Negative Capabilities

John Keats, the English Romantic Poet of the 19th century was a great admirer of William Shakespeare. In fact, he was so impressed with the prolific playwright's body of work he took an in-depth look into why Shakespeare was so creative.

Keats came to the conclusion that Shakespeare had something called, "Negative Capability," or the ability to hold two contradictory ideas in your mind without irritation, or loss of poise.

The benefit of Negative Capability is the ability to think critically without feeling constrained to coming up with a definitive answer or conclusion. As a result, you live with the questions and cultivate the ability to adopt more than one viewpoint.   

Maintain a Child's Mindset

I recently came across a terrific interview with Robert Greene, the author of The 48 Laws of Power. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND4ukcL8RPI

During the interview Greene talks about a man named Daniel Everett who attempted to learn a language called, Piraha - an indigenous language of an isolated group of less than 420 people living along the Maici River in north-western Brazil. It is considered to be the most complicated language in the world.

Everett found learning the dialect nearly impossible. Still he believed in time he could learn the language because he noticed children had the capacity to pick it up and so he figured could as well.

Through his own failure to master the language he discovered the reason the children were able to seamlessly speak Piraha was for two main reasons:

1. Their survival depended up on it.
2. They had not yet developed a "holier than thou" mindset. 

In other words, with adulthood comes experience. And with that experience often comes the assumption that we know it all, particularly when it comes to a field or craft we've spend considerable time honing.

When we adopt this mentality we invariably close ourselves off from learning new things. The trick is to appreciate that someone will always know something we don't and, if possible, protecting a childlike curiosity and mindset.

Talent is Overrated, Persistence is King

I've heard it said the world is filled with plenty of unsuccessful talented people. Genius is even less rare than one might believe.

Having innate talent or skill for something can also be a detriment. Too often it leads to complacency and allows people to freely bemoan the unfairness of an industry if their talent alone does not lead to success. "Well, I'm great at what I do so it must be their fault."

Persistence is king. The individual determined to consistently beat on their craft until they get better, to push themselves to meet and collaborate with likeminded people, and turns "shoulds" into "musts" often win.

Finally, can you imagine what you could accomplish with talent AND persistence AND the right attitude? 

Know What Not to Do

I recently watched an interview with screenwriter Taylor Sheridan. (Sicario, Hell or High Water)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeySPEcoq4Q

In the interview he talks about the transition he made from acting to screenwriting and how it took years for him to discover he never really enjoyed acting. What he really loved was storytelling. 

When he decided to become a full time writer he said he didn't have a clue about how to write a movie, but he knew exactly how not to. He credited his experience in countless less than stellar productions over his 20-year career as his North Star. 

It dawned on me that knowing what to avoid is just as important as knowing what to focus on. Both are equally crucial guides to creating compelling work.

Information is Not Wisdom

There's a big difference between information and wisdom. We live in a time where the amount of content available at our fingertips is seemingly infinite. 

The key is what we do with that information. And just as information does not equate to wisdom, knowledge does not necessarily imply growth. 

It all comes down to focus and implementation of the lessons we learn and then measuring its effectiveness.

Steal from Life

German Writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said, "We are shaped and fashioned by what we love." The trouble is many of us don't believe what we love would be very interesting to others. 

I remember taking an acting on camera class many years ago when the teacher made the observation many of the actors in the room were simply "doing too much." In his words, we had a hard time believing that we alone were enough. 

What he wanted us to understand was that everyone has something compelling to say or share. It's just a matter of trusting that our unique experiences and take on the world will resonate with others. 

If your voice is coming from an honest and genuine place, chances are, it will.

Embracing Challenge

Stella Adler once said an artist must be born with a broken heart. Frank Langella remarked, "You act in spite of and not because of your neurosis."

The point being many actors and artists have a heightened sensitivity and delicate relationship with the world. Sometimes challenges seem more amplified because of this temperament. "A blessing and a curse," I've heard some people say.

