The Vs. Studio Blog

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

How much time did you spend today making art?

If you’re like most of us, struggling to balance family, work, other priorities and obligations, there will be many days when the answer to this question is zero or very little.

Don’t fret. Don’t get depressed.

Resolve to make some art tomorrow. It can be as simple as reading a monologue out loud to yourself. Or taking a photo. Or filming a sunset. Or writing one page of a journal or story or poem. Whatever. Even if it’s five minutes, do it. And then do it again the next day and the day after that. Don’t break the streak. Pretty soon five minutes will turn to ten to twenty to thirty to sixty and next thing you know, whole hours go by when you’re in flow and making art.

The other thing is…even in your daily obligations, see how much art you can bring to those. You don’t have to do “artistic things” to be artistic. Recall our inspiring definition of art: doing something that might not work for the benefit of others.

Under that definition you can make art all day long, right?

And I listen for the voice inside my head
Nothin’, I’ll do this one myself -“State Of Love And Trust”, song by Pearl Jam

“Who will help me bake the bread?” “Not I,” said the dog. “Not I,” said the pig. “Not I,” said the cow. “Well then, I will bake the bread myself.” And she did just that! She mixed the flour with salt and yeast to make the dough. After the dough rose, she put it in the oven to bake…When the bread was done, she asked, “Who will help me eat the bread?” “I will”, said the dog. “I will”, said the pig. “I will”, said the cow.” -excerpt from the fable, The Little Red Hen, by Mary Mapes Dodge

There are times, especially at the outset, when no one sees it the way you see it. When no one understands your vision or shares your belief. When you feel like Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire repeatedly asking, practically begging, “Who’s Coming With Me?” and getting no response. (Until Dorothy Boyd courageously saves him from a complete shutout.)

For those times, let’s face it, it’s on you. You’re gonna have to go first. Take it entirely on your shoulders. Do it yourself. Be your own proof of concept.

Eventually people will come on board. They’ll join in on your worthwhile mission. Don’t have an ego about it. If they’re talented and can and want to help, allow them to. Who cares if you had to go first? Whatever makes the project the best it can possibly be.

Leaders lead.

Followers follow.

P.S. – Sometimes you gotta go coast to coast.

“Always leave them wanting more.” – P.T. Barnum

“I didn’t have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” -Mark Twain

No one will ever be mad at you if your art is too short. Assuming it’s good, the worst you’ll get is “I wish it were longer.”

I could write more on this, but….

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

A good producer anticipates problems before they arise.

A good producer creates conditions so that the fewest possible problems will arise.

A good producer solves problems when they do arise.

A good producer realizes that the problems are really opportunities in disguise. (Rhyming was purely accidental.)

That what appears to be an obstacle is actually the way forward.

“The best is the enemy of the good.” -Voltaire

“Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.” -Confucius

“Striving to better, oft we mar what’s well.” -Shakespeare

“It could be better” is a good mantra to adopt about your work.

No matter how much effort you give, how much time you spend, how much you strive for excellence, your work could always be better. This isn’t false humility. It’s just true.

Take for example this blog…(And I realize I’m bounded by time here. As I put it out every weekday.)

No matter how good I feel about a certain post. No matter how much I’ve worked and re-worked the language until it’s “just right” to release, EVERY time I go back and read it with fresh eyes, I always feel some version of “It could be better.”

But–and here’s the catch–I’m still glad I put it out there.

“It could be better” not only keeps you humble about your own accomplishments, it also helps you avoid the worst aspect of perfectionism. Which is fear. Which then leads to never shipping your work.

What the fuck is this world
Running to, you didn’t
Leave a message, at least I
Could have learned your voice one last time
Daily minefield, this could
Be my time, ’bout you?

Hear my name, take a good look
This could be the day
Hold my hand, walk beside me
I just need to say
I could not take a-just one day
I know when I would not ever touch you
Hold you, feel you in my arms ever again -“Porch”, song by Pearl Jam

Context goes hand in hand with content.

The artist’s backstory behind their creation adds so much to the audience’s enjoyment of the art. Think of it like the wine that sharpens the taste of the meal.

