The Vs. Studio Blog

“Marketing is the generous act of helping others become who they seek to become. It involves creating honest stories—stories that resonate and spread…Marketing is our quest to make change on behalf of those we serve.” -Seth Godin, This Is Marketing

Marketing is not this commerciaI. I mean, I guess technically it is. But no. It’s not.

Marketing is storytelling. And as artists, we should embrace it rather than shy away. Because don’t we love to tell stories? To change people’s hearts and minds? Isn’t that why we chose this path? Or at least part of the reason?

If we expand our circle of storytelling to not only include the actual art (or service or product) we’re offering, but also to the why behind it, then we can challenge ourselves to become great marketers. Generous and thoughtful marketers. Empathetic marketers. We can have fun with and enjoy our campaigns. Get super creative with them. Allow ourselves to be personal and vulnerable as we share the reasons behind our passion project.

By doing so, we will only heighten the experience for those we seek to serve.

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” -Thornton Wilder

“Pass then through this tiny span of time in accordance with Nature, and come to your journey’s end with a good grace, just as an olive falls when it is fully ripe, praising the earth that bore it and grateful to the tree that gave it growth.” -Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” -Willie Nelson

Today and every day going forward, trade your expectation for appreciation.

Watch how much your life will change. You’ll feel better. Have more energy. Be happier. Be more generous. You’ll dramatically increase your capacity for empathy, awe and wonder. The quality of your relationships will improve. You won’t take anything for granted. You’ll feel more purposeful. Your imagination will expand. And you’ll be inspired to make great art that moves others.

Sounds like a pretty good trade to me.

P.S. – Having strong expectations in your acting is a good thing. Don’t lose those.

“There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.” -Thich Nhat Hanh

“To acquire happiness you don’t have to do anything, because happiness cannot be acquired. Does anybody know why? Because we have it already. How can you acquire what you already have? Then why don’t you experience it? Because you’ve got to drop something. You’ve got to drop illusions. You don’t have to add anything in order to be happy; you’ve got to drop something.” -Anthony de Mello

Instead of worrying about whether the thing you have to do is bringing you any joy, what if you just bring joy to everything you have to do?

“The mind is everything. What you think, you become.” -Buddha

Not peace of mind.

Peace from mind.

Advice for the aspiring actor…find a play or film you’re passionate about, act in it and produce it yourself. You’ll become a much better actor.

Advice for the aspiring playwright…write a play you’re passionate about and produce it yourself. You’ll become a much better playwright.

Advice for the aspiring screenwriter, write a film you’re passionate about and produce it yourself. You’ll become a much better screenwriter.

Advice for the aspiring director…find a play or film you’re passionate about, direct it and produce it yourself. You’ll become a much better director.

Advice for the aspiring designer…find a play or film you’re passionate about, design it and produce it yourself. You’ll become a much better designer.

Advice for the aspiring producer…find a piece of material you’re passionate about, recruit all of the above talented artists, create a generous space for them to thrive and produce it with excellence and generosity. Do this again. And again. And again. And…

If you’re uncomfortable or reluctant to tell people about the art you’ve made, the project you’ve committed to, then maybe it’s not that important to you after all.

Because if you can’t care enough or aren’t brave enough to share it with others, then why would you expect a single person to show up? To give it their time and attention? To care?

And why exactly are you making this art in the first place? Isn’t it because you felt something so deeply inside that you just had to manifest it? And then to generously share that feeling with other people?

“After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain.” –A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway

That’s the number of endings Hemingway wrote to A Farewell To Arms. It’s in the conversation for one of the best and certainly most famous novel endings of all time.

He didn’t think, plan, research, imagine, question, wonder, doubt, ask for advice, etc…on how to end his book.

He sat down and WROTE 47 different endings.

Just do the work. Go MAKE your art.

Think you have nothing to say?

Sit down and write hour after hour, day after day, month after month…Then assess.

Think you have a whole lot to say?

Sit down and write hour after hour, day after day, month after month…Then assess.

“Don’t let the force of an impression when it first hit you knock you off your fee; just say to it: Hold on a moment; let me see who you are and what you represent. Let me put you to the test.” — Epictetus

The ancient Stoics tried to practice apatheia. Not to be confused with apathy, which has a negative connotation, apatheia can best be described as a state of calm equanimity. Free from irrational or extreme emotions.

So how to put apatheia into practice?

For any external event that happens to us…

First say to yourself, “Okay, it happened.” Take some deep breaths. Then before emotions or judgment come flooding in, probe deeper. “What exactly happened?” “What is this thing that happened?”

Forget about wondering why it happened. Or why did it have to happen now, at the worst possible time, etc…

Just.

It happened. Not good or bad. This thing happened.

Next, ask yourself the question, “How can going through this thing–even if I can’t possibly see how right now–help me in some way?” Write down any thoughts that come to mind.

Then ask yourself, “What are some possible action steps to achieve the outcome I want based on this new event?” Get creative. Force yourself to come up with at least ten action steps.

Finally, ask yourself, “How can going through this thing enable me to help someone else?”

All this is easier said than done of course, but it’s in the attempt at apatheia, the practice of it, over a long enough period of time, that we and others can benefit.

Just as journalists are taught to always ensure they lead with the 5 W’s, we must do the same for any desired project. If not, we’re doomed.

To review, the 5 W’s are: who, what, when, where and why. (There’s actually a 6th question, “how.” But I believe if you have a strong enough why, the how takes care of itself.)

I’ll use the example of producing a play for this post, but you can apply the advice to anything you’re trying to do. So here we go, the 5 W questions you need to answer for yourself before starting out…

WHO. Who are the artists you want to be involved with? Actors, directors, designers, stage crew, etc…And who is this play for? Who is the intended audience?

WHAT. What exactly is the play, the story? What’s it about? What’s it trying to say? What specifically about it appeals to you? So much so that you want to produce it? And if necessary, do you have the rights?

WHEN. When is opening night? Nothing’s real until you set a deadline. Prior to that, it’s all just an idea. And how can you possibly expect anyone to get excited, to commit to your idea, until you haven’t committed to it yourself? You do that by setting a date.

WHERE. What venue? Is it the right venue for the play and intended audience? Are your designers and artists excited about the venue? Just like in real estate, it’s location, location, location.

WHY. The most important question. Why do you want to do this? Why now? Why should people follow your passion? Why should the audience show up? When you’re slogging through the tough times and feel like quitting, going back to your “why” helps get you through.

And if you really feel you need to answer the HOW right now, start with creating a work plan.