I have found that great performances often derive from artists who refuse to allow their obstacles to discourage them. Drama, by it's very nature is about resistance - going up against insurmountable odds. And theater is merely a record of that journey told through what we call a story.

If we can learn to view our problems as influential and compelling assets, they may feed the work, while inspiring a deeper understanding of what it means to be human.  

Sleep on it

A good friend recently shared his strategy for writing with me. "When I'm done with a piece I usually let it sit for day. I sleep on it."

It reminded me of the value of taking a step back from a project. Ideas in the moment are often infused with excitement and a heightened sense of emotion. As a result, it can be harder to be objective about whether the idea is good, or if it'll even work well.

There's great value in going off and doing something completely unrelated to the project at hand. You may return with a fresh perspective and a sense of gratitude/relief for not rushing the process. 

Forget the Need for Approval

If you've been an actor, or artist long enough chances are you've come up against some form of resistance from family, or friends. This "resistance" may have occurred in the form of judgment or disapproval. 

If there's one thing I've learned in pursuing a less conventional line of work that also happens to pose some lofty challenging, it's that it will rarely feel like others are supporting you. And that's okay.

It's my hope that you have a like-minded group of friends who believe in you, but because there's so much solitude in pursuing an artistic career you'll need to possess an inherent belief in yourself. 

You'll have to know what you're doing is the right thing for you even when tested against the majority's idea of conventional success, i.e. big salaries, summer homes, titles etc. 

Because you have an unconventional path you will also have an unconventional definition of success. And as long as you take ownership of that notion you'll be less likely to feel the need to justify what it is you do. Your approval is what matters.

Stella Adler once wrote, "In spite of all the things people say to discourage or belittle you, in spite of all the failure and defeats, you're trying. That is what people are jealous of - not your success but of your trying.


So forget the need for approval because you'll likely never get it. But what's great is you also don't need it.

The Long Commute

I once read that American entrepreneur and founder of Spanx, Sara Blakely, often takes the long way to work. Admittedly, she only lives about 15 minutes from her office in Atlanta, but often opts for a roundabout commute. The reason? Driving helps her come up with new ideas. A recent search reveals that she's worth roughly a billion dollars so perhaps she's on to something.

Her strategy also made me think of the power of a quite stroll, or taking just a few minutes of silence to take personal inventory. Ideas that have been desperately trying to bubble up from our subconscious suddenly have time to materialize. You begin to think with greater clarity and may often stumble upon ways to better strategize the different arenas of your life.

The power of a "thinking session" is not to be underestimated. You may be surprised with what you come up with.

Ideas are OverValued

Ideas are great. The problem is, we all have ideas. Ideas are overvalued. Execution is undervalued. 

Our job is to pick the idea that inspires us the most and find a way to make it a reality. It'll separate you from the herd and in the process cultivate a sense of pride in seeing a project through from start to finish. 

Few things are more rewarding. 

Embrace the Suck

I spoke with a close friend yesterday about something entrepreneurs like to call, "Embracing the suck." It's the idea that the actual day-to-day grind of being in the trenches and committing ourselves fully to a dream often involves doing things that aren't really fun. 

Still, we do it because we have a bigger picture in mind. We're in it for the long game sort of speak.

I've discovered that people are happiest when they feel a sense of progress. And meaningful progress comes from stretching ourselves and striving toward goals that make us question whether we have what it takes. Actor Cillian Murphy once remarked that if there wasn't at least a small part of him that doubted he could play a role it wasn't worth taking.

During my days at drama school I'd often arrive at the theater at 5:30 in the morning to work on monologues, movement, or my diction. Was getting there at that insane hour enjoyable? I can't say that it was, but the result filled me with the satisfaction I'd given everything I had toward achieving a larger goal.

Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day

Ross beamed as he sat across from me explaining how his relationship with his girlfriend of two years had made all the difference in navigating the challenging path of an actor. "It's great to have someone to come home to and talk to. She listens and is so supportive of what I'm going through."

