“It ain’t why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why. It ain’t why. It just is.” -Van Morrison “Summertime In England”
Don’t get stuck asking “why” something happened. It wastes time and energy. It paralyzes us from taking action.
See what “is.” Identify what’s actually happened. With clarity. No judgment. Just willing acceptance.
When we do that, then we can make the change we seek to make. We can make our art.
P.S. – In the spirit of this week’s “Tell Them About It” post, do not miss The Public Theater’s stream of Richard Nelson’s What Do We Need To Talk About. It’s the first great play of the Zoom era and it’s fantastic. You can get it HERE. Only until May 3rd. (Thank you Mattie and Paul for “telling me about it.”)
Ali: “I don’t count the sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting because they’re the only ones that count. That’s what makes you a champion.”
Two takeaways…
One. Ali knew that his real growth wouldn’t come from the hundreds of easy sit-ups, but the few he could do in spite of the pain.
Same for us. Real growth comes from those days, those moments, those obstacles that really challenge us. If we stay disciplined, push through, make our art, then we’ll experience real growth. We’ll even learn to love those obstacles over time. Amor Fati.
Two. Ali didn’t care about outside numbers. He only cared about what he could do. Trusted his body and mind. That was enough.
Same for us. Don’t worry about what others are doing. Trust in your own desires. Your own goals. Your own standards of excellence.
I especially love it because Pressfield names the sucky feeling we all have inside whenever we embark on a new project. That feeling of doubt. Of not being up to the task. Of procrastinating. Of wanting to pivot and do something else. Anything but the project we set out to do.
He calls it “The Resistance.”
Guess what?
The resistance is real and it’s never going away.
Ever.
So what to do?
One, just be aware. When you feel the resistance, know it’s your lizard brain at work.
Two, don’t get down on yourself because you’re feeling it. You’re supposed to. It’s what you do in spite of the resistance that counts.
Third, enlist whatever internal and external help you can find. Friends, family members, colleagues, therapists, coaches, mantras, books, affirmations, etc…whatever works. Do it. As long as it’s in service of getting you to do the work. To do what you set out to do. (Pressfield talks about his daily invocation to the artist gods to get his butt in the chair every day and write. Great. Do that. Try it. What have you got to lose?)
The resistance is real. It’s always there. Always will be.
Ok. Cool. Now you know.
Proceed anyway. That’s the real talent. That’s what will define you.
Tell her about it Tell her everything you feel Give her every reason To accept that you’re for real -Billy Joel from his hit song “Tell Her About It”
Before reading this post, click HERE to watch the music video. It’ll put you in a good mood. Beware, you might get up and start dancing. (And be sure to watch all the way to the end for a classic Rodney Dangerfield moment.)
Okay. Continue reading…
Word of Mouth is an incredibly powerful thing. In a world of infinite choice, and connection, we still trust and defer to those in our inner circle.
When one of my friends tells me I have to go see or read something, it moves way up on my list. A recent example of this is two of my friends separately urged me (multiple times) to watch the filmed play Cypress Avenue at the Royal Court. I have a gazillion things to read and watch, but I prioritized this at their urging. I’m so glad I did. It was fantastic! (Thank you Paul and Andy.)
One of the most simple and generous things you can do is that when you come across something you love, share it with others. Don’t keep it to yourself.
One, you’re supporting the artist(s). So many art forms entirely rely on word of mouth. I’m thinking of my own, intimate theatre, of course. But also independent film, indie music, poetry, books, painting, dance, etc…This also extends to our local businesses. Just ate at a great new restaurant? Shout it from the rooftops! Just made a cool purchase from a store that gave you excellent service? Tell people know how amazing it is.
Two, you’re being generous to those you tell. By spreading the word, you just gave your friend a great night out. Or a novel they’ll be hooked on. A record they can’t stop playing.
Third, by sharing what you love, you’re sharpening your taste. You’re getting specific. You’re standing behind what you believe in. You’re deliberately practicing all the skills necessary to be a great producer.
Yes, it’s another basketball post. Sorry, I can’t help myself. Besides basketball being my first love, I’m watching “The Last Dance” right now. It’s incredible–definitely watch–and it’s bringing up all sorts of thoughts for me.
Here’s one…
Michael Jordan famously had a “Love Of The Game” clause in his contract with the Chicago Bulls. It allowed him to play basketball against anyone, anytime and anywhere. Outside of his regular NBA season.
Think about that for a second. The greatest player in the game loved basketball so much, that he had it put in his contract. No restrictions. If he wanted to play in some meaningless summer pick up game, then he would play. Injury be damned. Nothing would come between him and his love.
I’m sure the Bulls were terrified of this clause. But what could they do? They had no choice. MJ had the leverage.
How about we make a “For Love Of The Art” contract with ourselves and our audience? It says that we’re doing this project because we’re absolutely passionate about it. We love it so much that we had to produce it and share it with you. That means…
A planned short run.
No reviews.
No press.
No awards.
Not that there’s anything wrong with long runs and accolades. They’re wonderful.
But we’re playing a different game here.
We’re making our art because we have to. There’s no choice. We’re summoned. It’s a vocation.
However, before the “do it anyway” part, consider the timeless exercise of fear setting. It’s getting down on paper the worst fears in your head. The Stoics termed it “Premeditatio Malorum” or “the premeditation of evils.” For more on this, check out Tim Ferris’ article and excellent TED Talk here.
Two observations from doing the exercise:
One…Our worst fears are unlikely to occur, and if they do, we’ll recover. Somehow. Someway. We’re resilient!
Two…Whatever we fear most is usually the exact path we should take.
I’ve never regretted not facing my fears. Only trying to avoid them.
P.S. – Give the exercise a try. And share with me your observations. I’d love to hear back!
“You know what the worst thing about someone breaking up with you is?… Remembering how little you really thought about the people you broke up with and realizing that’s how little they’re thinking about you.” Before Sunrise
Consider sonder. Which is, the realization that everyone has their own narrative going on in their head. And their narrative is every bit as rich as the one going on in your head.
That realization, that sonder, is the first step towards empathy. Which then gives us a good chance to be kind. To be generous. To make art.
