What’s the DEAL?
You have a calling and passion in the Arts. You want to have an impact with your work, but something isn’t clicking because no one’s buying and you have a minimum to non-existent audience. You’re looking out at empty houses and an empty calendar and starting to feel discouraged.
You know you have talent, and creative ideas coming out every pore, so why are you still struggling on how to convert it to a thriving Artistic Career?
Honestly, how the HECK do the celebrities do it??
What if I told you the answer was right in front of you, and is something you can change today?
Well, then hop on board, because we are going to take you from struggle to success with one thing,
Integration.
Get out a piece of paper, and list all your creative abilities. Let me guess, it’s more than one!
And I’m curious, what were you told growing up?
Pick ONE thing
Can you make money with that?
Is that practical?
You’re doing too much!
I get it! I found myself in high school madly in love with four things…
Singing
Dancing
Acting
Choreography
Choosing ONE of these just felt wrong and I wanted to find a career and a place where I could express ALL of these things. That was when I found my oasis,
American Musical Theatre.
On their own, I wasn’t at my strongest. It was when everything was combined, I was in my element, and also creating a career. A career that lasted for 20 years, and took me across the nation on professional stages. It even landed me kicking eye high as a New York City Rockette.
Are YOU using all of your talents?
One of the most damaging things I’ve heard said to any artist, is to stop expressing a part of yourself, and hone your craft to ONE thing.
Well…..if you sing, you probably don’t want to put your attention on your writing.
I mean….if you’re a photographer, you probably should put down the guitar.
Imagine if someone had said this to Tina Fey,
Tina, your writing is really amazing….but you probably shouldn’t try any acting. And don’t even TRY producing. That’s just TOO much.
Tina Fey has brought more joy and laughter than I can even begin to imagine from her character Liz Lemon on the successful and Emmy Award Winning sitcom, 30 Rock. Not to mention blowing open the workplace for other female writers to step into producing comedies on TV and film.
Want to know how celebrities do it?
They bring ALL of who they are as an artist to the table.
Tina Fey’s fans love her and buy her books and pay for her movies because of the fact she does ALL of these things. She’s not hiding. She’s proclaiming she:
Acts
Writes
Produces
I have a very successful friend named Colman who literally turns down work, and has worked with Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg, Susan Stroman, and has won an Olivier Award for his acting. What does he do?
Playwrighting
Photography
Acting
Singing
Dancing
Do you see a pattern? All these successful Creatives are multi-disciplinarians, by nature.
Take a moment and look at your sheet of paper, and let me ask you this,
What if you integrated ALL of these things, and then put yourself and your work out from THAT place, instead of feeling like you had to cut off pieces of yourself to fit in?
Your uniqueness as an Artist comes from the unique combination of your gifts and HOW you express them.
If you are not being true to your own artistry, then your audience will feel that, and not show up.
Tina Fey is unique because of her wit, and sharp writing. Her sense of comedy comes from being on the other side of the table.
Colman is in such high demand, because you can put him in just about any show and he has the toolkit to perform at the highest level.
And both of them come to their art with joy because they are not in conflict with themselves.
Have you been cutting off or hiding parts of your expression that you truly love and are completely natural?
If you want things to click in your Art, and truly connect with your audience, take a look at WHAT you are putting out to the world.
The house will fill up with a raving audience when you allow yourself to be seen.
ALL of you.
So, here’s my permission slip. Look at that piece of paper, and connect the dots. How can you bring ALL of you to your Art?
This is when you will stand out from the crowd and make an impact.