103, Holden is trapped in an abandoned In episode 103, Holden is trapped in an abandoned mine with no way out — with a monster that steals time and distorts the airwaves. Catch up on @thelaststationpodcast now! // THELASTSTATIONPODCAST.COM // trailer edited by @lizzskywalker ✨
So I'm not ~saying~ you should go illegally downlo So I'm not ~saying~ you should go illegally download CONDOR season 2 just to watch episode 206 that I co-wrote.... but if you do, I hope you enjoy :) This season isn't available in the US yet, but can't wait to share it legally once it is!
My co-producer and I at this morning’s awesome r My co-producer and I at this morning’s awesome recording session for @thelaststationpodcast episode 104, what a joyful few hours! Lots of talented folks in this ep, lots of chicken puns written by yours truly, and you’re not going to see the twist coming :) get your ears ready for some more sci-fi post-apocalyptic storytelling and sweet tunes ✨
Hey guys, the newest episode of @thelaststationpod Hey guys, the newest episode of @thelaststationpodcast is out, written by the amazing @bentelejack, and I’m just so fucking proud of our team on this one. If you ever wanted to hear what the inside of a nightmare sounds like — be our guest! 🚨 @sid_phoenix who plays Holden delivers an incredible performance — this episode is a breathless, tense experience and a one-man show at times as Holden is pursued by a monster that steals time and we experience flashbacks through a tape recorder. The incomparable @portiajamas brings her energy and charisma as Marina, trying to help Holden escape from her side of the airwaves. @linabean113 and @the_other_keanu are our amazing guest stars and bring the intrigue ✨ @mr_dejas and @it_groovy absolutely crushed it when it came to the sound design, editing, and mix/mastering of the episode and have heard from several friends already that they felt like the SFX was in the same room. Stephen Ptacek and Anthony Al-Rifi kill it with the original compositions and atmospheric music. If you like what we’re doing and want to support us, leave a review and subscribe on Apple podcasts, share our show, and consider becoming a patron! All the links and more at: TheLastStationPodcast.com 🎙
the only secret of the universe that I discovered the only secret of the universe that I discovered at the top of that mountain is that the universe is only a secret if you believe it is hiding something from you. otherwise, it’s just a new frontier waiting to be explored
When I started writing @thelaststationpodcast thre When I started writing @thelaststationpodcast three months ago, I wasn’t just writing a post-apocalyptic sci-fi radio drama about an indie music radio host and a cowboy braving the end of the world. I was — and still am! — using this scripted podcast as a way to explore the themes we’re all experiencing in quarantine: loss, missed connections, grieving the way the world once was, facing evils that feel so much greater than ourselves — and trying to find great music to carry us through. Not only do I get to play in this sandbox of finding hope at the end of the world, but I get to do it with the best people. The caliber of incredible talent on this project from our actors to our writing team to our guest musicians to our stellar editors and composers — it’s unreal. And it’s the beginning of an incredible journey: we’ve got 8 more episodes for you, and I can’t wait for you to experience each one. We’ll get through this together, and I can’t wait to introduce you to your new favorite creatives every step of the way through this story.
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  • Get Help Becoming a Freelance Writer + Writing Your Novel/Screenplay/Whatever: Consultations + Writing Coaching Sessions Open!

Because I’m a Millennial

sutoscience

Amy Suto
Snippet from our shoot in the desert last year wit Snippet from our shoot in the desert last year with the badass @idaliavalles_ and @medwardsphx, can’t wait to eventually get back to filming projects again!

