Getting Clear On Consistency...

...And Counting Calories Too

Photo by Parker Gibbons on Unsplash

After writing yesterday’s post, I realized I might have been overreacting.

Behind the scenes, a few folks emailed me with what I’d call “strong” opinions and suggestions. Instead of hearing them as friendly nudges, I took them as commands. And if there’s one thing I don’t respond well to is being told what to do.

I’ll admit I’ve got a streak of rebellion in me. If someone says, “You gotta do this…you should do that,” I’ll almost always do the opposite. Even if their advice makes sense.

Recommendations and requests? Usually welcome.
Mandates? Usually not. Unless it’s the right man on the right date.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about consistency. YouTube doesn’t hesitate to punish creators who fall off their posting schedule. And I’ve noticed a similar dip on Substack while focusing on my health and the move.

I can’t say it’s a surprise—making fewer videos naturally means making less money. But stepping back was necessary, and I’m better for it.

For me, consistency isn’t about following orders or living by someone else’s rules. It’s about showing up for my own goals again and again, even when my mood tries to pull me elsewhere.

And speaking of moods, I’m in the mood to recommit to a couple of things:

• Counting Calories: I dusted off my trusty Lose It! app. Do I love logging every bite? No. Does it work? Absolutely. And since I need to werk/twerk the runway like a Supermodel soon, I’m sticking with what works. Between a friend’s wedding in October and a few upcoming doctor visits, I’ve got plenty of motivation to get in better shape.

• Being Open To Freelance Gigs: As much as I love creating and curating on Substack and YouTube, the truth is I’ve been barely scraping by most months since starting Collide Press. I know I’m doing better than many, so this isn’t me complaining. Just being real: I don’t want to survive—I want to thrive. I want to enjoy life more. And maybe taking on a few clients will help me move forward, both financially and creatively.

The trick, I’m realizing, is learning to separate external and internal pressures from true commitment. Just because someone makes a suggestion doesn’t mean they’re trying to control me. And even if they are, I still have the choice to ignore it and do what I want to anyway. There’s no need to react…or overreact.

So here’s what I’ll be focusing on:

• Letting go of knee-jerk rebellion against advice.

• Practicing consistency in the areas that matter most.

• Counting calories again, because it keeps me honest.

• Saying yes to freelance clients, because I want to thrive, not just get by

The real act of rebellion isn’t ignoring good advice. It’s refusing to give up on myself.

Thank you for being a friend!
Clint 🌈✌️

COLLIDE PRESS is a reader-supported publication.
Please consider becoming a Paid Subscriber or Patron.

LABOR DAY SALE = 20% OFF FOREVER
Ends 09-01-25

ICYMI = IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• MONDAY = On Becoming Better, Not Bitter

• TUESDAY = Giddy Up!

• WEDNESDAY = Night Palette

• THURSDAY = Reunited (Finally)

• FRIDAY = Nesting + Resting

• FRIDAY = Memorable Men Alone #1

• SATURDAY = Rebel Yell

---

ON THIS DAY = AUGUST 17

BIRTHDAYS

• 1786 = Davy Crockett = American soldier and politician

• 1887 = Marcus Garvey = Jamaican journalist and activist

• 1893 = Mae West = American actor, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright

• 1914 = Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. = American lawyer and politician

• 1920 = Lida Moser = American photographer and author

• 1920 = Maureen O'Hara = Irish-American actor and singer

• 1923 = Larry Rivers = American artist, musician, and filmmaker 🌈

• 1930 = Ted Hughes = English poet and playwright

• 1941 = Jean Pierre Lefebvre = Canadian director and screenwriter

• 1943 = Robert De Niro = American actor, entrepreneur, director, and producer

• 1944 = Larry Ellison = American businessman and Oracle co-founder

• 1946 = Martha Coolidge = American filmmaker

• 1949 = Julian Fellowes = English actor, director, screenwriter, and politician

• 1951 = Richard Hunt = American puppeteer 🌈

• 1958 = Belinda Carlisle = American singer-songwriter

• 1959 = Jonathan Franzen = American novelist and essayist

• 1960 = Sean Penn = American actor, director, and activist

• 1969 = Donnie Wahlberg = American singer-songwriter, actor and producer

• 1991 = Austin Butler = American actor

EVENTS

• 1560 = The Catholic Church is overthrown and Protestantism is established as the national religion in Scotland.

• 1807 = Robert Fulton's North River Steamboat leaves NYC for Albany, New York, inaugurating the first commercial steamboat service in the world.

• 1876 = Richard Wagner's Götterdämmerung, the last opera in his Ringcycle, premieres at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus.

• 1907 = Pike Place Market opens in Seattle, Washington.

• 1945 = The novella Animal Farm by George Orwell is first published.

• 1953 = First meeting of Narcotics Anonymous takes place, in Southern California.

• 1979 = Monty Python’s Life Of Brian is released in theaters.

• 2008 = American swimmer Michael Phelps becomes the first person to win eight gold medals at one Olympic Games.

HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES

• Black Cat Appreciation Day

• National I LOVE My Feet Day!

• National Pineapple Juice Day

---

PORTRAIT + QUOTES OF THE DAY

“Maybe I was a little jealous or envious of the abstract painters - but the truth was I thought what they were doing was boring.”
Larry Rivers

“I guess I've always liked the idea of being an artist.”
Larry Rivers