The Vs. Studio Blog

Fan is short for fanatic. To be a fan of something, that means you are fanatical. You obsess about it. You can’t wait, you’re chomping at the bit for the band’s next record or the writer’s next novel or the director’s next film. There’s nothing casual about your love of the thing.

What, if anything, in your life are you fanatical about? And why?

And when seeking true fans, what can you do such that they will be fanatical for your work?

“Mama always told me not to look into the sights of the sun. Woah, but mama, that’s where the fun is.” -Bruce Springsteen, Blinded By The Light

You could ski straight down a mountain. But where’s the joy in that? And how do you get better?

We have to explore the edges. Especially in our art.

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” -John Lennon

How much better would we feel if for everything that happens to us, we simply took a breath and uttered these words to ourselves?…

“This is exactly what was supposed to happen.”

How much unnecessary stress and strain and aggravation could we eliminate if instead of fighting life, we made it our dance partner?

“This is exactly what was supposed to happen.”

I’m by no means advocating passivity. Sitting back and doing nothing. (Although sometimes, being like driftwood is the right approach.). Often we’re spurred into action by some event that happens to us or some change we seek to make in the world. And that’s a great thing. But for those times when we don’t understand, when we can’t make sense of things, when we’re not inspired to take action…let us take a breath, let us have faith in our own resiliency, let us trust that this will make sense at some point in the future–that the obstacle will become the way–, and let us say to ourselves….

“This is exactly what was supposed to happen.”

We all have a to-do list–which I like to call my “get” to do list–and no doubt, it’s important. But just as important is to celebrate our daily wins, no matter how big or small. One way to do that is by creating an ‘I Did It!” list (yes, the exclamation mark is intentional).

In the evening, write down all the things you did that day. Take a moment to celebrate each of your accomplishments. Think about what went well and if there’s anything you would do better. Then move on.

This consistent practice keeps your spirits up during the long slog. It counters the resistance. And gives you an added jolt of motivation to get up early the next day and Get After It.

November is National Gratitude Month. No doubt, you’ve read some article espousing the benefits of a regular gratitude practice. I believe, and there is plenty of research to back this up, that when done meaningfully and consistently, practicing gratitude is transformative.

But we should also practice appreciation. Which I think is different than gratitude and speaks to the heart of what it means to be a generous artist.

Appreciation means respecting your craft. Reading and learning about those who came before you as well as those presently doing the kind of work you want to do.

If you’re a theatre artist for example, that might mean reading tons of plays by a wide variety of playwrights. Different time periods. Different genres. Even ones you might not necessarily care for. If nothing else, just to learn and cultivate your taste. It might mean reading other books on the craft of acting, directing, writing, theatre history, etc…Seeing as many plays as you can (even if just streaming right now). Watching and studying great films and television shows. Leave no stone unturned in your search.

Appreciation also means respecting your audience. Appreciating how busy they are, just how little time they have, and how difficult and expensive it is for them to leave their house. That appreciation might be the motivation for you to find and manifest your passion project and do it with excellence. Or if you’re doing something right now, having appreciation motivates you to work a little bit harder, practice more, go a little bit deeper, ask more questions, etc… Whatever you can do to make the work the best it possibly can be. For those who generously gave their time and money to see your art.

So yes, keep practicing gratitude throughout this month and thereafter. But also add appreciation. You’ll become a better, more complete artist and human being.

It’s not enough for the artist to see or feel or think, they must also SHARE. It’s one of the most generous acts we can do.

If we’re lucky (we shouldn’t expect or plan for it), our art will affect someone else. Might even help them feel a little less alone in the world. Like when you read a great passage in a book and think, “Wow. I feel that way too.”

P.S. – In the spirit of this post, the picture above was taken this morning. I went out for a run, noticed the awesomeness of the sky, and was compelled to snap a photo. I wanted to share it with you. Enjoy.

Things probably won’t turn out the way you originally pictured them in your head.

What if they turn out better than you ever imagined?

Go make your art.

If you want to go down some epistemological rabbit holes, google “proving a negative.”

In the meantime, let’s briefly engage in some logic, shall we?. Ready, here goes…

We can’t absolutely prove that positive thinking works.

Okay. Maybe so.

But there’s a ton of proof that negative thinking does. Countless research studies including this latest one show the destructive power of our negative thoughts.

We might as well think positively, right? What have we got to lose?

Everything happens for a reason…But you need a reason for everything to happen.

What I mean by this is that only after you’ve decided to manifest your passion project, that’s when you’ll start affirming everything happening to you as evidence supporting your decision. You’ll suddenly see “signs”, “twists of fate” or “things falling into place.” Even events you might previously have seen as roadblocks or obstacles, you’ll now see in a different light.

As the Stoics and other great thinkers like Viktor Frankl remind us, what makes us uniquely human is our ability to derive meaning from our circumstances. We don’t get to choose what happens to us, but we do get to choose the reason.

Making your art is a great choice.

“Life is sad. Life is a bust. All you can do is do what you must.” -Bob Dylan, Buckets Of Rain

“Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” —St. Francis of Assisi.

When you wait tables, there’s no worse feeling than being “in the weeds.” You’re overwhelmed. You have too many tables, too many orders coming at you at once, and there’s just no way you can provide any kind of timely service.

Life feels like that sometimes. Especially when you’re working on a passion project. You feel like there’s too much to do and not enough hours in the day to do them well. Let alone do them at all. You’re paralyzed. You just wanna curl up into a ball and cry buckets of rain.

What to do?

First, take a deep breath. Take many deep breaths. Remind yourself that this is just a feeling. Like all feelings, this too shall pass.

Second, put on Bob Dylan’s “Blood On The Tracks.” Trust me. You’ll immediately feel better as you listen to one of the greatest albums ever made.

Third, take out a pad and paper and write down everything on your list. Do a giant “brain dump.” Write down everything you think you have to do. Don’t stop writing until you’ve sufficiently exhausted your list (usually no more than 30 minutes or so).

Fourth, go for a walk. Get some fresh air and exercise.

Then, when you return hopefully with a clearer head, look at your list and start prioritizing. Put an asterisk next to the “absolutely necessary” tasks. Decide, make a plan and take one small action step. Just like the server who handles one order at a time, as best they can, you do the same with your list.

Pretty soon, just like the server, you’ll look up and notice that things are happening. You’re getting things done. You’re feeling better. You’re on your way towards doing the impossible.

Then celebrate. Because you just pulled yourself out of the weeds.