Just dropping a line before launching some interviews and new posts!

Hi Everyone,

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, so I’m just dropping by to keep you abreast of what’s going on in the life of Michael LaPenna.

We’ve been moving things around at work and at home and I have a new health regimen that I’ve started to ensure better health, at the advice of my doctor. Things are really moving! There might be times where I don’t have as much time to devote to this blog as I would like, so my focus will always be quality over quantity. In the coming weeks, I will be scheduling some art-related and creativity-related blog posts in the form of interviews with creatives and artists. I hope you like the outcome.

We’re coming up on the Christmas and Hanukkah and Kwanzaa season in 2020 and what a terrible 2020 it’s been! I ask that you please stay safe, stay home, and wear your mask when you go out or have to be in a group of people.

Until then, this is Mikey saying take care of yourself and others and keep believing!

A Short Journal Entry on Quarantine, Creativity, and Being Human When the World Seems Inhumane

by Michael LaPenna

Like many of you, I’ve spent the past several contemplating my next move… I’m going through the roller coaster of emotional consequences caused by COVID-19. I spent the first week contemplating my own mortality: if I died, if either or both of my parents died, if my wife died. Couple that with the prospect of dying alone and you get a cocktail for crying myself to sleep and telling myself to seek immediate talk therapy. I took myself up on the offer and therapy put everything in perspective: the relative unlikelihood of death, the realization of what I had instead of what I didn’t. I spent a lot of time thinking about what getting the most out of life means for me while coming face-to-face with this insipid invisible air monster that can kill me, make me sick, or give me no symptoms all that, as of this writing, has no cure and no universally defined treatment. I thought about unfinished creative projects that I would be sad about not being able to do or complete before I died—and so, I thought I could do all that during the quarantine, but the natural depression of the news (COVID-19, economic recession, civil unrest, and the coming election here in the US) and the simple lack of the usual events that consume my life on a regular basis. (Even with my wife being an introvert by nature, we do a lot of going out and spending time with others). We couldn’t go to farmers’ markets, to our friends parties, their weddings, their baby showers—nor could we go out to eat to support our favorite local restaurants or find and explore new ones. Still, weirdest of all, with the sports world on hold for an indefinite amount of nebulous time until earlier this summer, the only sports available for moths were South Korean baseball and the Twilight Zone that is professional wrestling with no audience. (For those that don’t know, I grew up loving the mixture of sports, soap opera, circus, and magic show that is professional wrestling. There’s no other genre like it in the world, and like most things, when it’s bad it’s the worst bad movie no Razzie can encapsulate, but when it’s good and when the crowd is invested, it’s like watching your favorite action movie with a live audience of 20,000 people witnessing live theater of the absurd joys and tragedies of life—but I digress.

As we look upon or collective human condition in this moment, I cannot help but realize that this experience is forcing us to stop and be still in world usually so comfortable to be busy, hustling, distracted, and disquieted. It is wresting us down to think of what’s important and at best has and likely will necessitate that we innovate new ways of being human beings in our level of patience, kindness, and learning what to when people and and situations aren’t either of those ( in times of tension or protest). For creatives that could mean so many things, but most of all, it might give us more time to think and to be in solitude with what our art is. After all, drawing, painting, writing, or sculpting can be done in solitude and much of it can be done in quarantine. (Most of us are not Shakespeare or Galileo calculating and crafting our respective calculuses or King Lears in the self-reflective solitary confinement of quarantine). We do know; however, that we don’t like to be too stagnant for too long. As the late Bruce Lee might remind us, humans at our creative best like to flow like water down a teaming stream filled with life and vitality. Lee famously implored us to, “Be water, my friend.” I endorse the flow.

For months now around the world, we homebound humans have been being asked to stay in with friends, with family—or by ourselves with suddenly enough time to stop, breathe; read the books we’ve been meaning to read, watch all the movies we’ve been meaning to watch, initiate all the exercise we’ve been meaning to take new levels of fitness, or make all the art we’ve neglected to prioritize as soul food (including my own creative writing).

