What you really WANT to do.
What you feel you SHOULD do.
What you know you MUST do.
When those three things align, you’re on to something.
Get to it.
Go make your art.
Why Not?
“The person who argues for their limitations gets to keep them.” -Richard Bach
Heading into 2016-2017, only one NBA player had ever averaged a triple double (getting double figures in 3 statistical categories–usually points, rebounds and assists) for an entire season. That was Oscar Robertson in 1961-1962. Averaging a triple double for a season was considered one of the holy grail accomplishments in sports. Done once. Never to be done again.
Russell Westbrook, a point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder (now on the Houston Rockets), just endured a heartbreaking defeat in the playoffs (after being up 3-1 to the Golden State Warriors) as well as losing his teammate, Kevin Durant–one of the best players in the NBA–to free agency. (Pouring salt on the wound, Durant went to Golden State. Gulp.)
Westbrook is famous for his “Why Not” mentality. For every challenge that comes his way, he first asks the question, “Why not?” Or “Why not me?” Meaning “why can’t this be done?” and “why can’t I be the one to do or solve it?” Talk about empowering! Westbrook thrives on the impossible. It guides his life. Fuels him. He plays the game with a ferocity that is unmatched by any other player today.
That year, Westbrook not only single-handedly dragged his team into the playoffs, but he averaged a triple double.
And then did it again the next year.
And the next.
Three straight seasons. Three straight triple doubles.
Thinking about a passion project? Making change in the world? Making art?
Why not you?
Why not now?
Beware Psychic Vampires
“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” -Mark Twain
We all know or have been around psychic vampires. They drain your energy, suck the life out of whatever project or idea you’re excited about. They leave you feeling…not good.
Committing to a goal or anything that requires your dedication is a very delicate thing. Be careful, especially at the outset, who you tell what you’re doing. While most people have good intentions, a simple question (“You’re gonna do that?” “Really?…Why?”) or phrase or even a look from someone, let alone a psychic vampire, might be the difference between you making your art, or staying on the couch, watching TV and eating another pint of Haagen Dazs.
There’s just no incentive for you to tell anyone until the idea in your head becomes more substantive, more real. If you’re not sure of something, that’s one thing. We all have sounding boards. People you can tell you’re thinking about doing something. They can explore with you, help tease out if this is what you really want. That’s great. But once you’re past that stage and have decided that this is what you’re going to do, no matter what, only tell those people who get you and understand exactly what you’re trying to accomplish. Who will push you, encourage you, who will have your back and will hold you accountable until you reach your goal. Those people are rare.
For inspiration, listen to this song. And to repel psychic vampires, buy this (just kidding…although, maybe it works?).
P.S. – Today, all around the globe, is Giving Tuesday. If you’re able, please consider making a donation to Vs. Theatre Company. We’re a non-profit, 501c3 organization devoted to producing great, new plays since 2004. You can donate by clicking HERE. Your donation is 100% tax deductible. Thank you in advance for your generosity towards Vs. or any charity you support. It’s tremendously appreciated.
The Anchor
For my fellow actors, here’s something I do every year. I call it “the anchor” because no matter what happens, no matter how busy life gets, I can always come back to it. The anchor helps keep me sane and sharp and continuously excited about the craft.
Here goes…
At the beginning of the year, I pick one play and part that I’m passionate about and commit to working on it for the entire year. I don’t plan to produce it (though sometimes that happens) and I have no expectations for it. All I care about is process. Reading the play over and over, saying the lines out loud, memorizing passages, daydreaming about the character, writing backstory, thinking about actions, etc…basically doing a lot of the work I would do if cast in the part. At times I’ll even call a friend and we’ll work together on a scene from the play.
Some beautiful things have happened as a result of this anchor practice. Things I could never have planned for or imagined.
Give it a shot. I’m excited to see what happens for you!
Will Theatre Survive?
Depends what you mean by theatre.
If you mean…
People gathering together.
In a shared space. Of some kind.
To passionately tell. And receive a great story.
Then…YES!
Because that two thousand plus-year old, shared, communal art form will never, ever die.
The Thanksgiving Reader
“It is easy to praise providence for anything that may happen if you have two qualities: a complete view of what has actually happened in each instance, and a sense of gratitude.” -Epictetus
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” -John F. Kennedy
I came upon a terrific Thanksgiving practice by Seth Godin called “The Thanksgiving Reader” and thought to share. Click Here for more info and to access a free, downloadable PDF.
While no doubt 2020 has been brutal, there’s still much to be grateful for. There always is. Today, and every day, let us count our blessings and our obstacles (as the Stoics would advise).
