The Vs. Studio Blog

“Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.” -Gustave Flaubert

“The greatest fallacy in, or rather the greatest objection to, teleological thinking is in connection with the emotional content, the belief. People get to believing and even to professing the apparent answers thus arrived at, suffering mental constrictions by emotionally closing their minds to any of the further and possibly opposite “answers” which might otherwise be unearthed by honest effort — answers which, if faced realistically, would give rise to a struggle and to a possible rebirth which might place the whole problem in a new and more significant light…The non-teleological picture… goes beyond blame or cause. And the non-causal or non-blaming viewpoint… arises emergently from the union of two opposing viewpoints, such as those of physical and spiritual teleologies, especially if there is conflict as to causation between the two or within either. The new viewpoint very frequently sheds light over a larger picture, providing a key which may unlock levels not accessible to either of the teleological viewpoints.” -John Steinbeck, Log From The Sea Of Cortez

Be focused and disciplined and practical.

So that you can be open to the wild and mystical and magical.

To do anything sublime, you need both working together. The practical and the mystical. The conscious and the subconscious. The light and the shadow.

Center marks the spot.

A little less conversation, a little more action please
All this aggravation ain’t satisfactionin’ me
A little more bite and a little less bark
A little less fight and a little more spark
Close your mouth and open up your heart -Elvis Presley, song “A Little Less Conversation”

As I walk through this wicked world
Searchin’ for light in the darkness of insanity
I ask myself, “Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred and misery?”
And each time I feel like this inside
There’s one thing I wanna know
What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding? Oh-oh
What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding? -Elvis Costello & The Attractions, song “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding”

We could all use ‘The Understanderer’ in our lives….

The power of art…engendering more empathy and understanding.

Go make it.

“The mystique of rock climbing is climbing; you get to the top of a rock glad it’s over but really wish it would go on forever. The justification of climbing is climbing, like the justification of poetry is writing; you don’t conquer anything except things in yourself…. The act of writing justifies poetry. Climbing is the same: recognizing that you are a flow. The purpose of the flow is to keep on flowing, not looking for a peak or utopia but staying in the flow. It is not a moving up but a continuous flowing; you move up to keep the flow going. There is no possible reason for climbing except the climbing itself; it is a self-communication.”
― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

A truism I’ve found that applies to the arts, athletics, or really any activity…

The only way to stay in the flow is to not be aware that you’re in the flow.

Flow is elusive and ephemeral. Once you notice or desire more of it, it’s gone.

One small example…

The next time you watch a basketball game and an announcer says “Heat check!” for a player who’s made several shots in a row and now attempts an even harder shot–one that’s not in the flow of the offense–see how often that shot goes in.

Or a personal example…

Every single time I’ve felt in flow when acting on stage–I’m thinking character thoughts, the lines pour effortlessly from my mouth, I’m deeply connected to my acting partner, the audience is especially attentive and responsive–as soon as I become aware and think, “Hey, this is really going well. Wait ’til this next line. This will really slay”…

Crickets.

The only way to stay in the flow is to not be aware that you’re in the flow.

P.S. – “Let it rain!”

“Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing less for the sake of less either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.”
― Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

“Remember that if you don’t prioritize your life someone else will.”
― Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing.” -Anne Dillard, The Writing Life

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” -Samuel Beckett

Greg McKeown in his excellent book Essentialism, urges us to ask three questions to best figure out how to spend our time. And ultimately, our lives. They are as follows:

“What do I feel deeply inspired by?”

“What am I particularly talented at?”

“What meets a significant need in the world?”

The first question is probably the easiest to answer. It just requires us to notice. To pay attention to our feelings and what lights us up.

If you can’t answer the second question, ask some close friends or family members. Just be open to what they tell you as you might be surprised by their response.

The third question…While there is significant need everywhere, in order to figure out the intersection of our passion, talent and need, it might require some short-term experimentation. Try and fail. Learn. Iterate. Try and fail again. Learn. Iterate…Eventually you’ll figure it out.

When you do, everything else is cream cheese.

“Bit by bit, putting it together…
Piece by piece, only way to make a work of art.
Every moment makes a contribution,
Every little detail plays a part.
Having just the vision’s no solution,
Everything depends on execution,
Putting it together, that’s what counts.”
― Stephen Sondheim, Sunday in the Park with George

First, you got to step back and see the dots.

Then, see that all the dots connect.

Last, go connect them. Make it happen.

Once you do, your life’s masterpiece will emerge.

The saint and ancient mystic Francis de Sales taught a centering prayer that regardless of religious belief or faith, can be applied to our day to day living. It’s especially helpful before engaging in an activity. Or transitioning to a new one.

It’s a three step prayer that goes like this…

Step One: ASK…For whatever you’re about to do, ask for God’s (or the universe, the great force, etc.) help with said task. This will focus you. To ask for help, you need to know exactly what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.

Step Two: OFFER…The time you’re about to spend on the activity, offer it up as a sacrifice of some sort. Make it bigger than just you. Want the time you spend to benefit or be of service to others.

