The invisible value of being friends with DJs
And why 'wasted time' matters more than you think
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a 15-second video to Instagram.
It was a shout-out to my mates who had been brave enough to come out to their parents…as DJs.
I’d been inspired after a satire account, The Pink Verandah, published a very important “study” titled “Are All Your Friends Becoming DJs?” So I thought I’d riff on it, spread some goodwill, and hey—maybe score a share or two.
But here’s the thing: that one 15-second video took two hours to make.
I researched my friends’ SoundCloud bios, thinking I’d give each of them their own Story… until I realised nine separate DJ shout-outs sounds like the intro to a 2017 radio hit, or the deposition list of the Diddy trial.
I scrapped the plan, rewrote it, and shot it again as one story — only to discover Instagram only lets you link to one SoundCloud page.
So I rewrote it again, reshot it again, and posted it, all the while getting eaten by mosquitos on my front porch.
I’m not telling you this to flex what a great friend I am, or to offer a Masterclass on how to become the Scorsese of Instagram Reels. I’m sharing it because sometimes, the cost and effort are wildly out of sync with the immediate reward.
I’m sure you’ve felt this, too:
You plan the perfect holiday, only for it to rain throughout.
You launch a side hustle, and suddenly feel like you’re bleeding cash before you’ve even made a sale.
Maybe you’ve written a comedy show, and while Thursday and Saturday nights are nearly sold out, Friday and Sunday have plenty of seats available.
Moments like these come with plenty of frustration, and if we’re not careful, we can slip into that “Why is life so unfair?” mindset.
This is when I need to remind myself — and maybe you — that every inconvenience can be mined for meaning.
Ryan Holiday, author of The Daily Stoic, says: “The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition.”
If I hadn’t run into all of those annoying limits, I wouldn’t have stumbled on new ways to be flexible and resilient — and, ironically, I wouldn’t have a topic for this newsletter.
Sure, maybe I’d have saved a bit of time, but I’d have missed out on the test of creativity (and patience) that came from reworking until I was happy enough to post.
Does that mean I’ll never get frustrated again? Probably not.
Does that mean you should remind me “the obstacle is the path” in the precise moment I’m spiralling into a blind rage? Again, probably not.
But it’s nice knowing that a bump in the road might be the entire point. This might help me reduce my frustration from a whole week to a single day — or from a few hours to a few minutes.
Because sometimes a challenge is more valuable than it looks, if you’re willing to see it as a chance to learn something, level up, or at least gather a good story worth writing about.
Author’s note (because Substack allows multiple links): If you’re also looking for a new mix to get you through the gym, the work day or tense family dinner, check these out:
TOP DOM: Melodic Techno mixes.
AZ MATTHEWS: House Tech and House Disco.
JAMES MADISON: Perfect for a sundowner sesh.
DJ FRANKLIN SCIA: Progressive House and Trance.
BAM BAM: Dance Pop, EDM and Tech House club sets.
DJ JAMES QUEEN: Mash up king with awesome Vocal Dance Pop club sets.
CHRS: High energy Vocal Pop mixes. Listen to his set from the final ARQ here.
DEAN LVTT: House / Tech House. His new mix Jackin’ House Radio is incredible!
ENN MUSIC: House Jams and Disco Domination. His mix of Unwritten is gay canon.