Secrets : From one artist to another
(Photo for "Daisy Moon Was Born This Way" produced by The Q at The Joan in 2017, photo by Alana Dimou.)
I feel like we are living in a very unpredictable and frightening political landscape. I have had this idea sitting in my chest: to write a blog of secrets and tips that I would whisper to a fellow artist...to offer support.
So these are some values and strategies that have kept me going as an actress, artist and outsider for the last 11 years...
...1...Courage without conscience is a wild beast...
This message came to me in a fortune cookie. It made me stop in my tracks as I was someone who was willing to do anything for my work. But at the end of the day it is all a game and you do have a choice in how you do things...
...2...We all have a unique narrative and world within us...
If you have a story to tell, fight the self-critic within you and start creating. No one can tell your story the way you can. Help is always there, you just need to ask for it. It may not come in the way you expect but it will come in some way or another...
...3...You can have a career in the arts if you want it (however big or small)...
I have had many friends drop out of the arts. I have witnessed many people look me with scared eyes when they say - "I want to be an actor.". You can pursue a career in the arts at any point in your life. You do whatever you want. Trust. Follow your passions and...
...4...Play a fair game...
The industry is still a mystery to me but one things is for sure - I am not going to stop being a good human to get ahead. Fuck that. Some people "strategize". A project tells you who should be involved and usually the right person gets the role/opportunity. If you need to be validated by
"success" you are in the wrong profession.
...5...Rejection is a like a map...
It tells you where you need to go and what you need to focus on next.
...6...Be kind to yourself...
Pamper yourself. Take time off. Workaholic-ism is a block not a building block.
Take yourself out on a date and do something that sparks your interests. Go to the park, watch a movie, go to one of your favorite shops. Even an hour a week will make a difference. And if you ever need to deal with some artistic blocks - I would suggest buying a copy of the book The Artist Way by Julia Cameron.
...7...If you want to get something done, create a deadline (a realistic one).
Break down the project into parts and work at it bit by bit. We are less likely to bring projects to life if they appear to be this huge heavy task that we need to conquer.
...8...Find a safe space to create - or create one yourself.
We close up when we don't feel safe, the self critic chimes in and blocks your creative flow. Some people and environments will suit you, others will not. Find the one that works for you...
...9...You are not alone...
Seek out a mate or a mentor who you trust and who you can call if you need to vent. Art is an act of the soul. We need support in order to keep creating it (you are not the only one who is scared and confused and terrified of the unknown - me too). And on that note...
...10...Life shrinks or expands depending on one's courage (Anais Nin)
I will share one last secret...at the beginning of this year, I told myself - "Ok, so this is your last chance to be an actress/artist, you need to give it your best shot and if you don't land something and if your play turns to shit - you need to find another career and accept it. This is your last shot. NO HOLDING BACK."
I have not had the time to write a blog this year because I have been overwhelmed by the abundance of what I have experienced. I still had moments where I was afraid, mistrustful of myself and of the the world at large. What if I eliminate all fear?
I am going to leave you now with a random quote that is currently stuck to my bedroom door:
" I hope you will go out and let stories happen to you, and you will work them, water them with your blood and tears and laughter til they bloom, til you yourself burst into BLOOM"
Clarissa Pinkola Estes
All the best in 2017. Peace.
