Author Archives: thevsstudioblog

“The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists.” -Japanese Proverb “We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.” -Epictetus “Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.” -Lao Tzu When a crisis or emergency happens, it’s not about anticipatingContinue reading “Flexible Mindset”

“The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myselfContinue reading “In and Out Of Control”

“Fame is the peversion of the natural human instinct for validation and attention.” -Heathcote Williams “I was leery of the media glare that came with film roles. I saw the future for myself when I did repertory theater. These were plays that could change my life; these playwrights were prophets. They made me a betterContinue reading “The Lifetime Artist Contract”

“Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life.” -Jerzy Gregorek, former Olympic weightlifter Speaking of doing hard things today so that things are easier tomorrow, this past blog post including the story below about Paula Scher: In 1998, Citibank and The Travelers Insurance Company merged.  They hired legendary designer Paula Scher to create a newContinue reading “One Second…and Thirty Four Years”

“Challenges are what makes life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” -Joshua J. Marine “When life gets tough, some of us feel that we’ve lost the game and life has won. But life isn’t trying to defeat you. Life isn’t even a participant—the game is yours.” -Mo Gawdat, Solve for Happy “YourContinue reading “Hard Today. Easy Tomorrow”

“The quality of your questions determines the quality of your life.” -Tim Ferriss “With a tear for the dark past, turn we then to the dazzling future, and, veiling our eyes, press forward. The long and weary winter of the race is ended. Its summer has begun. Humanity has burst the chrysalis. The heavens areContinue reading “Annual Review”

I had a goal to read or see 100 plays this year. I fell a bit short at 70. Still, not bad. If you want to read or see more plays in 2025, then I have two amazing resources for you! The first is our Vs. Tuesday Night Reading Series. We read a play everyContinue reading “Favorite Plays Of 2024”

So I fell woefully short of my goal to read 24 books this year. I read 13. That’s the second year in a row I didn’t make goal, so I’ll scale back my 2025 goal to 18. The good news is that almost every book I read this year was terrific. Quality over quantity, right?Continue reading “Favorite Books Of 2024”

Like films, my goal was to listen to 100 albums in 2024. I listened to 112. My rule is that I have to listen to the entire album at least two times straight through. And I try to make listening to the album my sole focus. Not just background music. Inevitably, many of the albumsContinue reading “Favorite Albums Of 2024”

“In my whole life I’ve never been good at something I wasn’t very interested in. It just doesn’t work. There’s no substitute for strong interest.”— Charlie Munger “Mastery is the best goal because the rich can’t buy it, the impatient can’t rush it, the privileged can’t inherit it, and nobody can steal it. You canContinue reading “Love and Excellence”