I can't tell you the number of actors I've met over the years who were convinced being in a committed relationship would sabotage their dreams of becoming a working actor. "I'm too ambitious," I heard one friend say. "It'd be too hard to balance," another argued.

The truth is, the closer I look, the more I'm convinced that being in a loving and supportive relationship is an advantage...a significant one.

Having a support group at home where you can productively air your setbacks, celebrate your victories, and even work together to strategize how you can be at your best is a game-changer. Even my friends who once believed otherwise are finally starting to come around.

The trick is to find that right person of course, but once you do you'll be amazed at who you become and what you can accomplish together.

Stella Adler on America's Master Playwrights

Over the holidays my uncle gave me a book called, Stella Adler on America's Master Playwrights. I put the book on a shelf and promised myself I'd read it once I got through the others on my list. I decided to pick it up this morning and was instantly glad I had.  

Admittedly, it's been quite some time since I read an "acting book." But I think the distance from such works provided a clarity I didn't have as a young actor deep in the trenches of school and auditions.  

One passage in particular grabbed my attention in which Ms. Adler drives home the point about truly embodying a character through first understanding the playwright:

So when the playwright's job is done, you come along and say, "I'll take it from here and just say his words."

But you can't just take his words, because the words, by themselves, won't help you. You have to take his soul. You have to take his life, his experience of life, his ethic, what he has said to the world. 

In other words, we have to humble ourselves greatly before stepping into a role. It requires in depth understanding, but more importantly, an appreciation for the point of view the author has toward the world before diving in to interpret his or her work. 

A heightened sensitivity toward the author is where it begins.

Perfection is Overrated

I once heard someone say, "The pursuit of perfection is the pursuit of vanity." Of course, we should all strive to be the best possible versions ourselves, but I've found that our flaws are what make us unique and even compelling.

Drama is the quest to overcome those imperfections manifested in day-to-day struggles, which we all face in some way.

Films are full of "happy accidents." Dustin Hoffman once recounted two in his own storied film career. The scene in, The Graduate when he bangs his head against Mrs. Robinson's bedroom door was a desperate attempt to stop himself from laughing during the scene.

His famous and rarely attributed line, I'm walkin' here! from Midnight Cowboy was said in exasperation as he and Jon Voight were nearly hit by a cab driver after John Schlesinger tried countless times to nail the timing down with the crosswalk lights.

The point is, perfection may be overrated. Striving for greatness is important but so is recognizing the golden moments that can occur when things don't go quite according to plan. 

Be Quick, but Don't Hurry

One of the pillars of legendary UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden's "Pyramid of Success," is a lesson in being swift in your actions, but carrying out the task with care a precision.

We can approach our creative endeavors deliberately and carefully, while maintaining a sense of urgency and belief in what we're doing. 

The Power of Values

I look back with fondness on those times I performed in cramped, poorly lit black box theaters in the East Village. The audiences sat practically on top of one another as they huddled together to watch original works by some of New York's most promising playwrights.

I also recall rehearsing scenes from, A Doll's House during drama school. My classmates and I sat in narrow hallways after being kicked out of rehearsal spaces others had wisely signed up for in advance.

As much as I look back on those times with a sense of gratitude and nostalgia, I wouldn't do it over again. My goals have changed and my perspective has evolved. In other words, what I value as an actor and individual is no longer the same. I have grown.

Many of us often have a difficult time saying, "No." We take on too many projects earnestly believing we can do it all, while secretly wanting to please others.

I've learned that saying "no" to something means you are invariably saying "yes" to something else. It may be a rewarding opportunity now, or many years down the road. 

If there's something you feel obligated to do, but feel a voice tugging at you to pass it's likely that your values are not aligned with the opportunity. If your values are important enough to you protect them at all costs and align them with your vision.

Pick Your Pain

Author, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, “We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons."