Know that I am grateful for all of you. For your trust, your time, your attention and all your encouragement on this blog.
Stay safe and well and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
The Post-Show Notebook Practice
We should always strive to be our own toughest and most honest critic. In that spirit, here’s a good practice for the theatre artist. (Though, I think it’s adaptable for anyone trying to make art or pursue a goal.)
As soon as you step off the stage and are in the dressing room, do this…
Take out a notebook and write down how you felt about your work. Don’t take much time. Write a few things, good and bad, maybe a specific moment or two, and then leave it at that. You just told your own truth.
Then, quickly get dressed and go say hi to everyone in the lobby. Thank them for coming. No matter how you felt about your work tonight, acknowledge the sacrifice of time and money that people made to come support you and your art.
When you wake up in the morning, look at your notebook again. Go through the entire script in more detail. Go line by line, beat by beat. See what worked, what didn’t and ask yourself why.
Then, drop it. Trust it will be there. Get excited for tonight. You have another chance to get up there and kick ass.
Plus, Minus, Equals
“False ideas about yourself destroy you. For me, I always stay a student, that’s what martial arts are about, and you have to use the humility as a tool”. –Frank Shamrock
There’s a great chapter in Ryan Holiday’s book, “The Obstacle Is The Way” about the mixed martial artist, Frank Shamrock and his unique training system. Shamrock termed it the “Plus, Minus and Equals” formula. Though it’s endemic to MMA fighting, I think it can be applied to making art or anything we’re trying to do.
The formula in a nutshell…
PLUS. Find someone more skilled than you. Someone you can learn from, who will expose your gaps. It might be a coach. It might be a sparring partner who’s on a higher level than you. The “plus” can provide mentoring, training guidance and knowledge of techniques that can help develop your skills.
MINUS. Find someone of lesser skill than you. Someone you can teach and help grow. Someone who’s hungry to learn. In the process of teaching the “minus”, you gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of your skills. (And you’re doing a good deed. Nothing wrong with that.)
EQUALS. Find someone who’s roughly at the same skill level and can match you in sparring. You and your “equal” can motivate each other, have fun competing and learn from one another. And because you started at the same place, you can measure your progress against one another.
Holiday says the value of this system for people is “to get real and continuous feedback about what they know and what they don’t know, from every angle. It purges out the ego that puffs us up, the fear that makes us doubt ourselves and any laziness that might make us want to coast.”
Plus, Minus Equals…what a great structure to adopt for our personal and artistic growth.
“Get Off The Stage”
“I always tried to treat my players fairly. That doesn’t mean I treated them all the same.” -Phil Jackson
I was a younger actor and cast in a really difficult play and part. I was having a recurring confidence crisis about it.
The director was wonderful. He believed in me to cast me in the role even when I didn’t believe in myself. He had worked patiently and diligently with me all throughout the rehearsal process. When I pulled him aside yet again, one evening, (we were getting close to opening night) and said I didn’t know if I could do the part, he responded very matter of fact this time: “That’s fine. Get off the stage. Make room for someone who knows they can do it and wants to go on.”
Now that might seem harsh. But it wasn’t. It motivated me. It was exactly what I needed to hear. And the director knew that because he really knew me. Knew what buttons to push and when. That was the right one. For me. In that specific moment. Another actor, he might never have said those words to. Because it wouldn’t have worked. Wouldn’t have been the right approach.
The best directors are like the best coaches. They care about and get to know their artists on a human level, what takes them tick. And they’ll do whatever it takes to get everyone’s best work. Because deep down, we all want that.
In case you were wondering…I did continue in that play and never looked back. I think it was some of the best work I’ve ever done.
Minimums, Maximums, And Somewhere In Betweens
Quick productivity tip to battle the resistance and the insidious nature of perfectionism…
Write down everything you think you need to do today. Once you’ve finished your list, go back and put an asterisk next to everything you “absolutely have to do”, “no questions asked”, “this is it”, “I gotta get it done or else” tasks. Those are your minimums. Your “at least I did that” tasks.
Everything else on your list, only tackle after you’ve accomplished your minimums. Those are your maximums. The “if I had 72 hours instead of 24, didn’t need to sleep or eat, and had the energy and strength of a superhero” tasks.
At the end of the day, when you’re writing down your “I Did It!” list, you won’t have done all your maximums. But you’ll probably have done a little more than the minimums. You’ll be somewhere in between.
Most importantly, you’ll be proud of your effort. And be that much more excited for the possibilities of tomorrow.
The Vs. Studio Blog 