A current example…

My good friend Joe and I both love the band Pearl Jam. (Ever wondered why we’re named Vs. Theatre Company? Hint, Hint: See album pic above.)

For the last month he’s been sending me a daily text of the top 31 all-time best Pearl Jam songs per Spotify music critics. In addition to the song, he sends me various articles about the song’s creation including Eddie Vedder’s own musings on the lyrics. These are all awesome.

(My favorite part though?…Joe also often sends me what the song and lyrics mean to him personally.)

Given all this context and backstory, my love and appreciation of the music only grows deeper.

Go make your art. And whenever possible, share your backstory. Because your backstory is the story.

P.S. – Unplugged.

The key to maintaining a healthy perspective on life is simple…

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

What’s difficult is knowing what the main thing is.

Some things that will help….

Know and order and revisit your values. Know what you want and why.

Be disciplined.

Build good habits.

Have principles that you live by.

And for the day to day, remember the magic focusing question;

“What is the ONE thing you could do right now such that by doing it, everything else would be easier or unnecessary?”

“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” -Ecclesiastes 2: 10-11

“The goals on that first mountain are the normal goals that our culture endorses—to be a success, to be well thought of, to get invited into the right social circles, and to experience personal happiness. It’s all the normal stuff: nice home, nice family, nice vacations, good food, good friends, and so on.” -David Brooks, book The Second Mountain

“I got everything I ever wanted and I’m still miserable.”

A brilliant performer and famous celebrity once spoke this line to open a “Harold” at Improv Olympic in Chicago. And I’ll never forget it. (The Harold is a longform improvisation developed by Del Close. It’s a collage of scenes inspired by a single suggestion which are interwoven and connected and then bend back at the very end. Think Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm).

He wasn’t joking. You could feel the authenticity and emotion behind it. Like a sledgehammer to the audience. We were all stunned. Pole-axed. There was a long ass pause. And then he continued his monologue. The performers then went on to perform an incredible, raucous, 45 minute set building off that first line.

If it’s status or money or power or fame or fortune you seek, just know these will not fulfill long term.

Meaningful work, meaningful community, service to others, making your own art. These things do fulfill. They do bring lasting joy. And the best part?…You can make them happen. You’re in control of your joy. You’re not dependent on external events.

How many more timeless books of wisdom do we need to learn this truth? Or people who’ve scaled the top telling us we’re climbing the wrong mountain.

Turn around. Go back down the way you came. When you get to the bottom, look ahead. The second mountain, the right mountain, awaits.

I don’t wanna think, I wanna feel. How do I feel? How do I feel? How do I? -Pearl Jam, song “Hail, Hail”

This excellent article points out that asking and answering one simple question can change your emotional state. Furthermore, merely attempting to answer it can boost your happiness. Wow. That’s pretty cool.

The question is…”How do you feel?”

Psychologists call it “affect labelling.” I’ll let you read the article as to why exactly this is and how it all works.

But it got me wondering…It’s really hard to pinpoint how we’re feeling. How we want to feel. Or how we want those whom we care about to feel.

Similarly, if you’re an actor, it’s really freakin’ hard to answer these questions when breaking down a script.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it the old college try. Especially knowing the value lies in the attempt.

“When you walk across the fields with your mind pure and holy, then from all the stones, and all growing things, and all animals, the sparks of their soul come out and cling to you, and then they are purified and become a holy fire in you.” -ancient Hasidic saying

Committing to writing a daily blog nearly three years ago (and now 723 posts later) has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Can’t thank my virtual mentor Seth Godin enough for encouraging this practice and I highly recommend it to any of you who are thinking about it.

One thing I love is receiving recommendations for books, articles, films, podcasts, etc…with a note saying something like “thought you could use this for your blog.” I learn and grow so much from these recommendations so thank you, THANK YOU, and please keep sending!

It got me thinking…when you’re passionate and committed to something and you let people know about it, and they see your passion and commitment in action, all kinds of amazing things happen. Things you could never plan for or expect. It’s one reason I recommend choosing and committing to a yearly “anchor project.” I believe that deep down we all want to help someone who’s all-in. I know I do when I see it. It lights me up.

Decide. Commit. Start. Iterate. Keep it rolling.