No one I've ever spoke to has ever regretted a committed effort toward a goal even if the outcome failed to meet their expectations. We must decide if a fear of failure is worth discouraging us from trying something we know to be worth our application. My guess is that it is not.

If you want something you owe it to yourself to at least try. You'll be glad you did. 

Just Take in the People

Several months ago, I had the great fortune of visiting Belgrade. Just a few hours into my stay I struck up a conversation with a woman named Milicia at a coffee bar. I asked her if she had any advice on what I should do, or see during my stay. "Just take in the people," she said. "It's the best part." 

Last night, I took her words to heart as I walked up to 91st Street for a workshop. The unseasonably warm January day in New York allowed for a slightly more leisurely pace. I looked around as if for the first time. People walked swiftly past me en route to presumably important things.

Taking in our surroundings reminds me of how a mentor once shared how each day she sits in silence to simply observe and listen as if it were all a beautifully staged play. 

Geraldine Paige once said, "If we could only listen to each other on the stage like the animals in the forests do - as though our lives depended on it."

What I gather from taking people and our environment in is how it can influence our artistry. The more aware we are of our surroundings and the people around us, the likelier we are to be more self-aware. 

It's hard to listen on stage if we don't listen well in life.

Fear Isn't a Bad Word

A few weeks ago I talked about how the word, "anger," is not categorically bad. I argued that if channeled in a productive way great things can come of it.

I feel the same way about fear. Fear is part of our coding. Human beings are wired for survival so we're constantly on the lookout for  what we perceive to be threats. 

Several thousand years ago they came in the form of something that might eat you, but today they are much broader and for the most part less extreme.

Having fear is not only a natural part of being alive, but can also be an asset as long as we don't allow it to stifle us. Here are just a handful of fears that have propelled me and others I know to strive toward greater heights. 

- A fear of mediocrity.
- A fear of regret.
- A fear of not putting our best foot forward.
- A fear of not living life on our own terms.
- A fear of settling.
- A fear of not allowing our voice to be heard.
- A fear of giving up.
- A fear of not spending enough time with our families and friends.

But having awareness of these fears is not enough. We must mobilize and do something about them.

Lastly, fear and regret have some correlations. (at least in my case) In Bronnie Ware's 2011 book, The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying here's what she stumbled upon:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

Resilience is a Muscle

Winston Churchill one said,  "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. To the Ancient Greeks, enthusiasm meant "divine inspiration," or "to be filled with god."

But in order for enthusiasm to thrive, one must first cultivate a sense of resilience because inevitably your passion will be tested.

Resilience, like any muscle, must be trained. In order for it to grow that guidance must be consistent. 

In my experience, it helps to keep in mind that there will be ups and downs in your artistic career. But what is most important is maintaining a sense of poise and belief in what you do through such storms.

In time, this belief will translate to an incessant drive within, one you may not have even known you possessed; an inherent belief in yourself and mission will have been refined over time because you'll have trained your body and spirit to know no other way.

Square Peg into a Round Hole

Stephen Hawking once noted, "Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change." A poignant observation from a very intelligent man. 

I arrived back in New York City yesterday after several months away. One of the most exhilarating times of my life was moving here to attend drama school many years ago. Everything was out in front and the possibilities seemed limitless.

For a long time, each time I returned I tried to recreate that experience - that same feeling. But as I've gotten older I've realized how important it is to move forward with the times. 

People change, cities change, and our relationships to everything evolves over time. Trying to hold on to the past is like forcing a square peg into a round hole. It just doesn't work that way.

The beauty of all this change, as scary as it might be, is it allows for growth as long as we're open to it. The shininess might have worn off, but there's also great value in having a little life under your belt and applying what you've learned. 

Of course, lending a hand along the way to those traveling the path you once trotted is also deeply rewarding. 

There's Always Room for Improvement

There are few things more rewarding in life than becoming a master craftsman at that which you love to do. A sense of confidence, meaning, and skill comes with doing something for years on end.

