diet

A Thousand Suns (timotheories January 2018)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

January is supposed to be a month of promise, renewed hope, vigour for whatever we care about. And yet, I haven’t stopped running since August of 2017, so I’m not feeling the temporary January endorphins this year.

Which might actually be a good thing dear readers. Yes, I bought a house, and yes I got engaged, and yes I planned on getting married before this years end. But in the time that I took a forced hiatus from timotheories, I didn’t stop thinking about timotheories. I can’t stop. I won’t stop.

You see creative cuties, thinking is one of the things I do best in this world. And you give me the space to think, and man will I ever think. So I thought about things like the name timotheories, and I thought about the types of posts I write, and I thought about the different media channels I use to bring in traffic, and the people I interview to give you perspective on how to be creative, I thought about theories, and wisdom, and logos, and pretty much everything.

And that’s how I know I won’t stop. Because I still have a million and one ideas of content to share with you. And so I’m going to make a list of goals this month, and share it with you next month. Then I’m going to start to implement them. It’s an evolution of the campfire theories theme I chose last year…

The fire of a thousand suns.

…

*Disclaimer* As always, every week I purchase an album and movie one week ahead of the actual review release and while I have the best intentions, I don’t always get what I want… so if you follow me on instagram (@timotheories) you can actually see what’s coming.

timotheories summarized – January

Professional Theorems – (01/07) Brendon Greene interview, (01/14) Cross Talk Ep. 30, (01/21) Cross Talk Ep. 31, (01/28) Matthew Ankerstein preview interview
Sound Culture – (01/02) The Rolling Stones, (01/08) Miguel, (01/15) Sinistro, (01/22) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, (01/29) First Aid Kit
Watch Culture – (01/01) Dunkirk, (01/03) Brawl in Cell Block 99, (01/09) American Made (01/16) IT (01/23) Blade Runner 2049 (01/30) The Killing of a Sacred Deer
School of Thoughts – (01/10) Art Stars (Mentors), (01/17) Gaining Wisdom, (01/24) Diet, (01/31) By The Book (Education)(Reading)
Art House – (01/04) timotheories January, (01/11) House, (01/18) Engagement, (01/25) Wedding

You’re right, I did rename the weekly headings folks. Too smart for me, I could never pull a fast one over you lot. I did this because I was tired of trying to get posts in exactly on the day that I envisioned them for, and I quickly realized that a lot of you are in different time zones, and the ones that aren’t wouldn’t be reading my posts until the following morning anyway, and now I’m on brand with what I’m doing over on YouTube… so bonus! Which means that I’ll need to slowly go back in time and edit any mention of the old themes.

Point number two, I’m introducing a new monthly post called Art Stars (under the old Wisdom Wednesday heading), so that I can share some of my favourite creative professionals with you regularly. Wisdom often comes from having mentors, and these are mine. Additionally, I am rebranding the book of the month post to By The Book – clever right?

As it stands, I’ll be wrapping up the Brendon Greene interview I didn’t get to finish editing in the summer, and I’ll also give you a teaser of next month’s guest… Matthew Ankerstein! Matt is a podcaster and influencer, with a ton of energy. He’ll bring some great ideas to the table.

Lots of great Watch Culture posts and vids too, of course. And maybe if you’re lucky I’ll get some Sound Culture videos published on top of the blog posts? And last, but not least, I’ll give you some personal insights into my world with Art House (formerly Timely Thursdays) which I think you’ll enjoy.

theories Summarized

Yeah there are some changes coming, but I hope that the taste I’ve given above helps reframe the tone of this website, and all related media channels. timotheories is about digital curating at hear, that means cultivating good art; whether it’s film, music, fine art or something else.

I want to hear some feedback on what you think of this years theme, and the changes I’ll be implementing. And of course, any new theories I run across. Please like, comment and subscribe so I know you’re there!

Tim!

Someone Is Feeling Salty (National Nutrition Month)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Nutrition is important to me. It should be to you too.

And here’s why.

According to pretty much every nutritionist and health professional ever, food is vital for us to live because it provides us with nutrients. Nutrients are essential for every day life because they give us energy and good health (when taken in the correct quantities and varieties). If you pick the right foods, you can boost your happiness, get better mental functions, and maintain a healthy body weight. But that’s not all, nutrients also help with prevention and treatment of illnesses.

Some foods are better at supplying energy (carbohydrates, proteins, fat) while others are better at regulating our bodily functions (vitamins, minerals, water).

Staple foods like rice, wheat, potatoes and plantains are relatively cheap and supply energy with good regularity. I’ll call out protein in particular, because it is needed to build, maintain and repair muscle, blood, skin and bones and other tissues and organs in the body. Because good nutrition is important in leading a healthy lifestyle your diet is key to this end; when combined with physical activity a lot more can be accomplished to keep the engine running, so to speak.

Now with all of that shared, eating a varied, well-balanced diet is no simple task. It means eating a variety of foods daily AND in recommended amounts. On top of that, different foods provide different types and volumes of nutrients. Which is frustrating to investigate, and that’s putting it simply.