So as you come out of your funk, your depression, your fears, consider that though the world may be in one of its darkest hours in the past hundred years—being forced apart by quarantine or by unfortunate departure from this planet—the living and moving majority of us have a call to be ourselves in the best ways we know possible and to show the world what is possible through tragedy and tears while on the way to possibility and triumph..

Black Lives and LGBTQ+ Lives Are Our Neighbors and Their Houses Are on Fire

by Michael LaPenna

I’ve been thinking through and living with so many emotions lately, and I just wanted to post something of love and support from the perspective of a guy that is both the majority and minority (as a white man and a person with cerebral palsy who grew up in multicultural neighborhoods and racially integrated lunch tables all the while still feeling like the most different one in the room) who believes that black lives matter and LGBTQ+ lives matter as well as any life who feels unheard and unseen. 

Suspicion of a counterfeit $20 bill is not in any way a cogent and practical reason for George Floyd to have died. Being shot in her bed by police because they had the wrong house shouldn’t have killed Breonna Taylor. Jogging in a predominently white neighborhood shouldn’t be a reason why an otherwise healthy Ahmaud Arbery died. Someone else’s discomfort with a person’s gender identity or sexuality shouldn’t be a reason why 18 trans people have been murdered in 2020 alone. Rather, let’s treat people—not only better—but the very best we can treat them. Even if we disagree on issues, and even if we aren’t the very best of friends with every person we encounter. I believe we too often act like Samaritans minding our own business. Let’s instead leave a wider space inside our hearts for the common dignity we would give to strangers, loved ones—and all people endowed with the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and be good to one another because, in no uncertain terms, we cannot love one another and our neighbors as ourselves only when it’s convenient. Loving one another as ourselves, for me, means seeing our common humanity in each face and personality we encounter on a daily basis for better and for worse to heal our wounds and lift up our joys for the good of us all. Yes, all lives do matter, but when your neighbor’s house is on fire, you don’t scream, “What about my house?” and throw stones, you get help to put that fire out. It’s time to put the fire out in America with liberty and justice for all.

Create With Us!

Business is expanding more quickly than I could’ve imagined, and for the better. The blog posts may continue to be a bit more curated or sporadic in the near term. Of course, if you would like to blog with us, more specifically, with me Mikey, Fill out your information at the “Work with us!” section at the contact page here and I’ll get back to you usually within 48 hours. 

Keep creating,
Michael LaPenna

Coming This Fall to FreelanceMikey.com!

I’m back with a quick update about this blog. Hello, ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary patrons and readers!

Life is getting busy as I get ready to ebmark on several new endeavors, and with all this, I’m going to be transforming this blog into an information and interview portal into the hearts and minds of creative professionals from every walk of life from America to Indonesia and any and all points in between. (I’d go into space if I could). My goal is to take you on as many fun journeys into the worlds of creative business art and the art of creative business In ways that are at once focused and fun, comprehensive yet conversational.

Interviews and features will include any of the following:

• Entrepreneurs

• Educators

• Business leaders

• Visual artists

• Musicians

• Actors

• Comedians

• Novelists

• Screenwriters

• Playwrights

• Graphic designers

• Home stagers

• Multimedia artists

• Psychologists

• Sociologists

• Biographers/historians

Join me this fall as we take a journey into all this and more!

Don’t Call It a Comeback: The FreelanceMikey Blog Gears Up for That ‘New New’

A formal occasion (not my wedding)

Hello, ladies, gentlemen, and nonbinary digital natives! After a long hiatus, I’m back to update you on all the goings-on of late with FreelanceMikey Creative Consultation and what has been the cause of this long but much-needed sabbatical. The FreelanceMikey blog has been dormant lately due to shifting dynamics in the business and in my own life of late. I’ve been focusing on my editing, music mixing, and keeping up my physical health working with a physical therapist (due to my cerebral palsy).

In this vein, I want to take time to appreciate your visit to the website and the FreelanceMikey brand and blog, and I absolutely thank you for your patience. (I’m also planning my wedding these days, so my life rolls on hard—both in and out of my wheelchair ♿️).

