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Yelena: I’m dying of boredom. Is there nothing to do? Sofya: There’s no lack of things to do. If you wished to do them? Yelena: Tell me one. Sofya: Teach. Treat the sick. Care for the Estate. Yelena: …mmm…hmm… Sofya: Much to do. (Pause.) When you and Papa weren’t here. Uncle and I would goContinue reading “Do It. Then Evaluate It.”

Who doesn’t like a good challenge? Especially one that’s specific and time bound. In the spirit of Lent which begins today, as well as my recent post about The 100 Hour Rule, I thought I’d propose a 40 day challenge. Here it is… Pick a goal or habit or project, anything you’ve been thinking about doing, and forContinue reading “The 40 Day Challenge”

“Put your heart aside. Duty comes first. But when fulfilling your duty, put your heart into it. It helps.” -Saint Josemaría Escrivá “Never shirk the proper dispatch of your duty, no matter if you are freezing or hot, groggy or well-rested, vilified or praised, not even if dying or pressed by other demands. Even dying is one ofContinue reading “Duty”

“Above all else, the mentat must be a generalist, not a specialist. It is wise to have decisions of great moment monitored by generalists. Experts and specialists lead you quickly into chaos.” -Frank Herbert, Dune You’re probably familiar with the 10,000 hour rule as popularized by Malcom Gladwell in his book Outliers. Roughly stated, the ruleContinue reading “The 100 Hour Rule”

Research shows that just talking our issues and problems out loud is incredibly helpful. This is one reason why therapy exists. It can also be helpful in those times we find ourselves struggling to make our art. A personal anecdote… I was struggling early in a rehearsal process. It was a very hard part and play. After doing theContinue reading “Talk It Out”

“Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently.” -Marie Forleo “We are repeatedly what we do. Excellence is a habit, not an act.” -Aristotle “The greatest threat to success is inconsistency.” -Shane Parrish “A simple filter for managing your time: You’re not focused enough unless you’re mourning some ofContinue reading “Shiny New Objects”

In a collaborative medium like film or theatre, the producer needs to get everyone to care deeply about the final result. And when you’re working in small theatre or independent film, you’re asking people to work for lower pay and on lower budgets. So, how do you get them to care? First, you must have empathy. Remember,Continue reading “How Do You Get Them To Care?”

SONYA: Mikhail Lvovich. I’m…I’m just curious about something. If I had a friend, or a, or a…younger sister, and you found out she…let’s say that she…that she loves you. Loved you. How would you react? ASTROV: I don’t know. I guess I would try to help her understand that I couldn’t love her back…and I’d tell her I’m not interested in thatContinue reading “So, Go Love”

“Set peace of mind as your highest goal and organize your entire life around it.” -Brian Tracy “Keep calm and carry on.” -Winston Churchill I’ve written prior about having a daily self-care checklist, but for you visual folks out there, the above image is fantastic. (Hat tip to Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg for providing.)

Speaking of a daily ideas practice, why not come up with a list of ideas that might help someone else. For example, one of my favorite exercises in our Vs. Studio Producing Workshop is to have each participant come up with a list of 5-10 plays for another participant in the class. Roles that they thinkContinue reading “The Gift Of Your Ideas”