Salt of the Earth

You’re probably wondering why I even mention this, because this is a creativity and arts based blog.

But the harsh reality is that we too as creative types need all the support we can get. It’s really easy to fall into bad health habits, eating quick and easy to prepare foods that provide little to no health benefits. Or worse, buying from the drive-thru. Once you get into a cycle of bad health, it can be difficult to climb out of it. Believe me when I say that I STILL struggle with this one.

Fortunately for me and for you, it’s National Nutrition Month, which means that there is a bunch of literature out there right now which we can all take advantage of and better ourselves with. You absolutely need to eat right for your lifestyle because there is no one correct diet for everyone. This article covers the essentials rather well, but if you don’t want to spend the time rooting through 3500+ words right now, I’ll summarize my thoughts with short list of tips and tricks now

  1. eat lots of different fruit and vegetables. cooked or raw depending on your needs. (7-10 servings a day)
  2. whole grains are not the enemy. whole grains have fibre and are not the same as white bread or pasta. (wild rice, quinoa, oatmeal, hulled barley)
  3. protein, protein, protein. This is so important I’m putting it in the middle. Eat fish, beans and lentils, dairy and lean meats EVERY SINGLE DAY to get your daily protein (between 45-60 grams, based on weight)
  4. sugar definitely is the enemy, especially in drinks. unsweetened coffee, tea, tea or milk for beverages are best. fruit juice has almost as much sugar as soda
  5. say no to processed food. if its not from the ground, walks around or flies, its no bon.

I’ll leave you with this timely thought for now. It doesn’t matter what you change, only that you make the change yourself and from within. I hope you have an excellent weekend creative cuties, no more theories from me.

I’ll see you on Sunday with an updated LOGO(s).

Tim!

I Can’t Get No Satisfaction (Syndication)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever have it all, dear readers.

I want to have a successful blog, publish a few bestseller novels, create & feature in at least 3 popular YouTube video series, maintain a healthy diet that include meals, meditation, exercise, & affirmations, create meaningful & beloved paintings, and operate a community driven app for the arts.

Now you might say that that is crazy, but a lot of that those ideas tie in and relate to each other, which means that I’ll be sharing my brand across a number of channels, and working together with others to produce a brand that is viable and collaborative.

But in order to do that I need to syndicate – which happens to be a major part of marketing.

This is post number three in the Importance of Marketing series. We already have the business plan post ready for your absorption, so be sure to check that one out as well. But I digress, let’s now focus on today’s Wisdom Wednesday topic – A post about the importance of content syndication.

What’s content syndication timotheories?

Well my dear, sweet readers, content syndication is a way to put your name and ideas out there into the ether. It helps you build your reputation and generate leads which then generate sales for your business. If you can figure out a healthy mix of syndication, you’ll be rewarded with search rankings, increased traffic, and better exposure to your personal brand. Did I mention that it will also help promote you as an industry leader too? And when you become a leader, people start back linking to your blog.

That’s when you know you’ve hit the big time.

RYkMMK8

But in order to get your name out there, you should set up a strategy first. Set some goals and determine the results you need in order define that content strategy. You need to be honest with yourself and ask the hard questions. Like whether you’re positively impacting the community around you with your syndication methods or if you’re really going to drive traffic with your current plan.

What it comes down to is quality content and quality resources to manage your syndication. You could use the carousel method and increase your traffic by publishing to established websites like Hubpages or you could go the advertising route and use something like Newstex to get paid when other publishers source your material. Having said that, you aren’t assured to get paid right away if you share your material for a fee, your content has to be of a certain calibre.

And we haven’t even touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to promotion. Just using a syndication delivery method isn’t going to get you there alone. Yes, you have to take advantage of the networks mentioned already, but you’ll also have to start guest blogging on websites that already have success in a wide breadth. And of course you need to consider where social media and forums fit into the mix. Every social media application and forum has a different tone, so be very mindful of how you construct your tweets, posts, shares etc.

But before I get too far into the weeds and begin the process of telling you in detail how to syndicate your content, I’m gonna stop the post and let these theories sink in.

After all, at timotheories, we are about digital curating at heart, and that means giving you content in bite size pieces. We would never expect you to swallow the elephant all at once.

And so I’m out of theories for today, I hope you enjoyed this peek into syndication, and I look forward to releasing the remaining introductory points on the importance of marketing. I’ll see you tomorrow friends, with something timely and rather tasteful.

Tim!

You’re Gonna Love DiSSS (The 4-Hour Chef)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Believe it or not, a large part of becoming a better artist is incorporating skills into other areas of your life, one that make those areas more efficient, allowing you to focus your creative energy on making work, and the marketing of said work.

That means that health matters! It is essential to build good habits to maintain your greatest resource, which is in fact you, dear readers! By honing your diet, getting your sleep, caring for your mental state, and also your spirits, you’re on the road to success.