#Repost @idaliavalles_
・・・
A casual stroll in the desert 🏜 excerpt from @sutoscience projects 🎥 @medwardsphx
Happy NYE to all the people who saw my hair in var Happy NYE to all the people who saw my hair in various stages of disarray on Zoom this year!!! In 2020 I spent a lot of time running @kingdomofpavement, writing/producing @thelaststationpodcast, prepping @kingdomofink_writers for launch with the help of our incredible team, and I got to write some cool books with my amazing clients you’ll be able to read soon. Work aside, I also struggled a ton and worked a lot and dealt with all the existential dread we all went through. I would not be smiling and continuing to avoid my hairbrush without the love and support of the people around me, and I’m grateful to pieces. Here’s to another year of virtual meetings, moving our remote office to gorgeous new places, and pretending “windswept” is an accurate description of my bedhead.
In 2020, we were constantly faced with our own mor In 2020, we were constantly faced with our own mortality. If your life was taken away from you tomorrow, what would you do differently today? What would you change in yourself and the world around you? In reading this book about how different cultures around the world treat death so much differently than us, I also think our fear of death harms us. In thinking that we’re going to live forever, America pretends very real viruses don’t exist, and we don’t make the changes today that would lead to a better tomorrow. The fact that death is an inevitability is both freeing and a call to make the most of the time that we do have. Here’s to 2021 and the way in which we can make the most of it ✨
I'm doing a blog series heading into the new year I'm doing a blog series heading into the new year about building better habits and mental frameworks around our work as writers and creatives, and this first installment is about how to "honor the work" it takes to make great art. Check it out at AmySuto.com and I will one day also be updating my email newsletter before the end of this godforsaken year so if that's your jam feel free to sign-up!
Taking a yoga break in-between working on a key wr Taking a yoga break in-between working on a key writing project today— I’ve loved playing with standing balance flows lately because they help with focus. If you’re trying not to fall over it’s hard to have wandering thoughts 🙂 warrior 2 > triangle > half moon > crescent 🌙 lunge > warrior 3 > half chair > eagle > warrior 3 was one of my favorite challenge sequences I taught in my yoga classes pre-pandemic, and is a great way to quiet your mind even if you fall out of it like I did 🙃 one of my favorite yoga teachers used to tell me falling is just proof that we’re challenging ourselves. If we’re doing everything perfectly, we’re too far within our comfort zone.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#yoga #writing #movement #yogapractice #yogaflow #yogadaily #writing #scriptchat #nature wearing @alo #aloyoga
I’ve spent most of 2020 in cozy spaces reading w I’ve spent most of 2020 in cozy spaces reading with my cat, and there’s something satisfying in the simplicity of sifting through all these good books. My current read is “Women Who Run With Wolves,” a book analyzing mythology and feminine nature that’s deeply fascinating and a life-changing read. We don’t think about the wisdom we need to protect our creative nature and inner worlds, and this book goes into how to find restoration and strength even in our chaotic environment. A full list of all my favorite books from this year coming to my blog soon!
This is been a year of climbing mountains. Whether This is been a year of climbing mountains. Whether we’re forming a fictional folk band and need to get our album cover or creating new systems and structures from scratch, I couldn’t be more grateful for the people beside me as we build a kingdom that can pave a new road into Hollywood and storytelling. Every day I get to wake up and work on projects I love, help fascinating folks tell their stories, and try to make my corner of this world a little brighter. In 2021 I’m planning to keep upholding the standards and values I want in our work, and to bring some really special art to life. Even as things are burning, we can find a way to use the flames to show us the way to what’s next.
Enjoying the last few days of working remotely in Enjoying the last few days of working remotely in Palm Springs. It’s been a lovely month soaking up the last of the summer (fall?) sun while writing by the pool and transitioning to fire pit days. Working in inspiring places has helped me focus on the top-secret writing work I’m doing for really inspiring people, and think deeply about the right way to tell a story from all angles. Soon, back to LA, home for the holidays, and onto the next adventure as we try to make the most of our quarantine world with really exceptional people.
Lots of late nights writing, working, and drinking Lots of late nights writing, working, and drinking whiskey lately 🥃 it’s been a busy year, but I’m lucky to be working on projects I love.
Spent all of the past month living and working rem Spent all of the past month living and working remotely in the Colorado Rockies, and here’s what I learned:

1) Fresh air and long hikes can fix a lot
2) What can’t be fixed by 1 can be remedied with good friends and long conversations 
3) What can’t be fixed by 1 and 2 can be solved by renouncing all material possessions and just moving to the woods permanently and taking up whittling 
4) While I’m not quite at 3 just yet, I’m working on trying to carve out a place in the world that feels full of life and heart and community. It’s going to take a long time to build everything we’re working on, with a lot of hard decisions along the road. But I’m excited to keep making progress and creating stories I care about with talented folks.

