Words of Wisdom from the Great Pablo Neruda

In keeping with the theme of the To the Prospective Artist movement - empowering actors and artists to live bold lives "off-stage" to enrich the quality of their work on it, I refer to one of my favorite poems. The poet Pablo Neruda clearly understood how a compelling life influences meaningful art:

YOU START DYING SLOWLY

You start dying slowly
if you do not travel,
if you do not read,
If you do not listen to the sounds of life,
If you do not appreciate yourself.
You start dying slowly
When you kill your self-esteem;
When you do not let others help you.
You start dying slowly
If you become a slave of your habits,
Walking everyday on the same paths…
If you do not change your routine,
If you do not wear different colours
Or you do not speak to those you don’t know.
You start dying slowly
If you avoid to feel passion
And their turbulent emotions;
Those which make your eyes glisten
And your heart beat fast.
You start dying slowly
If you do not change your life when you are not satisfied with your job, or with your love,
If you do not risk what is safe for the uncertain,
If you do not go after a dream,
If you do not allow yourself,
At least once in your lifetime,
To run away from sensible advice…

Want but Don't Need

In Oren Klaff’s book, Pitch Anything, he talks about the importance of eradicating neediness:

“If you talk to investment bankers, the pros that make million dollar decisions almost daily, they’ll tell you – validation – seeking behavior (neediness) is the number one deal killer.”

As a young actor, I must have reeked of desperation as I entered casting rooms. When I first came out of grad school my life seemed to hang in the balance depending on how well an audition went. I spent hours prepping, regardless if the audition was for a series regular or two lines on a procedural. I was maniacal about my homework. And if the audition didn’t go exactly as I planned I was devastated. I placed such high stakes on each and every audition that my nerves were often a mess.

But the older I got the more I realized the importance of wanting, but not needing. I learned to give my best audition then go about my day knowing if it didn't work out there’d be plenty of other people who’d love to work with me. Developing this mindset came from living a well-rounded life full of other interests, rich relationships, and an empowering sense of self.