The Vs. Studio Blog

The writer and serial entrepreneur James Altucher advises writing down at least 10 ideas a day.

It’s a good practice for all kinds of reasons. Namely, it fires up our imagination, forces us to think creatively, and can be a first step towards unlocking our passion project.

A good producer however, knows that the idea is just one step. And that the quality of the idea doesn’t matter nearly as much as the consistent action and hustle one takes in service of that idea.

I once had coffee with a very successful real estate investor. I asked him how he went from bagging groceries to becoming a multi millionaire. He said he was tried of being poor so he went to his local bookstore, found a book on real estate investing, and followed the advice in the book. Exactly. To the letter.

I once listened to an Academy Award winning actress in a post-screening interview, discuss how she gave the incredible performance we all just witnessed. She said she just trusted the material and the director and did everything that he asked. That was it. Nothing profound.

Thousands upon thousands of “how-to” and personal development books are sold every year. I’ll bet most of them offer sound advice for whatever one wants to accomplish.

But first, consider how few people buy books. Then consider that less than 10 percent of those who buy books, read past the first two chapters. Let alone read the entire book. And of the few people who do read the book, how many actually take action and implement the advice that’s offered?

Information is a commodity.

Desire and a willingness to take action are not.

We can divide a calendar into four quarters. The first quarter ends on March 31st.. The second on June 30th. The third on September 30th. The fourth on December 31st.

Today is June 30th, the end of the second quarter. Tomorrow, July 1, marks the beginning of the third quarter.

Is there a goal or passion project you’ve been thinking about, but because you’re not sure if it’s the right one or how long it will take, you keep putting it off?

Try committing to it for only the next 90 days. Take the pressure off yourself. But commit to taking one action every single day towards that goal (e.g. write a page, read a play or scene, run a mile, etc…) until September 30th.

At the end of the third quarter, re-evaluate.

Was it enjoyable? Were there any days you wanted to do more work? Do you want to keep going? Great. Committ to it again for the fourth quarter.

If not, congratulate yourself. You just found out what you don’t want to do. That’s just as helpful as figuring out what you do want. (Maybe you discovered something else you might want to do instead. That can be your fourth quarter project.)

You also just demonstrated to yourself that you’re the kind of person who honors their commitments. Even when they don’t feel like doing it. That’s the definition of a professional.

Just imagine what you can accomplish and how much joy you’ll have when you find the thing you really love.

“What do you want?”

For many, this question can be paralyzing. We often don’t know or can’t put it into words.

Try asking a different question.

“How do you want to feel?”

Jot down your answers.

Throughout your day, pay attention to your feelings. What specific activities cause you to feel the way you want to?

Then, schedule enough time every day to do as many of those activities as possible.

This question also works great for us actors when breaking down a script. Instead of asking “What do I want from the other person?”, try asking “How do I want to make them feel?”

This might unlock all kinds of fun, interesting and unpredictable actions we can take.

“Nobody Cares. Work Harder.” -Jocko Willink

It’s fashionable today, especially in our social media age, for people to signal how hard they’re working. Athletes constantly post their workout videos (#thegrind). Entrepreneurs post pics of themselves staying late in the office (#thehustle). Actors loooove to talk about how much research they spent preparing for a role.

Here’s the thing. Nobody really cares. Nor should they.

The only thing we’re judged on is our performance. The art we manifested. The change we sought to make.

The amount of time it took to get there is utterly irrelevant.

Read a play. Read lots of plays. Read a play a day if you can. (Playwrights love when you read their plays.)

When you come across a part that one of your actor friends would be dynamite in, tell them about it. Immediately.

Even more generous…buy the play and send it to them. Write a little note like, “Just read this play and you’d absolutely crush this role. Enjoy!”

That act of generosity just might be the kindling that leads to an incredible production. And in turn, a deeply meaningful experience for that actor, the other artists involved and the audience who witness passion in action.

Always.

Be.

Producing.

Need some fire in your belly? Click HERE.

In a prior post, I discussed asking for the rights to material.

What happens when your ask is met with a “No”?

First, take a deep breath. Let out any frustration you may feel. When you’ve sufficiently processed, remind yourself that you’re not surprised by this response. The rights to good material, especially if it’s a new play and in Los Angeles, are often very hard to get.

Then after sitting with the “No” for a couple of days, ask yourself if you’re still passionate about this material. If the answer is a resounding “Yes!”, then make a gameplan to turn that “No” into a “Yes.” This should include writing a classy, personal response. Thank the agent or publisher for their consideration. Let them know that you love this material and you intend to check back with them every three to six months.

Then, check back. Let them know what you’re up to and that you’re still extremely passionate about the material. Perhaps draft a personal letter to the writer and ask that they forward it on. (Bonus points if you can sleuth the writer’s email address and send directly.)

Over time, you’ll either get the rights or you won’t. (Or you’ll have moved on to another project.) But no matter what, you can feel good that you gave it your best effort.

Remember, when making art, one of your most important jobs is to enlist others on your journey. To convince them that this project is worth giving their time and effort to. That starts with the playwright (or screenwriter if you’re making a film). You do that in your actions. In your consistency of effort. In your taste and tenacity.

That’s what will define you as a producer.

I had a college friend, amateur philosopher, who used to drive me crazy by always asking the question, “Do you love the idea of the thing. Or the thing itself?”

No subject was safe from his philosophizing…future career plans, what to do on a Friday night, even potential girlfriends.

We’d have great debates. To him, I was just a constant dreamer. Always pursuing some movie version of a thing in my head. Which he claimed would set me up for grand disappointment. (Note: I still always do this.) I’d counter by asking how do you know what that thing actually is until you do it? Don’t you need the movie version, the idea off the thing, to motivate you to try.

Who was right?

I think we both were.

Before committing to a passion project, yes it’s good to find out everything about the process, warts and all. So you know what you’re getting into.

But art is about doing something that might not work. Creating something new. Manifesting the dream version that’s in your head.

To make the thing, you first need the idea of the thing.

“Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be One.” – Marcus Aurelius.

Today is Juneteenth, a holiday that should be more widely observed and hopefully will be in the ensuing years.

While it doesn’t mark the date of Lincoln’s proclamation that freed the slaves, but rather commemorates the day that a last group of slaves (outside of Galveston, TX) heard that they had been freed months earlier, I found myself thinking about this epic scene from the movie Lincoln.

Amidst the din of his squabbling cabinet members, Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) slams his hand down on the table. “Now, now, now,” he says to them. Silence. Then he speaks, “We are stepped out on the world’s stage, the fate of human dignity is in our hands… See what is before you. See the here and now, that’s the hardest thing, the only thing that accounts.”

Now is the time to learn and reflect on what we can do better.

Now is the time to love. To will the good of the other.

Now is the time to take action. To make art. To make the kind of change we want to see in the world.

Now. Now. Now.