Author Archives: thevsstudioblog

What art would you make if you based your choice entirely on process, on having a meaningful experience, as opposed to the end result and judgment of others?

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You’ll never regret going after something with everything you have and falling short. You can live with that. You’ll only regret giving a half-assed effort. Or not going after something at all.

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For anything that happens to us, anything we read or hear, anyone who evokes strong emotions in us, we’d be wise to do two things before responding. First, bring awareness. Just be aware that we’re having that response. Notice the thoughts. Don’t judge them. Second, bring curiosity. Get intensely curious with our feelings. Be ourContinue reading ““That’s Interesting””

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I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with some incredible actors. Actors with long, illustrious stage, film and television careers. They’ve all consistently shared this principle with me: “An actor’s really lucky if he or she gets a few great roles in their lifetime. The rest is work. Show up and do your jobContinue reading “Luck”

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Be so demanding of yourself and exacting in your work. That other people’s criticisms feel like a walk in the park.

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“Success is peace of mind that is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” -John Wooden For life and for anything we’re trying to do, it’s vital to know how we define success. It should be our own, personal definition. It mightContinue reading “Success?”

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The observer effect is a common principle in quantum mechanics. Basically, it states that the mere observance of an object changes the actual object. You can read more about it, including Schrodinger’s famous cat, HERE. The Stoics advocate behaving as if someone is always watching you. Someone you admire and respect. Seneca called it havingContinue reading “Act Like Someone’s Watching You”

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“I criticize by creation, not by finding fault.” -Marcus Tullius Cicero It’s easy to know what we’re against. There’s a long list. And it’s the first step towards progress. But it can’t end there. We must know what we’re actually for. What specific changes do we want to make? What new systems do we wantContinue reading “What Are You For?”

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I recently spoke to an actor friend who organized a Zoom play reading. “I had no idea how much work goes into producing,” she said. She came away with a deep respect and appreciation for the job. She couldn’t imagine producing an actual run of a play. Let alone also acting in it. Unless someoneContinue reading “No One Knows What It’s Like”

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We don’t get to decide how our art is received. If it is received. Who exactly will receive it. That’s entirely up to the audience. All we get to decide is if that idea in our head is worth spending precious time, effort and energy to create.