Step Three: ACCEPT…No matter the outcome of said activity, accept it. Let go. If it went like you thought or even better, be grateful. If it didn’t go well or was a disaster, be grateful. You learned something. Trust that either way, it went how it was supposed to go. Move on to the next activity.

You can do this all day long with anything you’re about to do. Give it a shot. Let me know how it goes.

One way to tell the difference between a dream and a goal…

For a dream to be achieved, external factors, things beyond your control, often have to break just right, in your favor.

For a goal to be achieved, it’s all up to you.

An example…

Winning an Academy Award. That’s a dream.

Becoming the best artist you can be. That’s a goal. (Or a process.)

So, dream big.

But take small, consistent action.

“The producer’s job: to knock on 200 doors and not just be rejected but insulted and shit upon and yet somehow reach the 201st looking and smelling fresh as a daisy, being warm and welcoming, so that when it opens, you are not only invited in but encouraged to bring more along with you the next time.” -Ted Hope

For the producer…

First, you see it when no one else sees it. You go after it.

Then, you have the courage to start when little to nothing is lined up.

Then, you have the temerity to ask for money or help (often both) to make your vision a reality.

Then, you have the humility to pivot or adapt when things aren’t working out as planned.

Finally, you have the discipline to finish the job. You’re the last to turn the lights off.

What enables you to do this?

Relentless optimism.

That and this list of 27 ideas courtesy of legendary indie film producer, Ted Hope.

“I think the best stories always end up being about the people rather than the event, which is to say character-driven.” -Stephen King, book On Writing

“The first step to consider is who your characters are going to be. For many people setting out to write for the first time, this might feel counterintuitive. After all, the plot or narrative is what many people talk about when they want to indicate that a book is compelling. Yet we care about a story only when it affects characters that touch us deeply in some way. Readers might have only a vague sense of some of the events that happen in Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations (1861) but, once read, figures such as Pip, Miss Havisham and Magwitch are rarely forgotten. Likewise, when we follow Lyra through Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy (1995-2000), Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (1960), or Holly Golightly in Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1958), we are drawn into the storytelling because these are people we care about.

The British novelist Ross Raisin describes characters as ‘the lifeblood of fiction’, and observes that because they are the story, they need to be as unique as the work of fiction they inhabit. We want to believe in such people, no matter how fantastical they appear. To make them compelling, you will need to work out what your main character desires – what they want, how are they frustrated (because without this there is no drama) and how they will change to get what they need, which is not always the same as what they want.” -Jason Whitaker, Psyche Essay, “How To Plan Your Novel”

Start with theme or plot and you run the risk of writing flat, one dimensional characters.  Even worse, boring your reader. That’s why so many scripts feel like MFA thesis papers.

Start with character (fully-formed, know them inside and out). Give them something they’re fighting for. Put them in a room. Let ’em go.

Do that and you’ll at least get something interesting and propulsive.

And you’re likely to get theme and plot thrown in for free.

“Creativity is a function of all the previous work you put in.” – Robert Greene

“When you sit down to create something…what you create is a culmination of everything you’ve seen and done previous to that point.” – Tinker Hatfield

Hat tip to my good buddy and follower of this blog, Joe, for sending me the below story. I believe it comes via Billy Oppenheimer from a Twitter post. It’s so good and speaks for itself. Thus, I’ve just pasted it in full below. Enjoy!

In 1998, Citibank and The Travelers Insurance Company merged. 

They hired legendary designer Paula Scher to create a new logo.

In their first meeting, on a napkin, Scher drew what became the iconic Citi logo.

As Scher got up to leave the room, someone from the Citi team asked,

How can it be that it’s done in a second?

“It’s done in a second and 34 years,” Scher replied. “It’s done in a second [and] every experience and everything that’s in my head.”

Takeaway 1:

As Scher has become a master of her craft, she’s experienced an interesting problem. 

“A lot of clients like to buy process,” she explains. “they think they’re not getting their money’s worth [if] you solve the problem too fast.”

This is known as the “Labor Perception Bias.”

It’s an interesting phenomenon: we are generally impatient, yet, we are skeptical if, for instance, we’re at a fancy restaurant and the food comes out only minutes after we ordered.

One of the famous examples of the Labor Perception Bias is the parable of the engineer and the hammer:

A factory owner hired an engineer to fix a broken-down engine. The engineer inspected the engine for one minute, took out his hammer, hammered the engine once, and then started the engine with no problem.

The engineer charged the factory owner $5000. The factory owner was shocked, protested that the engineer had worked for only one minute, and asked for an itemized bill. The engineer sent the factory owner an itemized bill:

Hammering the engine: $5

Knowing where to hammer the engine: $4,995

Takeaway 2:

On my desk, there is a notecard that says, “All success is a lagging indicator.” 

The line comes from one of my favorite Ryan Holiday articles. “When a day’s writing goes well,” he writes, “it’s a lagging indicator of hours and hours spent researching and thinking… Receiving a promotion is a lagging indicator of a lot of quality work. Delivering a keynote with confidence is a lagging indicator of a lot of preparation.”

Knowing where to hammer the engine is a lagging indicator of the years and years working with hammers and on engines.

And Paula Scher’s ability to create an iconic logo in a second is a lagging indicator of 34 years spent honing her craft.