The Challenges AND Rewards of Being an Artist

The greatest revelation I stumbled across years after drama school was that every situation we face, both good and bad is temporary. If you understand this you can develop the resources to weather and thrive through the unexpected.  

Rising above adversity is also a unique opportunity to reinvent yourself. And with that green light you can approach your life with a sense of creative artistry and self-mastery that will heighten the overall quality of your days, while deeply inspiring those around you. 

The path of the creator is nebulous at best but harnessing the ability to not be discouraged by the lack of clarity is also what makes the journey so deeply fulfilling. It's like no other and thus offers challenges AND rewards that are simply foreign to other career paths.

Pause

We live in some pretty remarkable times. Your smartphone is more powerful than any computer President Reagan had at his disposal. 

We can launch businesses while nestled in a corner booth at a coffee shop. 

And its easier than ever to start a campaign, community, or movement. 

But with greater opportunity also comes heightened risk and the need to pause before stimulus and response. 

Your Tweets, Posts, and comments are now there for posterity. A reactive moment, which reveals our less than best selves reminds us of our humanity but also of the need to take personal inventory before responding.

Take a moment, however hard, to pause before making a tough decision, reacting to the driver that cut you off in traffic, or posting your thoughts on a particular topic. 

Try coming back to the matter a few minutes, hours, or even a day after and see if you feel differently. 

In time, you develop the capacity to be led by reason rather than emotion. 

The Beauty of Having Doubts

Doubt is an unavoidable part of a rich life.  But there's also an important distinction between having uncertainties about your career, and wanting to do something completely different with your life. The distinction is not always clear. If your deepest core still believes your dream is important then fight like hell for it. Conversely, if your heart is trying to tell you that it’s time for a new journey, I encourage you not to deny that calling. Doing so might mean closing yourself off to new and worthwhile opportunities, which may add great value to the lives of others. Remember, doubt can be an opportunity to redefine your ambitions, or recalibrate your current ones.

You can also reinvent the role art plays in your life. For example, when acting began to slowly take a less prominent role in my life I turned to other outlets such as writing and coming up with creative solutions to problems in my community. Both were forms of artistry that allowed me to express myself in equally meaningful ways. Moving on to new endeavors is less of a farewell then a different way of expressing your imagination.  Remember what Peggy Taylor said, “Creativity is not found just in the chosen few who exhibit artistic talent. 

 

What Los Angeles Traffic Taught Me

Anyone who's lived in Los Angeles knows there's traffic. A LOT of traffic. I realized pretty quickly there was a unique opportunity to take advantage of those moments of idleness and turn them into a mobile classroom. Here are a few quick insights that may nudge you to turn daily gridlock into the "University of Traffic."

-- One way to set yourself apart from the herd is to optimize moments most people use for entertainment with education.

-- Divide your audiobook selection into different categories that interest you -- (e.g. Fiction, History, Personal Development, Finance)

--  The average US commuter spends roughly 42 hours in traffic per year. That’s nearly identical to a semester of college. You have a remarkable opportunity to turn your commute, workout, or daily chores into the equivalent of a college degree.

-- After listening to an audiobook make note of at least three things you’ve learned and can implement, track, and measure. Keep an audiobook notebook in your car so you can jot a few notes after your commute.

The Problem with Waiting for Others

This afternoon I spoke with a good friend of mine about how her work as a costume and set designer was coming along. "I'm still waiting to hear back from the director," she told me. Apparently she'd been in a holding pattern for several weeks for not one, but two different jobs. "Why don't you start looking for another opportunity?" I asked. "I really want one of these," she responded.

Eventually our conversation veered towards matters of the heart. She revealed she was also waiting for someone she liked to officially invite her to an event. "It's been two weeks and still no word," she cried.

All of this waiting got me thinking. When we sit idle hoping for a response we're essentially waiting for permission to live our lives. While we wait for the phone to ring time marches on and opportunities are missed.

Don't wait for a green light to create your own breaks. If someone doesn't get back to you recalibrate and find a community that will. Better yet, create that community yourself. 

While you sit waiting for that perfect opportunity everyone else is busy living their lives. 

Always Approach Life Like You're Just Getting Started

One of my mentors is a New York actor named Andy. He started late in the game but worked steadily for 15 years before landing a series regular role on a hit New York show. Rather than getting discouraged by his early setbacks he chose to double-down on his craft.

I learned the importance of staying ready because you never know when an opportunity will present itself. He never allowed his talent to collect dust but invested his time in getting so good at what he loved it became impossible to ignore him. He fiercely protected the mindset that no matter what your age you have to approach life like you’re just getting started.

It's Hard But It's Worth It

This morning I spoke to a close friend of mine back in New York. She was very stressed out about all the things she had to do before staging her play this summer. "I need to find someone to do the lighting, the right actors, and of course, I have to raise all this money so I can pay everyone. I'm really worried," she told me.

"Calm down," I said. "You're exactly where you're supposed to be. Everyone that puts on a play, or shoots a film wrestles with the same issues. That's one of the reasons why it's such an extraordinary accomplishment once you get it done."

She agreed and after a few minutes took comfort in the knowing she was in good company. "I'd be more worried if there were no hiccups," I added. She laughed. 

What we do is meaningful and if done well can forever change the way we think, feel, and interact. It is for those exact same reasons that it is so difficult to pull off.

But the ones who push through that adversity have a special opportunity to share their voice, while bringing people together. 

It's hard but it's worth it. Go forth. 

At a Crossroads

Last week alone I spoke with three actor friends who felt equally lost in their pursuits. "I don't jump out of bed anymore," one told me. "I'm at a crossroads," another said. 

