Creativity

One year ago, we loaded the very first episode of the Men in Gorilla Suits podcast. Since that day, we’ve produced a weekly show without fail…in large part because we live by our motto: “Chill the fuck out, and make the damn thing!” We’ve made 53 damn things so far, and have plenty more in store for year two. We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate a year’s worth of episodes than by talking about the power of taking it easy and making things you love.

We kick it all off by talking about our motto and discussing the things we’ve made since starting the podcast. Obviously, we’ve made 53 weekly shows, but we prove that if you just chill out and focus, there’s time to make even more things that make you happy. After that, we talk about the best things we’ve ever made! (It’s not surprising that those things are current things that came along, in part, since we really embraced our motto.)

It’s easy to tell people to take it easy and make things, but we take it a step further by devoting some time talking about how we find time with busy schedules to make things. It’s also interesting to us how the motto of taking it easy and making things has permeated our own lives…how something that just happened over the course of a couple episodes has now become a mantra we live by. We spend some time talking about others areas in our lives that have benefited positively by our motto. And since this is a one-year anniversary show and a new year for the Men in Gorilla Suits podcast, we talk about some of the things we plan to make in the next 52 weeks!

Our motto is broken into two parts (1. Chill the fuck out… 2. …And make the damn thing!). We spend time talking about the first part of the motto, asking if we’ve found ourselves taking it easy even more since the motto came to be. After that, we devote some time to the most important thing the motto has done for us…and what personal improvement we’ve made as a result of making the Men in Gorilla Suits podcast.

Thank you all so much for listening to this show, and any others you’ve checked out! We would do the podcast regardless of who listens, but we push ourselves even more knowing there are people out there listening and replying. Big shout out to CM Stewart, whose replies are always very appreciated, interesting, and fun. We love the discussions that come out of doing shows as much as putting shows together, so please: always feel free to join in the discussion in the comments!

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While this podcast is done as a team, most of the work the Gorilla Men do is done in solitude. This week, it’s all about alone time!

We kick it all off asking is we were okay playing alone when we were young. After that, we discuss times (and the desire for times) spent alone. Obviously, not everybody is as okay with solitude as we are — we ask if there’s an inherent loneliness in solitude before discussing if there is freedom in time spent alone.

With technology, on some level, it’s possible to always be connected. Social media, messaging, and other easy-to-use services can be great for those unable to venture into the world as easily as some, but there can also be a downside to always-on technology. We ask if there are benefits to disconnecting from an e-world — before going on to talking about solitude’s effect on creativity.

Solitude is not always voluntary: we spend some time discussing the negative effects of solitude. For those fortunate enough to be able to seek out solitude, they still often feel so overwhelmed by work, family, and tasks that they can’t find time to themselves. In a time when leisure time seems to be waning for so many people, we ask if solitude is more important than ever. It’s probably clear by now that the answer to that — for us — is that some degree of solitude is important. Then, Christopher asks what role solitude plays in subconscious thought, and Shawn asks if Christopher talks to himself when alone.

The general view of solitude is holing up alone in a room or cabin for a period of time, but we ask if solitude can be found with another person present…or even in a group. After that, we move on to talking about the biggest benefits of solitude before wrapping up with discussing how people can find solitude in a busy world.

We hope you’ll share your views about solitude in the comments, but more than that: we hope this episode gives you some time alone in your head after listening…maybe even helping you claim some time to yourself!

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Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 53: Last Seen…Making the Damn Thing!

Men in Gorilla Suits Ep. 51: Last Seen…Embracing Solitude