“The only kind of writing is rewriting.” -Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast
Writing every day doesn’t make writing any easier. Like any creative act, it will always be hard and messy, especially at the beginning.
But by doing it every day, you no longer fool yourself into thinking it should be any different. You accept the process and are at peace with it.
Because you now know it’s all rewriting anyway.
“The effect of change in surroundings is like that of a lapse of time in making the past seem remote. With a tear for the dark past, turn we then to the dazzling future, and, veiling our eyes, press forward. The long and weary winter of the race is ended.” -novel, Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy
In the days of my youth
I was told what it means to be a man
Now I’ve reached that age
I’ve tried to do all those things the best I can
No matter how I try
I find my way to the same old jam
Good times, bad times
You know I’ve had my share -song, “Good Times Bad Times” by Led Zeppelin
I was alive and I waited, waited
I was alive and I waited for this
Right here, right now
There is no other place I want to be
Right here, right now -song, “Right Here Right Now” by Jesus Jones
Look back to reflect on the good times, learn from the bad times, and have confidence that because you’re able to look back, you can get through anything.
Look ahead to get excited about what’s possible. What art you can create. What difference you can make and how you can help. Be inspired.
But at the end of the day, it’s all just looking.
Return to right here, right now. Focus on what’s directly in front of you. Give it everything you got. Put your whole heart and soul into it. Because you never know, it might just be your last chance to do so.
“What we have done for ourselves dies with us, what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” -Albert Pike
Heroes sometimes get recognized for their heroic acts while they’re alive and with us.
But more often than not (much like many great artists), their heroism is not fully recognized and appreciated until they’re gone.
For it is then, armed with time, distance and perspective, that we can truly see how amazing they were. How many unnoticed, and unsung, daily, heroic acts they did. The full breadth and scope of their life comes into the light.
To all the unsung heroes out there–especially if they’re still alive with us–let us take a moment to today to thank and be grateful for them.
P.S. – Today’s is the one year anniversary of my hero, my best friend, my dad’s passing. This post is in honor of him and all the unsung heroes out there. Thank you for everything.
“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” -Heraclitus
Who, who, who, who?
Who are you?
Who, who, who, who?
Who are you?
Who, who, who, who?
Who are you?
Who, who, who, who? -song “Who Are You?” by The Who
The you of today.
Is not the you of yesterday.
Nor the you of tomorrow.
All that matters is the you of today.
To connect with that today person, ask yourself the following:
“Who am I?”
“What exactly am I doing?” “Why am I doing it?” “Do I still need to and want to do this?”
“What am I excited to work on?” “Why am I excited about it?”
Asking yourself these questions (or variations of them) will help you avoid sunk costs and future planning.
Instead, you can be here now.
And be the very best you of today.
Most people talk a great game.
Some actually play the game.
Few play the game consistently and at a high level.
If you’re working in a collaborative medium, align yourself with the few.
The more specific the ask, the more likely you are to get the help you seek.
Do your research ahead of time and drill down to exactly what you need and how and why they best can help.
(Keep in mind that just like you, everyone’s extremely busy and working on things that they’re equally passionate about. Have empathy for that. Including if you don’t hear back or they can’t fulfill your request.)
Help them help you.
“But after I got them to leave and shut the door and turned off the light it wasn’t any good. It was like saying good-bye to a statue. After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain.” -Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms
Think of a great film or play or book or any piece of art.
What do you love about it? What really sticks with you?
If you were to tell someone why you loved it, chances are you would only focus on a few things. A few takeaways. It might be a scene, a couple of sentences, a line of dialogue, a silent moment, a simple gesture, maybe just a feeling the art evoked in you.
Here’s three takeaways that come to mind for me…
-John Malkovich pointing at Gary Sinise in True West (the PBS video) and saying “Ha, Ha!…Ha, Ha!”
-A production of Jitney at the Lillian Theatre in Hollywood where Booster breaks down in agony upon hearing his father’s death, then walks over to answer the phone with a simple, “Car service”, and then an immediate black out. (I was stunned and wrecked.)
-The eerie squeak amidst the silence of the Old Man’s rocking chair in a production of Fool For Love at Stage Left Theatre in Chicago.
These takeaway moments stay with people forever. They can literally change lives. They hold enormous power.
While you can’t predict if your art will have these takeaways, they’re always a possibility. That chance, that possibility alone, is a reason to go make your art.
”We have a strategic plan. It’s called doing things.” -Herb Kelleher
“Done is better than perfect.” -Sheryl Sandberg
I was on a recent conference call and after everyone spoke at length about the agenda at hand, one person said, “The only way we’ll ever really know if we have something, is to find a deal and do the deal together.”
He was absolutely right. The best way to learn anything is to DO it.
The next time you have an idea and interest about something, find a way to turn it into a project. Complete with work plan, deadlines and some tangible markers of progress and overall success.
The knowledge gained (including the failures), the experience, and the satisfaction of completing something, will be priceless.
No matter how great your art, your product, you public policy, your generous act, your thoughtful suggestion, etc…you can rest assured, at least half the people won’t like or agree with it.
That’s ok. It’s not for them.
If you need a statistical goal to shoot for and feel like you’ve succeeded in your chosen endavour, aim for 51 percent.
While that gets you an F in school, for most things in life, it’s an A.
“He felt an uncertainty in the air, a feeling of change and of loss and of the gain of new and unfamiliar things.” –The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
There’s an age old story about optimists and pessimists which goes something like this…
It’s Christmas morning and two young brothers rush towards the Christmas tree to discover their gifts. On one side lay piles of wonderful toys for one of the boys. The boy does nothing. He just looks at the pile and says, “What’s the point? They’ll all be broken in a day or two.“
The other boy’s gift, on the other side of the tree, is nothing but a pile of manure. The boy quickly starts digging through the manure. He digs and digs and digs, all the while joyfully telling his dour sibling, “There must be a pony in here somewhere!”
Events are events. You don’t get to control them.
Your attitude about those events however, is entirely up to you. You get huge control over that.
So what’s it gonna be?…Will you keep searching for the pony?…Or give up before you even start?…You decide.
P.S. – The eternal optimist and multi-hyphenate artist Mark Duplass tells a version of this story on the always excellent “Back To One” podcast. Give it a listen. Lots of inspiration and gems in there.
The Vs. Studio Blog