New projects, new locations, new interviews, and new horizons are in motion for all of the creative campaigns that my friends, colleagues, and I aim to bring to the fore in 2019.

Currently, there are a few projects very key projects underway including general project consulting and specialized projects. Formats and pricing and listed in the home menu. Go to our services page for more.

Most absolutely, I want you to know that going forward as always, I definitely want to further my mission in helping you be yourself fully in whatever medium you choose to explore.

May you move boldly and follow your bliss,

Michael LaPenna

#MondayMotivation: The Domino Effect and the Inspirational Story of Thaddeus Bullard

This is the inspirational story of Thaddeus Bullard…

More on Thaddeus Bullard at thaddeusbullard.com

Thaddeus Bullard was born to a preteen mother under horrible circumstances but was never given up on despite it all. This is that story.

So many times in life, we are given a choice to treat people a particular way. From our loved ones to our bosses, to the random person who asks for our help, we all have choices to make. This is the story of what happens when we choose kindness over indifference and the particular domino effect that can follow.

The following TEDx Talk by philanthropist, entrepreneur, and performer Thaddeus Bullard (who performs and wrestles as WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil) tells the tale himself in the TEDxUCLA video below.

Key points:

- Watch what happens when one man shows kindness to someone who is racist against him.

- Hear the inspirational story of the homeless couple Mr. Bullard invited to a restaurant for a meal and the “domino effect” and powerful catalyst it inspired.

Thaddeus (as Titus O’Neil) wears the WWE Tag Team championship with teammate Darren Young. (WWE.com)

TED Talks (short for Technology, Education, and Design Talks) have been known to inspire millions of people and to move arts, culture, and technology forward by new and interesting means, but this TED Talk is bit of an outlier just meant to inspire simple kindness, I suppose.

Just a little dose of Monday Motivation to make you smile a little brighter!

Every day, things we do knowingly or unknowingly, affect others. Sometimes it's a small effect, and sometimes it's profound and causes a chain reaction. If you're going to have an effect, why not make it a good one.

Updates on Business and Life Transitions

Hi All,

I just wanted to touch base with anybody who might be coming by the blog. Life transitions are moving things around a bit and I’ve also been focusing on my health as of late. I still would like to get more projects profiled on here at FreelanceMikey, so feel free to hit me back. I’m excited about some new projects in the pipeline along with planning my wedding for next year! More good to come! Be good!

Updates, updates!

Hey All,

Just a quick update from yours truly from the FreelanceMikey headquarters in beautiful suburban New York. I’ve had to take some time to handle my health in the past two weeks, but now it’s time to get back on the horse! I’m currently in the process of booking interview segments for the blog here on the FreelanceMikey website.

If you're a creative person who kind of views life from a 45° angle (as George Carlin used to say) or just looking to showcase your work in a way that is accessible, talkative, intuitive, and fun, contact me here or on Twitter and Instagram @FreelanceMikey! i’d love to talk shop with you about  your contributing influences, meandering pathways, and your highest moments of creative clarity in life, art, business, personal growth, and more. I look forward to chatting with you soon!
 

12 Things Successful People Do Differently

There you are sitting at your desk, mulling over your bills, tired from a day at work filled with aching shoulders and employees who seem much more concerned with their time off than that end-of-day deadline for that latest campaign for that Bakery outside Boston.

You want more! You want greater heights to explore who you are as a business, as a boss, and as a creative being! 

So how can you do all this without killing your time or your energy and maximizing effectiveness in all areas?

Here are 12 things successful people do differently to achieve maximum results in their businesses and lives without going over their limits.
 

New Goodness Coming Up!

 

Well, it’s been wild one—between unique screenplay projects and personal delays due to a death in the family—but have no fear, I’ll be back next week with greatness, (or at least a really fun, passable facsimile). Be good and do some good!

P.S. I might even do a post about visiting the David Bowie exhibit in New York City, or I could talk about my alma mater SUNY New Paltz’s production of Avenue Q that I’m seeing over the weekend. We shall see. :)