The Vs. Studio Blog

Shot through the heart
And you’re to blame
You give love a bad name (bad name) -Bon Jovi “You Give Love A Bad Name”

I am trying to break your heart
I am trying to break your heart
But still I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t easy
I am trying to break your heart -Wilco “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart”

Strive to make your art feel like…

An arrow to the heart.

A punch to the gut.

A knock upside the head.

If your art delivers one of these, you’ve done a great job.

If your art delivers all three, you’ve got a stone cold classic on your hands.

Alexander The Great was once asked how we was able to conquer the world, and at such a young age.

His response? Two words.

“Not wavering.”

Once you decide, you’ve decided. You’re all in. No turning back. No second thoughts. No wavering.

“You will never stop seeking validation from others. It’s impossible. Instead, seek validation for better reasons and from better people.” -Mark Manson

Institutional validation is a powerful force. It can make or break passion projects, change people’s lives (especially financially) and do wonders for self esteem.

Unless…

You decide you don’t need validation, approval or permission.

Greenlight yourself. Be the cavalry. Go make your art.

And while you’re at it, help others do the same.

P.S. – Speaking of placebos, this recent Seth Godin post.

We gotta make a change
It’s time for us as a people to start makin’ some changes
Let’s change the way we eat
Let’s change the way we live
And let’s change the way we treat each other
You see, the old way wasn’t workin‘ -“Changes”, song by Tupac Shakur

“Winners quit all the time. They just quit the right stuff at the right time.”  -“The Dip”, book by Seth Godin

Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Dream, dream, dream, dream
Dream, dream, dream, dream -“All I Have To Do Is Dream”, song by The Everly Brothers

Sometimes it takes just as much discipline and courage if not more, to quit something, then to keep going.

Don’t let sunk costs sink you.

Old way not workin’?

Assuming you’ve done all you could and the pursuit no longer brings you any kind of joy, it’s time to dream a new dream.

P.S. – And when you dream that new dream?…Dream way more about the process, then the result.

“It’s good to be nervous. It means you give a shit.” -Adam Sandler as Stanley Sugarman in the movie HUSTLE

“Pressure is a privilege.” -Robert D’Avanzo

Don’t sweat it if you feel nervous. It’s a good thing. It means you care,. There’s no way you won’t feel nervous. It’s what you do with those nerves that will define you. One thing that helps is gratitude. Be grateful for the nerves. They equal energy. Which then converts to fuel and focus for the task at hand.

Do sweat it if you’re not nervous. It might be time for a change.

Great news…No matter what happens, no matter how badly things go off the rails, you can choose to just, simply, begin again.

That’s probably the biggest takeaway from any kind of meditation practice or trying to be present.

Distracted by thoughts? Can’t focus on your breath? No worries. Be aware. Begin again.

Had a plan for the day, but life doesn’t seem to be cooperating? All good. Be aware of where you’re at. Begin again.

On stage, trying to tell the story of the play, trying to be a good scene partner, but you feel unfocused and your mind drifting? No sweat. Pause. Look at your partner. Reconnect to your want. Begin again.

It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish. Begin again.

P.S. – This essay by Sharon Salzberg and this short meditation by Sam Harris

How much time do you spend reacting? Answering emails and texts, dealing with other people’s concerns (especially work), putting out fires, helping out with friend and family obligations, doing things you might not want to do but either have to do or feel like you have to do, etc…just maintaining the status quo?

How much time do you spend creating?

One of the hardest things to do about pursuing a goal or manifesting a passion project or doing anything new is carving out actual time and space to do it. You must make it a priority and schedule it on your calendar. Otherwise it simply won’t get done and you will stay in the same reactive rut.

Another way to think about this is maker vs. manager time. Two excellent essays on the subject:

FS Post

Paul Graham 2009

More making. Less managing.

It takes two to make a thing go right
It takes two to make it outta sight – “It Takes Two” by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock

You can absolutely make the art by yourself.

But it sure is a helluva lot more fun with two.

Who can you enlist and enroll on the journey?

P.S. – Hit it!

“If you build it, they will come,” is an oft-repeated mantra first popularized in the movie FIELD OF DREAMS. (The actual line is “If you build it, he will come.”)

If you build it,…

Not think it.

Not plan it.

Not pray it.

Not hope it.

Not wish it.

And definitely not talk about it.

BUILD It.

Which involves a decision and then a corresponding action. Doing the work.

Only when you’ve made the commitment, put your ass on the line, thrown your hat over the wall, rolled up your sleeves, and started building, will anyone else ever come follow.

Expecting otherwise is just the…uh…stuff that dreams are made of.

P.S. – R.I.P Ray Liotta.

Feeling like nobody cares about your art?

Good.

You’re free to make the art you want. The art from your heart. Keep going.