So we’re anchored here in Tera Ceia Aquatic Preserve, just next to Bradenton…which, if you don’t know, is on the south side of the Tampa Bay Sunshine Skyway Bridge, across from St. Petersburg.
I’m afraid I punished The Admiral greatly beating into the SW wind to get here.
Choppy. Sunshine Skyway Bridge in the background.I was concerned the tide would go out and leave the water too skinny, but my concerns were unfounded. We followed the markers and we didn’t collect any bottom samples.
We were generally heeling a lot more than this. I blame the Captain.State of the Audio
I have to confess, I feel like I’m sinking deeper into (a figurative) schizophrenia with the writing, podcast, and now the YouTube channel. I shot some video earlier of launching the dinghy (and of course making some mistakes), but after the window of energy slammed shut, I’m left wondering what all is in the timeline on my phone, and whether it will be coherent. I can’t review it on my laptop because we’re in South Bumf—k, and Verizon has put the bitch slap on my hotspot bandwith.
So…time to write.
Funny, because this whole thing started with writing. “Hey, I can write from the boat with minimal gear. It’s perfect!” I always kinda liked writing anyway, once I get going with it.
The truth is, I really don’t like doing anything (creative or otherwise) when the mood isn’t upon me. But I guess that’s the deal with everybody. The only solution is to keep plugging when you don’t feel like plugging.
I feel like I have an additional handicap, though…something to do with my attention span. Or to put it more kindly, my “widely varied interests.”
This is where the podcast and the YouTube come in.
I knew I wanted to write a book called How Not To Sail. So I started writing. And I finished a good chunk of the book pretty quickly.
Hmmm, I thought then. I could do a podcast to go with it. I mean, I’m pretty handy with audio.
Then I thought, Wait! I could even do a video ”podcast” and show some How Not To Sail techniques.
TL;DR
Well, here I am petering out again. The upshot is, I decided not to do a YouTube channel. (And, um, recently changed my mind.) But I ended up doing a year on Pyrate Radio and launching the audio podcast before I finished the book.
I’m really proud of the audio podcast, and honored by all the love I’m getting back from it. So I want to stay committed to it and continue to make it as good as I can.
The trick is to stay out of the weeds and not go down a bunch of rabbit holes, to mangle two metaphors in one sentence. Learning and experimentation are critical to creativity…but so is getting something out!
There’s a great saying attributed to super producer Quincy Jones,
You never finish a record, you finally just walk away.
In that spirit, I’m just gonna upload this sumbitch exactly as entered—as much as it truly pains me!—and if you can relate to this whole thread in any way, I’d love to hear from you.
I hope you’re staying safe and healthy, and I look forward to uploading Ep. 11 of the How Not To Sail podcast as soon as possible.
Much love,
Bradford
