In the late 1960s, researchers at Stanford conducted what became known as the Marshmallow Test. A preschooler was placed in a room with a marshmallow and given a choice: eat it now, or wait a few minutes and receive two marshmallows instead. Early findings suggested that children who could wait tended to be more successfulContinue reading “Trust”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
“The Play’s The Thing”
For the director… When you make it (your direction) solely about what’s best for the play, you can’t go wrong. When you make it about anything else like your ego, your “vision”, your career, etc…do so at your own peril. The play’s the thing. It’s always been the thing. It’s the only thing. P.S. –Continue reading ““The Play’s The Thing””
Study Improv
Fifty years earlier, in a state of agitated anxiety, he [Mike Nichols] had told an interviewer, “I don’t care about being forgotten. I fear getting to the end of my life and feeling I’ve wasted it. I don’t want to get to the end and think I haven’t tasted enough and touched other people enoughContinue reading “Study Improv”
“If You Don’t Take The Money…”
“If you don’t take money, they can’t tell you what to do, kid…Money’s the cheapest thing. Liberty, freedom is the most expensive.” —Bill Cunningham “Be fiscally responsible so you can be creatively reckless.” -Tom Rothman “I had learned to manage on very little money. I had it down to a science. I really didn’t needContinue reading ““If You Don’t Take The Money…””
“Haven’t Done This Before”
“You become what you give your attention to.” -Epictetus “The willingness to figure things out as you go is often the only difference between those who achieve difficult things and those who never begin.” -Shane Parrish “To know what you are going to draw, you have to begin drawing.” =Pablo Picasso If you’re scared toContinue reading ““Haven’t Done This Before””
March 2025 Favorites
In addition to recapping my end of year favorites (films, plays, books, albums, etc.) I thought for 2025, I’d share each month. Without further adieu and in no particular order, here are March faves… FILMS: The China Syndrome directed by James Bridges – I’ve watched this one multiple times now and each time I appreciateContinue reading “March 2025 Favorites”
Give Your Ego A Break
“And this is the main thing I learned was that I’m writing music for an orchestra. I’m like, “I don’t even know what I’m doing. Why is that coming out?” I don’t feel like I’m doing it. I feel like I picked up the pen. I feel like I had the idea to do theContinue reading “Give Your Ego A Break”
“Age Quod Agis”
“How you do anything is how you do everything.” -Zen Buddhist Proverb “In the morning, when you brush your teeth, brush them in such a way that happiness is possible during the whole time of brushing – which may last only one or two minutes. That is something I do every morning and after eachContinue reading ““Age Quod Agis””
Failure and Archery
Failure is an opportunity.If you blame someone else,there is no end to the blame. Therefore the Masterfulfills her own obligationsand corrects her own mistakes.She does what she needs to doand demands nothing of others. -“Tao Te Ching” by Lao-Tzu, Verse 79, (Stephen Mitchell Translation) “If you’re not failing, you’re not learning. If you’re not learning,Continue reading “Failure and Archery”
Q & A: “Should I Do It?”
“If you have to ask somebody how to become a film director, you’ll probably never do it…The film industry is all about saying ‘no’ to people, so inherently you cannot take ‘no’ for an answer…If [my reply] pisses you off, and then you go out and say, ‘I’m going to show that Jim Cameron; IContinue reading “Q & A: “Should I Do It?””