When You Want To Read An Interview With a Famous Artist But Don't Have a Lot of Time: Enter The Talks, a website that has hundreds of brief but powerful interviews with artists, actors, musicians, architects, writers, and more. When I don't have time for a long read but still want substance, I scroll through The Talks and almost always find something that sticks with me. Elisabeth Moss's interview is a great place to start. "I think you also get more confident as you get older. You realize what your strengths and your weaknesses are and you’re more okay with your weaknesses and you value your strengths more. I look forward to being 50 and I’m hoping that I’m as confident as some of the people that I look up to."
When You Need Some Sweet Words of Motivation For Your Inner Kid (Which is Really Our Outer Adult in Disguise): Jessica's Daily Affirmations is an oldie but goodie. This short and sweet video has gotten me through guest teaching a workshop, leading a meeting at my day job, and walking into an audition room like I deserve to be there as much as the next actor. With this girl on your side, there is nothing you can't do!
When You Need Some Tough Love Advice About Motivation:
“The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who’ll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you. If you’re sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that you reject will push you in another direction. Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that’s almost never the case.”
~Chuck Close
When You Need to Know You Aren't the Only One Who Receives Rejection Letters: I'm in the process of editing the book I wrote about how to pursue creativity every day, and have to admit, it's a daunting task. To keep myself going, I've taken to reading the many rejection letters written to famous authors who (thankfully) didn't give up. But what is more motivating than rejection letters sent to people that are now well known for their success? Rejection letters sent to everyday artists like me, brilliantly curated at I Heart Rejection Letters. For some reason, seeing the mass numbers of rejection letters shared openly on this site makes me feel less alone as I experience the process myself. The power of creativity community!
When You Need Some Sweet Words of Motivation For Your Inner Kid (Which is Really Our Outer Adult in Disguise): Jessica's Daily Affirmations is an oldie but goodie. This short and sweet video has gotten me through guest teaching a workshop, leading a meeting at my day job, and walking into an audition room like I deserve to be there as much as the next actor. With this girl on your side, there is nothing you can't do!
When You Need Some Tough Love Advice About Motivation:
“The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who’ll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you. If you’re sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that you reject will push you in another direction. Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that’s almost never the case.”
~Chuck Close
When You Need to Know You Aren't the Only One Who Receives Rejection Letters: I'm in the process of editing the book I wrote about how to pursue creativity every day, and have to admit, it's a daunting task. To keep myself going, I've taken to reading the many rejection letters written to famous authors who (thankfully) didn't give up. But what is more motivating than rejection letters sent to people that are now well known for their success? Rejection letters sent to everyday artists like me, brilliantly curated at I Heart Rejection Letters. For some reason, seeing the mass numbers of rejection letters shared openly on this site makes me feel less alone as I experience the process myself. The power of creativity community!
When You Need To Get Moving But Don't Feel Like Going to the Gym: More and more, I believe that an artist needs to use the body she's got, but who says it needs to be on the treadmill at the gym? Dare to break out of the box and get your movement and music shenanigans on in the comfort of your own home. All you need is your favorite tunes, a wooden spoon to use as a microphone, and absolutely no shame. Closing your blinds so that the neighbors cannot see you is optional. I'd recommend you start with a personal favorite of mine, the legendary Freddie Mercury.
