“First, I don’t usually have deadlines for my fiction. Sometimes there are deadlines in turning around edits and so on. But in terms of starting and finishing a story or book, all my deadlines are internal – which, in some ways, makes things harder, and intensifies the struggle you mention above. (If I can work on something forever…oh God, I might end up working on something forever.)
There can be days or weeks or months where I’m thinking, ‘Dear Lord, please just show me that I have a story here and, if you would, what the heck it is, so that I can feel justified in going on.’ This is part of that syndrome wherein we artists are willing to walk through flames just as long as we can be assured that the whole escapade is going to lead is to something good.
Sadly, that guarantee is not available in the land of art.” -George Saunders response to a reader
If we knew ahead of time how long it would take, or how difficult it would be, or that it would eventually all work out, then it wouldn’t exactly be art, would it?
“You know when you’re walking in the woods on a dark night…and you see a light shining far off in the distance…and you think to yourself: even though I’m tired and it’s dark and the branches are scratching my face…everything is gonna be okay…because I have that light? And I’ll get there eventually? Well, I work–you know this–I work harder than anyone else in this county. I mean, I’m beaten down, Sonya, I suffer unbearably…but I have no light in the distance. I can’t see anything up ahead. I no longer expect anything of myself and I don’t think I’m capable of really loving people.” -Astrov to Sonya in Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov (translated by Annie Baker)
“It’s during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” -Aristotle
And if you listen very hard The tune will come to you at last When all are one, and one is all To be a rock and not to roll – “Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelim
Not seeing any light in the distance? Feel like you’ve lost your way? Lost all hope?
“To be an artist means never to avert one’s eyes.” -Akira Kurosawa
In addition to recapping my end of year favorites (films, plays, books, albums, etc.) I thought for 2025, I’d share each month. Without further adieu and in no particular order, here are some July favorites…
FILMS:
Ikiru and Stray Dog – directed by Akira Kurosawa – H/t to my friend Ron for recommending these as immediate must-watches. He was right and I will do the same for all of you. See them both. Stat!
Scarecrow directed by Jerry Schatzberg – This is the third time I’ve seen this film (I need to buy the Blu-Ray), but this time I shared it with my son Truman. He loved it. And so will you. One of my artistic heroes, Gary Sinise, said it’s among his all-time favorite films and that he aspired to do this kind of acting work on stage (heavily influenced his desire to start Steppenwolf) and screen.
Becoming Led Zeppelin directed by Bernard MacMahon – H/t to my friend Joe, who knowing my love of all things Zeppelin, said this was a must-watch documentary. And it is. Kind of wish I saw it in a movie theatre as the concert footage is incredible. The ultra-rare interview with the late drummer John Bonham will give you chills.
Somm directed by – H/t to my friend John who recommended this doc about master wine sommeliers. There are only about 200 in the world. A fascinating peak into this world and I learned so much about wine. There are three other Somm sequels that I now would like to watch at some point.
PLAYS (Live, In Person):
Sorry written by Melissa R. Randel – A great Vs. Theatre Club night to support my friend and Vs. artist Jeffrey Johnson. He and the rest of the ensemble were truly spectacular. That opening scene will definitely stay with me. Wow.
Reel To Reel written by John Kolvenbach – Another exceptional Vs. Theatre Club night out. This time to support my friend and one of my all-time favorite playwrights, John Kolvenbach (we’ve produced two of his plays). Friend/Vs. artist Jim Ortlieb and the rest of the ensemble crushed it.
ALBUMS:
Radiohead – “In Rainbows” – I’ve been on a Radiohead kick these last few months. Going through their entire catalog, including EP’s and live albums. It’s been fun. Not a bad album in the bunch, but this time through, my appreciation for “In Rainbows” has grown even deeper. I especially love the tracks “All I Need” and “Reckoner”.
Laura Marling – “Song For Our Daughter” – Released in 2020, but just discovered it now. Great album. “Strange Girl” is catchy as hell.
MISC:
“The Mustard Seed Vs. ALS” – I recently learned that my friend and owner of Durkin’s Tavernin Chicago where I used to bartend, Greg Neal (aka “Coach”), was diagnosed with ALS. He started a weekly blog chronicling his journey which you can check out Here. I look forward to his posts every week. He is a true inspiration.
“The most fascinating thing in the world is a mirror.” –Quantified Self article headline
Per Wikipedia, a Rubric is “a set of criteria for grading assignments. Typically presented in table format, rubrics contain evaluative criteria, quality definitions for various levels of achievement, and a scoring strategy.”