I listened not quite knowing what to say. Instead, I shared how I'd dealt with the very same challenges when I wrestled with my own doubts of whether to continue acting.

The truth is, what you want at 25 will be different than what you want at 45. It doesn't mean you've quit a dream but that you've evolved as a person, and what you value most in life has changed. It's something we shouldn't feel bad about but should recognize as progress in our personal evolution.

If something is no longer giving you joy it's important to take some personal inventory and ask yourself why. What I've learned this year is we already know all the things we have to do. When we phone a close friend, or seek advice we're merely hoping they echo what we already know to be true within.

World traveler and best-selling author, Chris Guillebeau asks himself these two questions to determine when it's time to try something new:

1. Is it working?
2. Is it making me happy?

If the answer to both is no it may be time to chart a new path but it's something you need to decide. 

The moment I started to get really honest with myself and explore other meaningful relationships and experiences, opportunities I couldn't have predicted started coming my way. What's more, I became a better and happier artist.

And remember, even if you do decide to take a little break from your first love, you can always come back. A little distance may offer some much needed perspective. 

Having doubts is an integral and even exciting part of life. Just remember to frame it as an opportunity. 

You Are Not Your IMDB Page

The entertainment industry in particular has a way of making people feel disempowered. Remarkably talented storytellers from all backgrounds equate their worth as storytellers with their resume, or the credits on their IMDB page.

Unfortunately, talent doesn't always lead to opportunity. And though at first glance that reality might be frustrating, I would argue it presents possibilities.

Think Unconventionally. Marcus Aurelius once said, "The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious." Thinking differently sets you apart from the herd. Innovation with bold and broad thinking leads to bold and broad opportunities. Don't have the time, money, or the resources? Now you have to figure out a way to get them.

You Reframe Setbacks. Not getting exactly what you want is an integral part of life. But it's also an incredibly invaluable opportunity to learn to think flexibly. History and innovation are full of achievements that were results of someone veering off a trail once perceived to be the only way. The most influential on-camera teacher I've ever worked with once studied to become an actor before a mentor of his saw he had the potential to be a great teacher. He took the man's advice and has become one of the most sought after instructors in the business. The point is to not be rigid in your thought process and allow setbacks to propel you rather than stifle you.

You Have to Create Your Own Breaks. Hope is not a strategy. It's very likely you will never get that call for the perfect part, or opportunity so you need to create it. And with action comes an awakening to your own potential. Just begin something, anything, then stick with it. With consistency comes a heightened focus. Focus begets personal meaning. Action + Consistency + Focus = Personal Fulfillment

Get started. We're all waiting to see what you come up with.

With Action Comes an Awakening to Your Potential

A friend of mine met his girlfriend after he finally decided to take initiative with his dating life and sign-up for a matching site. Only, he didn't meet her online. He met her while getting a haircut.

Another friend received the opportunity to travel to South Africa for a youth enrichment program after doing terrific work in a school production.

What's my point? When you take initiative and put out an energy of collaboration, flexibility, and an availability to possibilities, good things begin to take shape.

And though the opportunities that come along may not be in exact alignment with what you'd hoped, you may end up taking a path you didn't foresee, but also turns out to be better.

On to the Next One

"Shattered hopes of success must be transformed into the joy of new achievements." 

Nothing in life works according to plan. For some people, that reality has the potential of irreparable harm. Because their life has not lived up to some vision they developed for them self long ago they've lost all bearings, focus, and plan of attack.

In some ways, I fell into this trap. I'd basically wanted one thing since the age of 11 and when that dream was not realized exactly the way I'd hoped I felt quite lost.

The solution was slowly cultivating the belief this setback was an opportunity to find other ways to utilize my talents and offer value to the world. It may not have happened precisely as I'd originally hoped, but I realized my new pursuit had the capacity to be as, or even more fulfilling.

Don't give up on yourself. Your talents and abilities to serve others far exceed what you may believe to be possible. The trick is getting started and knowing through patient experimentation you will eventually stumble upon the next thing. 

6 Months

Last night I spoke with an actor friend who said, "It's finally starting to feel okay living in Los Angeles." She'd lived in Tinsel Town for about 6 months. Over the years I'd heard people say the same thing about New York, Houston, or really any place when I sat and thought about it.

There's something about allowing yourself time to stumble through a new community. Everything from getting familiar with the local highways to carving out your own circle of friends can seem overwhelming at first. I remember moving to Los Angeles a few years back and spending a considerable amount of time scolding my GPS system for leading me astray in the maze of highways that make up Southern California. 

In time, I got my footing the same way I did in New York and any other place I've lived for an extended period of time. If you're in a new town and starting to feel a little isolated or lost, make sure to give yourself some time. As long as you keep putting yourself out there and making the most of each opportunity you'll be sure to turn a corner. 

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

As hokey at it sounds, it's important to honor the journey. But what does that even mean?

My interpretation is that it's about having the patience to sit with uncertainty and be curious about what you fear rather than stifled by it. Both seem to be integral parts of becoming a better artist, and more importantly, individual. 

Success is often the ability to look back on an event and just note that you survived. But we can also work to frame our experiences in a meaningful and helpful way:

ATTENTION	INTERPRETATION	MEMORY
Focus on what you have to be grateful for. It's much harder to acknowledge what you don't have when the emphasis is on what you do.	Tough experiences and feelings can be a  reason for inspiration, opportunity, and growth.  Frame your setbacks advantageously.	Remember past events more favorably.  Allow yourself to selectively remember certain events:  people who do so are happier overall.