Author Archives: thevsstudioblog

Roberta: Here it is, a message from Jim.[Reading the Personal Ads]Roberta: “Desperately Seeking Susan. Keep the faith. Tuesday. 10AM. Battery Park. Gangway 1. Love, Jim”Leslie: Who’s Jim?Roberta: Oh, God. Tuesday, that’s tomorrow.Leslie: Who’s Susan? You know these people?Roberta: No. You see, Jim follows Susan all over the country. Last January she was in Mexico City,Continue reading “Desperately Wanting and Pursuing”

“Everybody has some choice, mother. The poorest girl alive may not be able to choose between being Queen of England or Principal of Newnham; but she can choose between ragpicking and flowerselling, according to her taste. People are always blaming circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get onContinue reading “Defy Circumstance”

“Fidete, sed verificate.” -Latin phrase that translates to “Trust but verify.” “Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.” -Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings One discipline to incorporate as a producer is what I call “the friendly follow up.” It will save you a tonContinue reading “The Friendly Follow Up”

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.” -Henry David Thoreau, Walden “There’s something in these quiet, forsaken places that draws me in, reconstitutes the chemistry of my blood, a gravitational pull toward getting lost, toward solitude andContinue reading “Take Time”

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair,And having perhaps the better claim,Because it was grassy and wanted wear;Though as for thatContinue reading “EXCEPTIONal”

(This post is particularly apropos as I’m sending this at 11:55p. 5 minutes prior to my daily Midnight deadline) For most things, especially those that you have to complete on someone else’s deadline (school, work, etc.) “better late than never” is good advice. However, when it comes to your art it should be “better liveContinue reading “Never Better”

“Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.” -Marcus Aurelius If you expect and desire the credit for your successes, then do you also take the blame for your failures? Or when misfortune strikes, do you put the blame elsewhere? Remember, with great responsibility comes great power.

First level understanding: The cavalry isn’t coming. Second level understanding: There is no cavalry. There never was a cavalry. Jedi level understanding: YOU are the cavalry. Go make your art. P.S. – I try to watch Mark Duplass’ “The Cavalry Isn’t Coming” 2015 SWSW Keynote speech once a year. It’s even more relevant now asContinue reading “Jedi: Cavalry”

“Be so good they can’t ignore you.” -Steve Martin Great advice from Steve Matin above. Become a master at your craft. However, I’d amend it to this: “Be so good they can’t ignore you. All the while produce your own work so you don’t care if they ignore you. Because you’re too busy making thingsContinue reading “So What If They Ignore You?”

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right”, -Henry Ford “Argue for your limitations and you get to keep them.” -Richard Bach “It’s a wonderful thing to be optimistic. It keeps you healthy and it keeps you resilient.” -Daniel Kahneman Belief is a choice. And once you choose your belief, you willContinue reading “Confirm Optimism”