Don't Do Too Much

There's a famous story about the day Jack Lemmon received a master class in acting for the camera by director Billy Wilder. The two were on the set for the classic film, Some Like it Hot starring Marilyn Monroe. At this point, Jack Lemmon had done a considerable amount of theater and television but was still relatively new to the world of feature films.

As the story goes Lemmon was in the middle of a scene when Wilder stopped him. "Less Jack. Less," he said. Lemmon supposedly took the note and resumed the scene. A few minutes go by and Lemmon feels like he's really cooking when once again he's stopped by the Academy Award winning director. "Less Jack. Less." Lemmon scratched his head, took the note again, and continued to plow along. The scene goes on for a while before Wilder stops him for a third time, "Less Jack. Less." At this point Lemmon's had it and screams, "Billy, if I do any less I'll be doing nothing." Wilder supposedly smiled before saying, "Exactly."

Too often we feel we're not enough when the truth is we're infinitely interesting. The key whether on stage or off is to trust we have a voice and something of value to offer without overcompensating for what we mistake to be deficiencies. 

They May Disagree, But They'll Respect You

I recently had a conversation with someone who not so subtly tried to persuade me to replace the gentlemen I hired for a project. No doubt, he had my best interests at heart and thought I'd given the person I hired a big enough window to get the job done.

The problem was the man I hired for the job was a close friend who I didn't feel had been given a "fair shake." From the very start, wires had been crossed and I'd failed on several occasions to clarify my objectives. "I'm going to give him a few more months," I finally said. My decision was met with disapproval. 

The next day after I'd phoned my friend and talked about the adjustments we needed to make to reach our goals I met with the same person who half a day before tried to convince me to move forward with someone else.

I told him I'd had a conversation with my friend and that we now had a plan on how to press on with deadlines in place. 

"I think that's a good idea," he said. "I'm like you. I'm very loyal to my friends." That's interesting, I thought.

If you feel strong about something, stand your ground. People may not agree with you at first or ever, but chances are they'll at least respect you.

Flip Conventional Wisdom on its Head

Last night, I finally wrapped up an audiobook that seemed to never end. The book was recommended by someone I admire and so I decided to give it a go. It was an insightful but also somewhat dense book geared primarily towards marketers.

Still, one of the lessons that really made me think was the importance of flipping conventional wisdom on its head. In other words, you can't fall into the same mode of thinking as everyone else trying to do what you're doing. You also can't afford to get bogged down by what the naysayers think.

Instead, consider redefining the objective and the problem you're trying to solve. What is it you hope achieve through your art? Why is it important to you and what are different ways to get your voice heard?

As actors, writers, filmmakers, dancers, painters, and artists of all mediums we must think more broadly. Creativity will infuse your work, but also the ways you figure out how to deliver your message to the world.