But I've also learned that a sense of hubris can accompany that ability if one isn't careful. I probably failed to take in some valuable lessons over the years because I thought I already knew what someone was trying to teach me, or thought I could figure it out on my own. 

The truth is, someone will always know something you don't. And even if they do know something that you do, they'll be interpreting it from a completely different perspective.

No matter where you're at, or how good you are at your craft, there's always room to get better. Always.

The Power of a Good Morning Routine

One question I'm asked quite a bit from other actor and artist friends is how to put together a daily structure. The life of an artist is many things, but structured seldom comes to mind. 

Actors in particular are conditioned to drop everything should an audition, or acting job present itself.

What I learned the first few years after drama school was I might not have control over what happened throughout the day, but I could determine how my day started and ended.

Here a few quick tips you might find helpful:

-- Try starting the day by saying 5 things you're grateful for. They need not be earth-shattering. You can be grateful for the thread count in your comforter.

Beginning the day from a place of gratitude starts the day on productive/positive tone helping you focus less on what you don't have.

-- Try reading something positive/educational for 30 minutes.

-  Carve out a little time to sit in silence, focus on your breathing, and take a little personal inventory. You don’t need to be a Zen Master and can do it for as little as a minute or two.

Equally important are avoiding the pitfalls. Here's what I try to avoid at all costs when the alarm goes off:

-- Toxic headlines. Beginning your day with car chases, robberies, natural disasters, and political gridlock dancing in your head is hard to get past. Be socially aware and civic-minded, but do it in a way that protects your mind. Filter the information you take in. 

-  Checking email, texts, or social media. Yeah, I said it. Research shows by starting your day answering the priorities of other people instead of your own, your productivity for the week plummets more than 30 %. 

You can download the "Creativity Day Planner" with all of this information and more at www.nickmaccarone.com in just a few days. 

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Just a Few Tiny Adjustments is All it May Take

I once heard the difference between hitting a golf ball on the fairway versus in the sand pit is a matter of millimeters. Similarly, in Darren Hardy's bestselling book The Compound Effect he shares the following:

“If the nose of the plane is pointed only 1 percent off course – almost an invisible adjustment when the plane’s sitting on the tarmac in Los Angeles – it will ultimately end up about 150 miles off course, arriving either upstate in Albany or in Dover, Delaware.

The point is, establishing productive habits that will inch you closer to your goals and highest aspirations is not as dramatic as you may think. Hard work and consistency are staples for any endeavor worth pursuing, but far too many people believe that in order to be great their lives need to head in a completely different direction.

Take inventory of your habits. You may be just a few tiny adjustments, which compounded over time, will lead you to where you want to be.

How to Build a Habit

It's already January 6th, which means New Year's resolutions have already been broken and old habits have been renewed. If there's anything I've learned when it comes to incorporating a new and productive habit into my daily routine it's to start slow.

If your goal is to train for a marathon don't start off training for 3-hours day, especially if you've never worked out before. Instead, start small and gradually build up. With consistency your confidence will grow and the discipline will slowly become cemented and integrated into your other habits. By the 40th day you'll feel "off" if you don't do it.

One of the most common questions I'm asked by friends and colleagues is how to develop the discipline of writing each day. My suggestion is to write each day for 5- 10 minutes. If it helps, pick a specified block of time and location where you write with no distractions, no exceptions. 

Once you've gotten the hang of it, slowly build the amount of time you work for. You can go from 5 to 10 to 15 to 30 and eventually an hour or so a day. The facility with which you'll be able to do it may even surprise you. 

Start small and whatever you do be consistent. And of course, be patient with yourself. 

Swallow Your Pride and Learn Something

I spent my morning at a workshop for goal-setting and visualizing your future. I tried to approach the opportunity with an open-mind and without any preconceived notions.