Teachers use rubrics to grade assignments. Managers use rubrics to assess employee performance. A key to a good rubric is clarity of criteria. In other words, being clear about what makes a “5” vs. a “3” vs. a “1”, and that the person who is being graded fully understands the criteria.
On that note, what if you gave yourself a rubric and measured your performance at the end of each day or each week?
Commit to doing it for a set period of time. A month, a quarter or even a whole year.
What would you measure? What would be the criteria ? How would you score it?
And what if you gave a close friend, co-worker or loved one (someone we interact with everyday) the same rubric and criteria and asked them to score us? How closely aligned would your scores be with their scores?
If the thought of this exercise frustrates or frightens you, then it might just signal that you should give it a try.
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” -Lao-Tzu
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” -Teddy Roosevelt
“Beware the advice derived from a selective recollection of someone’s path to success. Most people forget to mention the missteps, dead ends, and blind luck that got them where they are.” -Paul Shirley
“I was waiting for something extraordinary to happen but as the years wasted on nothing ever did unless I caused it.” -Charles Bukowski
Almost every well known actor, writer and director has their own production company. They utilize their clout to find projects and stories they’re passionate about and produce them. As opposed to waiting for the industry to find and do it for them. They’re controlling their artistic destiny.
You can too. Right now.
You don’t have to wait until you’re famous or a big muckety-muck.
All you have to do is adopt the producing mindset.
Start your production company.
Find projects you’re passionate about.
Find others whose taste you respect and want to work with.
Commit to producing with excellence and generosity.
Telling someone to “work smarter” is useless because it assumes they already know what smarter looks like. If they did, they’d be doing it. “Work smarter, not harder” is often framed as the opposite of hard work, but working smart is itself a derivative of hard work. You have to work hard just to figure out what working smart means. Beginners can’t work smart because they don’t yet know what smart looks like. They have to work hard first, building the pattern recognition that makes smart possible. It’s like a chess master spotting the best move instantly; it looks like working smart, but it’s built on thousands of hours of working hard to earn that intuition. Smarter approaches aren’t universal shortcuts, they’re contextual insights uncovered through deep, sustained effort. -Shane Parrish
Don’t worry about hacks and shortcuts and systems and “working smarter.” Especially at first with something brand new.
That just leads to procrastination and stalling. It’s yet another insidious form of the resistance.
For it’s not so much the actual bad news that sucks as much as it is the anticipation of said news. The not-knowing. That’s where we often spin out.
One thought/mantra to remind yourself in periods of uncertainty is this:
The greater the uncertainty, the greater the opportunity to TRUST.
Trust in yourself and your ability to deal with whatever comes your way. (Look at past examples as confidence boosters.)
Trust in your friends and family to help you through. (Look at past examples as confidence boosters.)
Trust in a divine force that is so much bigger, cosmically intelligent and full of love than you could ever imagine. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
“He does the work. I do the cleanup. Then we fight.” -Robert Gottlieb, editor, on his working relationship with author, Robert Caro.
“The medium is the message. This is merely to say that the personal and social consequences of any medium – that is, of any extension of ourselves – result from the new scale that is introduced into our affairs by each extension of ourselves, or by any new technology.” -Marshall McLuhan
“A book might be a solo act, but it’s often influenced by a great editor. Few of these professionals get the credit they deserve (and sometimes they’re called agents or spouses.)…When we set out to create, it helps to understand who are collaborators are and to choose them wisely. A well-trained AI, an insightful editor, an A&R person running interference–these are choices. Understand the medium and your resources before you begin.” -Seth Godin
Each artform has its own medium and with it, its own level of collaboration.
Making movies or plays are highly collaborative.
Painting, not so much.
Know yourself. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Know the level of collaboration required by your desired medium.
Your project’s success (and your personal satisfaction) are wholly linked to your collaborators..
P.P.S. – This phenomenal documentary, “Turn Every Page” about the relationship between the author Robert Caro, and his longtime editor, Robert Gottlieb.
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along. … You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
[NICELY] I got the horse right here The name is Paul Revere And here’s a guy that says if the weather’s clear
[NICELY & BENNY] Can do (I’m picking Valentine ) Can do (‘Cause on the morning line) This guy says (The guy has got him) The horse can do (Figured at five to nine) -“Fugue for Tinhorns” from the musical Guys And Dolls
The Vs. Studio Blog 