It's a skills issue.

Nothing is beyond you.

May 10, 2026

Hello!

This week, I watched a podcast with Kevin Smith, and it reminded me that I don’t “have” to write a newsletter…I GET to write a newsletter.

We’re here because on some level, there’s a connection, and man, that is a wonderful thing.

I’m lucky to have you reading this right now. There are plenty of creators on plenty of platforms you could be giving your time to. With that in mind, I’m hoping to give something back to you.

So strap in, cuz you’re getting full Cheerleader George today.

First, here’s the podcast with Kevin Smith. If you’re a creator of any kind, at any level, this is the stuff you can mainline and get fired up to either make the thing or to keep going on your journey.

And now, the main course…

ON MY MIND

A couple of things collided last week that reminded me that every challenge is just a skills issue.

I’ve seen “skills issue” thrown around like an insult, but I’m here to tell you it’s not. It’s a reminder that there are no great mysteries, just opportunities to learn.

THE MENTAL

I’ve been having some peaceful “ah ha” moments in my little mental health journey. And my main takeaway has been that the reason I spent so much time flailing and failing was that I simply didn’t have the skills to do anything else.

The easiest example to pull from was if you upset me, I would stomp around for DAYS to make sure you knew I was upset.

I would let shit eat away at me because I didn’t know any other way. I thought that’s what you were supposed to do.

Did we talk about our feelings? Silly muffin head! Why talk when we can stomp and withhold affection! Clearly, THAT will make things better.

Ya wanna guess what it didn’t do? Yup…never made anything better…AND it made me feel like shit.

So, you know, real productive.

Over time, I came to hate that it was my old go-to. It felt gross, and it wasn’t who I wanted to be.

I saw others who were more resilient and handled their emotions better than I did. I chalked it up to DNA. Like their brains were simply wired differently, so it was too late for me.

And finally, I hit my rock bottom, said, “there has GOT to be a better way,” and started looking for help.

With time, a lot of work, and practice, I can look back and have a little empathy for that person—he didn’t know any better. He didn’t have the skills or tools.

He didn’t know what he didn’t know.

I’m still a work in progress. Old habits creep up. But I can say I’m better and more aware now.

I wasn’t gifted with a peaceful brain.

And maybe that’s true, but what’s also true is you can find ways to make a more peaceful brain…if you can find the skills and tools and put them into practice.

That turns it from an external problem to an internal solution.

THE METAL

I think I’ve mentioned I’ve been taking recording engineering classes. Much like my brain, I hit a wall with my home recordings—I could see where I wanted to go, but had no idea how to get there.

Skills issue! I needed outside help to learn what I didn’t know.

Since I started these classes, it’s been one of the most rewarding parts of my life. Every week, I learn a little more, get some more reps, and get to talk all nerdy with another music nerd!

A couple of weeks ago, we started learning about mastering. Without getting into the weeds, mastering is the last step in music production. It’s where the final bits of polish are put on a song.

This stage is where something goes from “pretty good” to “fully professional.”

Mastering has always been this thing that happened somewhere else. I’d send albums to the mastering producer, give them money, and in a few weeks, I’d get the files back, and magically, they’d sound better.

Over the years, programs have come out that let me press a button and have my stuff “mastered.”

How it worked was beyond me. All I knew was I had some settings I could choose from, I’d click a button and bloop…the songs were louder and sounded “more produced.”

No idea how it worked. Still magic that was beyond me. Then I spent two weeks learning about mastering, the steps, the tools, and the why behind each tool and decision.

Then my homework was to take something I recorded, take all my new learning, and master it.

And…it…WORKED! Without swapping brains so you could feel what I felt, you just have to trust me…I was EUPHORIC!

I did the steps, I made informed choices along the way, and when I was done, it worked!

I was literally on a high for four days. In a couple of hours, I went from thinking “mastering” was this ethereal thing that was beyond me, to successfully doing it in my basement.

Now I still have a long way to go—I’m like four hours into my 10,000 hours—but I have the formula, and I know the whys behind the actions.

I’m no longer just pressing a button and thinking, “Yeah, I guess that works.”

So when I realized that my mental journey and my mastering journey shared a lot of the same DNA, I had this thought I wanted to share with you…

NOTHING IS BEYOND US!

Whatever you want to solve—whether it’s mental, creative, or hell, you just want to make fluffier French toast—it’s simply a skills issue.

AND YOU CAN LEARN A NEW SKILL!

There are people either where you want to be or on the path, and you can learn from them.

The good ones can’t wait to teach! They’ve been where you’ve been. They’ve stared at the same mountain, thought it was insurmountable, but found a way. Most likely helped by someone else on the same journey.

And for those of us who’ve been helped, the best way we can thank those who helped us is to help someone else. We’re WAITING for your questions.

So let me leave you with this—if there’s a problem you’re trying to solve:

1. Breathe. You’re okay. There’s nothing wrong with you. Life can be a mindfuck of a journey.

2. You don’t know what you don’t know. Let that free you. Don’t use it as an excuse—use it as a starting point.

3. Stay curious. Someone has already walked the path you’re planning on traveling. Whether it’s a conversation, a podcast, or an article, there are people who can turn something intangible and unknowable into human, actionable steps.

4. Patience. You’re learning a new skill. Give yourself the grace you would give a baby learning how to walk.

5. Practice. Let’s keep the baby analogy going. Think of all the encouragement we give little ones as they take their first steps. Well, you’re a little one learning to take your first steps in a new arena. You’re gonna be clumsy. It’s gonna feel awkward. That’s natural. But if you keep at it, you’re going to get there.

And finally, if part of your brain is shouting, “It’s too late.” “I’m too old.” “It’s not worth it,” let me interject with FUCK THAT NOISE!

This is your life. You get to decide what you do and when you do it. No one else. Even your dumb, dumb, super-dumb brains.

Give yourself grace, the time to learn and practice, and I SWEAR TO GOD, it’ll be worth it.

####

HENRY

You know, we spend a fair amount of time in this house trying to capture the majestic beauty that is Henry…and then sometimes we get a little too close with the fish-eye lens.

####

COOL THINGS TO SUPPORT

Feed Them to the Crows #1 - A Horror / Thriller Comic
Mitch seeks revenge for the death of his mother, and he’s finally found the vampire responsible.

On the cusp of adulthood, a boy failed by the system comes face to face in a chance encounter with the man he blames for his mother’s death many years ago—a man he believes wields supernatural power and influence.

We got mystery, supernatural, and a killer creative team on this one.

The preview pages look great, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing Feed Them play out.

Dead Air #1-3 90s College Radio Sci-Fi With A Soundtrack
What if one day every year you could talk to the dead?

I’ve been with this series since the first issue, and I’ve really dug it. It’s a very cool concept that’s being wonderfully executed.

In the world of Dead Air, the miraculous D-TALq technology lets you talk to the dead once a year. When Michelle finally heads to her local D-TALq franchise to reach out to a long-departed friend, she gets the surprise of her life that forces her to question everything she thought she knew about her past, all while striving to understand its impact on the future of everyone she cares about.

####