I’m journaling nightly after each performance of Cabaret and one thing has occurred to me- though it should be obvious.
You must commit. To the action, to the line, to what your character is after. Commit.
The thing that stops this commitment is actually self doubt. And if self doubt stops commitment then it’s a self fulfilling prophecy.
Commit to the bit and when you feel like it won’t work- commit harder and don’t look back.
It’s fun being in season for a theatre show and one of the best parts is getting to see my fellow actors night after night.
I noticed my co-star wiping some dirt off a chair while no one was looking- it was her character trying to make sure her house was presentable.
It was a tiny moment; one of those blink and you’ll miss it ones.
They say that God is in the detail, and this is a great example.
Acting is a tapestry. The end product is a beautiful blanket.
But you don’t make the blanket all in one moment; you build it thread by thread.
The discipline, then, is the presence and specificity to make those micro choices moment to moment.
That’s what leads to a beautiful ‘whole’.
You can’t suddenly ‘be’ a thing, but you can always ‘do’ a thing.
All of acting is predicated on this.
Action reveals character.
If we are what we repeatedly do, then we get to choose who we are based on what we do.
Who do you want to be?
And what would that person have to do on a consistent basis?
They say you shouldn’t rest on your laurels.
But they also say you should stop and smell the roses.
I think it’s important to enjoy the fruits of your labour.
The key of course is the balance of these and recognising the moment to work and the moment to enjoy.
Routines are the sequence of events that lead us to achieve something in a predictable way.
Like a pre-work out stretch or a vocal warm up before a show.
A superstition is something we mistake for a routine.
“I wore these songs last time and it went really well… I’ll wear them again”
It can be difficult to see the difference.
“The greatest personal limitation is… the things you’ve never considered doing.”
-Richard Bandler
I’m teaching a music and drama program at a school this week.
My co-tutor told the kids to think of their birth date. Just the number of the month that their special day lands on.
I thought earnestly about the 5th.
She began hitting drum sticks together and explained that she would do 31 hits of her stick. The kids’ job was to clap when she reached their number.
Click, click, click, click CLAP- I clapped on the 5th beat to reflect my birth date.
The kids gazed up at her, counting internally until their special number came- then CLAP!
It was beautiful to have this orchestra of sporadic claps from these young souls. Claps that represented the moment they came into existence.
Like magic popcorn.
It struck me what a miracle life is and I was suddenly reminded again what an honour it is to have the privilege to connect with these young people and make some impact on their young lives.
Every second a new pop corn is popped, a new heart exists, a new life appears- ready to be respected, loved and honoured by us.
Today I finally sorted through the boxes I’d boxes been storing at my parents place
Old letters, post cards, school books, journals and artefacts from the last 30 years.
I’d been avoiding it to for the longest time, dreading dredging up old emotions and cringey memories.
But it was pretty wonderful.
The boxes zipped me back and forward in time as I read, remembered (or didn’t remember what so ever) moments in time from my life so far.
If you’re avoiding going into your boxes, can I suggest you jump in.
It’s like a little microcosm of life; you might try and avoid it because of the heart ache.
But of course in equal measure comes the magic and having one means you get the other.
Love your memories.
Well it might be the wrong question. There’s only efficiently achieving an outcome or not.
A better question might be what should I focus on and how can I use my resources to achieve it?
When I feel nervous in front of an audience, my focus is inevitably on trying to be liked by them. That is a focus that is pretty guaranteed to dull someone’s confidence.
A more effective focus? To help these people understand what I’m talking about. Or to listen intently to the people in the room.
Confidence is a by product of placing your focus elsewhere.
I was just talking to my friend about ai and he had this really amazing opinion about where ai will take us.
If ai democratises output and value creation then we will all spend much more attention in the present moment than on seeking and aspiring to future goals.
I like this idea a lot and I’m thinking a lot about it quite a bit.