Today’s wisdom comes from James J. Lachard (real name John James Brown), an English writer who served in the military, worked as an editor, and then at a greeting card company before joining World Vision in the 1960’s. He never published the short story titled, An Interview with God, which the excerpt below is from, because it was rejected by publishers at the time, but I think it’s quite relevant for us today and I’m glad it escaped onto the internet, and will serve as an anchor for the rest of this post.

What surprises you most about mankind?

Many things.
That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up,
and then long to be children again.
That they lose their health to make money and then lose their
money to restore health.
That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, and
live neither for the present nor for the future.
That they live as if they will never die, and die as if they had never lived.

– James J. Lachard

Whether you’re a monotheist, polytheist, henotheist or atheist, we can all recognize the value of those words in the quote above, dear readers. It’s important to take care of your health so that you can do the things you’re passionate to do. Which leads to a question I’ve continuously asked and pursued for the better part of my late teens and throughout my life since I started down the road of adulthood and career.

How the hell do you put everything you’ve got into your career if you also need to manage your health, your finances, and your relationships too?

Well we are definitely going to explore that question today, and down the road too! In future Wisdom Wednesday posts, of course! But for now let’s focus on one specific area to highlight the incredible acrobatics at stake here.

Let’s consider your diet. Diet is incredibly important to maintaining your energy levels.

I’ve been saying this for years, but if I could figure out a way to avoid food preparation and meal planning, I would be so much more productive at my art. Especially considering how hard it is to motivate yourself to do anything after a long day of work at a day job.

Supposedly you have to choose. Eat well and pay the bills or eat poorly and make your art. The reality is that neither leads towards fulfillment.

But that’s why today’s book, The 4-Hour Chef, just might be genius. A friend of mine recently recommended it to me, because I was talking with him about the incredible burden associated with building multiple businesses, holding a day job, having a relationship/family/friends, and fitting in the basics of health.

Designed as both a “cookbook” for people who don’t cook and also manual for accelerated learning of any subject, Tim Ferris’ The 4-Hour Chef provides you with 14 key meals to serve as a foundation in your culinary tool belt and get you spending less time on thinking about what to eat and more time on other things.

Is it perfect? Well no, because it does seem to cater to a certain kind of diet, which might not work for those who are vegan or vegetarian, but the concept of teaching you how to navigate a kitchen is what’s crucial here. And it’s not entirely a cookbook, it also is about 20% self-improvement on the subject of learning (explained via his DiSSS and CaFe principles), but learning to love learning is another part of it.

Give it a try. I think you’ll like it. Otherwise, I’ll see you tomorrow for something timely dear readers! Please comment! Please subscribe!

Tim!

Now With Less Pulp (timotheories February 2016)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Hey there dear readers, today’s Timely Thursday post is gonna be relatively quick one. I just wanted to give you an update on some exciting developments coming down the pipe in the next few weeks.

The plan for a continued all killer, no filler year at timotheories is well under way and doesn’t look to slow down from here on out. It might just kill me put this content up on the regular, but I expect that it will be totally worth it. Let me break it down in a story for you…

You know that feeling when you buy the pasta at a restaurant because it’s cheap and you later regret the food baby in your belly? You could have got the slightly more expensive steak and vegetables, which not only would have given you your recommended intake of nutrients, but it would have left you feeling rosy?

NOT that I am endorsing either a carnivore or herbivore diet on timotheories, I leave that up to people much more invested in the ways of eating than I.

Feel free to substitute other protein rich foods like nuts, cottage cheese, etc. instead, if that’s your bag.

You don’t want to talk filler, trust me.

Which reminds me, if you think expressing music tastes can polarize a room, try talking about the kinds of food to eat and the ways to prepare them. Whoever teaches etiquette should really add that word to the list of table topics to avoid “at dinner” (of all ironies) or when “on the town.” That means don’t discuss food, music, money, religion, sex, and politics. Cut out the pulp.

So what can we talk about timotheories?

Well my friends, have I got something for you to share at the water cooler!

For starters, this weekend I am going to be recording the second episode of Cross Talk (intro post is here, episode is here) with cohost Chris Murphy. And we will be releasing that some time before the end of February – the topic is Realism VS Escapism in Film. Exciting, no?

Next up on the docket – timotheories interviews! I’ve been hinting at the release of the full length Lucas Chaisson interview since last Sunday, but this Sunday it’s going to be up in all of it’s glory. Preview clip below is here, in case you missed it last Sunday…

But that’s not it for interviews! Oh no! We’re also going to host the next of the interview series before the end of February; featuring a couple of musical comedians called Space Nunz. That promises to be a fun and fancy interview too!

AND last, but certainly not least, I’m going to put together the first ever Real Time Games (RTG) video for you. Explanation clip of RTG here. That’s right, I’ve mentioned it a couple of times now, but it’s finally going to show up into the rotation. So get ready for it sometime in soon! *Fingers crossed for February*

And that’s it dear readers, now you are in the know. I’m out of theories and timely things for the week, so have an excellent weekend, and I’ll catch you on Sunday for this month’s interview!

raw

Tim!