We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Justin Meckes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Justin , so glad you were able to set aside some time for us today. We’ve always admired not just your journey and success, but also the seemingly high levels of self-discipline that you seem to have mastered and so maybe we can start by chatting about how you developed it or where it comes from?
I’m inclined to think that some people’s motivation is external rather than internal, but the desire for fame, money, or success won’t produce a habit. Writers or creatives, in general, should instead desire to introduce the world to their creations or bring their vision into reality.
On the other hand, I’ve seen research that states that success (on some level) is necessary for habit formation. My earliest successes were in small literary journals. Very small, but it was enough. Seeing my stories in print helped me develop a writing practice.
This wasn’t accomplished without a few false starts, but the persistence that resulted from those publications eventually led me to sit down and create on a regular basis. And whereas I’d like to think that I would have continued working toward my goal without those early publications, I’m no longer sure that’s the case.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m working on several projects at the moment. And when it comes to branding, I tend to think of eclecticism.
I draw on many sources for inspiration and wind up working on very different kinds of projects as a result. For example, I just finished a film for adults, and I’m starting one for children.
There may be some outliers in my overall body of work, but I typically endeavor to produce something that’s awe-inspiring. Sometimes it has to be dark, and sometimes I have to have a sense of humor about it, but when it comes down to it, I’m interested in wonder.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Self-discipline may have been the most helpful. And while some people will dismiss talent, I believe it’s essential. There’s a reason I’m not practicing the piano every day, even though I’d love to be an accomplished pianist. Lastly, I’d say one needs fortitude.
I have to imagine these seem pretty boring or cliché, but unless you’re Ernest Hemingway, writing can—well, it can become the reason it requires self-discipline to do it every day.
Unfortunately, there are not many ways to improve on these qualities. At least not the second two. Anyone can work on their self-discipline, but that takes fortitude. And, yes, you might be able to overcome a lack of talent with hard work, but that requires both self-discipline and fortitude. It gets pretty circular.
So, I’ll say this: A habit without purpose will be short-lived. That makes purpose the fourth thing you’ll need, as it goes hand-in-hand with how I developed self-discipline.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
The biggest challenge facing me right now is what comes next. I’m finishing up a few projects—specifically, the films I mentioned and a book of essays for which I already have a couple of short films on the festival circuit. I also have a few short stories looking for a home and a longer-term project, but I’d still like to figure out what’s next regarding writing.
While I did recently have a dream in which I was explaining the premise of a book to a well-known author who’s seen her work become a hit TV show, I’m not sure that particular story is going to do it for me. The reason may be that I just finished reading Nate Silver’s The Signal & the Noise and realized how much probability has entered my writing life. And honestly, I believe it’s hurt me, as trying to forecast what project might be most successful can bring anyone to a stalemate.
Regardless, I’d like the next thing I spend a year or more on to be something of more significance. There’s been some discussion of a new documentary, and I’m always rolling the idea of a micro-budget feature-length film around in the back of my head, but I know what I’m driven to do, which is write a book that, if it doesn’t enter the zeitgeist, then at least a few people read.
Contact Info:
- Website: justinmeckes.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/justinmeckes
- Twitter: twitter.com/justinmeckes
- Other: https://www.threads.net/@justinmeckes