Stay safe and here’s to hoping we’ll get our blue skies back in LA sometime soon 💙
The trees are changing like we all are; the season The trees are changing like we all are; the seasons of life we go through can either cultivate personal growth or personal fear and I’m hoping to always have the courage to choose the former.
Spent the past four days off-the-grid, driving to Spent the past four days off-the-grid, driving to Colorado and spending a night in a yurt in the middle of the Utah desert 🌵 now we’re in the woods and back in semi-civilization to write, quarantine together, and work on all the things.
This is easily one of the most influential books I This is easily one of the most influential books I’ve read this year: even if you haven’t dealt with trauma personally (and there’s different levels of trauma), you interact with people in your world who have — even if you don’t know it. Understanding how trauma affects the core of us on a cellular level is critical to understanding how the mental affects the physical. This book is also an important glimpse into why people behave badly: usually, there’s unresolved trauma at the heart of someone acting out. If everyone was more trauma-informed, we’d be able to make strides to solving the public health crisis at the heart of these traumatic incidents, and be in a better place to help provide healing modalities like yoga, therapy, and EMDR.
Going to the woods for a bit to work remotely and Going to the woods for a bit to work remotely and write and maybe take up an obscure hobby like whittling. Maybe I’ll build a cabin with my bare hands and just work on the land. Maybe I’ll finally finish my Next Great American Novel. I don’t know. All I know is that pine trees are cool and we have to be well-rested for the revolution 🌹
In episode 103, Holden is trapped in an abandoned In episode 103, Holden is trapped in an abandoned mine with no way out — with a monster that steals time and distorts the airwaves. Catch up on @thelaststationpodcast now! // THELASTSTATIONPODCAST.COM // trailer edited by @lizzskywalker ✨
So I'm not ~saying~ you should go illegally downlo So I'm not ~saying~ you should go illegally download CONDOR season 2 just to watch episode 206 that I co-wrote.... but if you do, I hope you enjoy :) This season isn't available in the US yet, but can't wait to share it legally once it is!
My co-producer and I at this morning’s awesome r My co-producer and I at this morning’s awesome recording session for @thelaststationpodcast episode 104, what a joyful few hours! Lots of talented folks in this ep, lots of chicken puns written by yours truly, and you’re not going to see the twist coming :) get your ears ready for some more sci-fi post-apocalyptic storytelling and sweet tunes ✨
Hey guys, the newest episode of @thelaststationpod Hey guys, the newest episode of @thelaststationpodcast is out, written by the amazing @bentelejack, and I’m just so fucking proud of our team on this one. If you ever wanted to hear what the inside of a nightmare sounds like — be our guest! 🚨 @sid_phoenix who plays Holden delivers an incredible performance — this episode is a breathless, tense experience and a one-man show at times as Holden is pursued by a monster that steals time and we experience flashbacks through a tape recorder. The incomparable @portiajamas brings her energy and charisma as Marina, trying to help Holden escape from her side of the airwaves. @linabean113 and @the_other_keanu are our amazing guest stars and bring the intrigue ✨ @mr_dejas and @it_groovy absolutely crushed it when it came to the sound design, editing, and mix/mastering of the episode and have heard from several friends already that they felt like the SFX was in the same room. Stephen Ptacek and Anthony Al-Rifi kill it with the original compositions and atmospheric music. If you like what we’re doing and want to support us, leave a review and subscribe on Apple podcasts, share our show, and consider becoming a patron! All the links and more at: TheLastStationPodcast.com 🎙
the only secret of the universe that I discovered the only secret of the universe that I discovered at the top of that mountain is that the universe is only a secret if you believe it is hiding something from you. otherwise, it’s just a new frontier waiting to be explored
When I started writing @thelaststationpodcast thre When I started writing @thelaststationpodcast three months ago, I wasn’t just writing a post-apocalyptic sci-fi radio drama about an indie music radio host and a cowboy braving the end of the world. I was — and still am! — using this scripted podcast as a way to explore the themes we’re all experiencing in quarantine: loss, missed connections, grieving the way the world once was, facing evils that feel so much greater than ourselves — and trying to find great music to carry us through. Not only do I get to play in this sandbox of finding hope at the end of the world, but I get to do it with the best people. The caliber of incredible talent on this project from our actors to our writing team to our guest musicians to our stellar editors and composers — it’s unreal. And it’s the beginning of an incredible journey: we’ve got 8 more episodes for you, and I can’t wait for you to experience each one. We’ll get through this together, and I can’t wait to introduce you to your new favorite creatives every step of the way through this story.
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