We broke into groups and discussed what each of us came up with during a brief exercise in which we closed our eyes and pictured where we wanted to be professionally, personally, and even spiritually a year from now.

One of the coaches joined my group. He listened to each of us discuss our plans before jumping in and offering his take on how to navigate the road ahead.

He was earnest and very passionate. I tried to give over to what he was suggesting but had trouble getting past his youth, nearly wondering out loud what credibility he had. This isn’t my first rodeo, I thought to myself. 

But as the workshop went on I gave over to the belief that if I could learn just one thing it was worth my participation. I needed to be more flexible in my thinking, make an effort to take in the point of view of another person before deciding to dismiss it, or apply it.

In the end, the lesson was: swallow your pride and focus on what you can gain. Someone, no matter who, will ALWAYS know something that you don't.

Seek Mentors

It's been several years now since I wandered into the Center for Career Education at my old grad school. I'd felt rudderless for quite some time and was looking to find a place where I could be of value in addition to the daily grind of pursuing an acting career.

Little did I know the man I would meet that afternoon would become one of my most influential mentors. He helped touch up my resume, offered pointers on how to make a great cover letter, and made suggestions on how to approach the different organizations I was interested in working with.

But the most important thing he did that afternoon was he listened. He was compassionate in his tone, non-judgmental in his assessment, and genuinely cared about what it was I was trying to do and who I hoped to become.

To this day he is someone I can call upon when I need guidance, but perhaps most rewarding, he has also become a dear friend.

Look for mentors whenever possible. Take advantage of the great and often untapped resources at your school, or community center. It just may end up changing your life.

More Compelling than You Believe

When discussing his approach to performing on stage, I once heard William H. Macy say, "If you don't know what to do, don't do anything." 

During an acting on-camera workshop with one of the most reputable teachers in the city, actors were asked to perform a scene in which a character was doing nothing more than delivering a pizza.

Actor after actor held the box in almost comically unconventional ways. Finally, he stopped and asked, "Guys! How do you normally hold a box of pizza?!" 

As actors we often feel the need to seem "interesting," or to do stuff that makes us more compelling.

The masters like Michael Caine and Peter O'Toole were riveting to watch on film because they trusted the life they brought to a role would enrich their performance. If you watch them closely they often seem to be doing very little at all; revealing so much with just their eyes, or a gesture. They never felt the need to do too much.

You too are far more compelling than you think. Trust what you bring.

Inspirational Toolkit

In my book, To the Prospective Artist: Lessons from an Unknown Actor I write a great deal about the importance of protecting your mind from sensationalistic headlines, tales of car chases, political squabbles, and natural disasters that invariably greet you as you turn on the TV or radio.

Though I believe it is important to be an informed member of society so we can better consider meaningful ways to take action, it's crucial to filter the barrage of information we're constantly inundated with.

Over the years I've discovered some terrific resources that will hopefully put a little bounce in your step as you begin your day. I hope you find them of value and find ways to integrate them into your daily habits:

http://www.ted.com/

http://www.dailygood.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a8ncSBU-Eg (Top Ten Rules of Success Series)

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

http://the-talks.com/

http://calnewport.com/blog/ 

The Year Ahead

Long after the ball has dropped and the confetti has been swept up, we take time to ponder the past year's wins and setbacks. Most importantly, we look to the year ahead.

If you're at all like me, you've already taken time to write out your ambitious goals for 2017; disciplines you hope to cement, habits you need to break, and achievements personal and professional you'd very much like to see come to fruition. 

Author, speaker, and former editor of Success Magazine, Darren Hardy once said, "The definition of commitment is doing the thing you said you were going to do, long after the mood you said it in has left you."

As you embark on the year ahead consider these two simple thoughts:

1. You can have high standards for yourself and hold yourself accountable without beating yourself up.

2. What will separate the people who achieve their goals versus those who don't will be consistency. Continue to put in the work on a regular basis long after the shininess of a new year has worn off.

Happy New Year and Best of Luck in 2017.