Sierra here, taking a much-needed break and writing about some inspiring words from others I recently came across in my Internet journeys…
I just discovered Jon Rubenstein’s blog “Adventures in Compassion” – read this entry here about casting director Mark Bennett’s thoughts about compassion in the creative business. Michael Kostroff (actor, audition seminar teacher) sent it to me via AuditionPsych101@aol.com. Excerpt here:
“We all come into this world innocent, full of hope. As long as babies’ basic needs are met, they are happy. That’s why young children are such good actors – they have come not to impress or to achieve, but to play. Then that innocence gets drilled out of us and we spend years trying to get it back; as Sainte-Beuve said, “There exists in most men a poet who died young, whom the man survived.” But we still all have the desire to tap into our innate creativity, to experience that moment of transcendence in which we are most creative, and most generous. William Blake called this mysterious power the Imagination, and he said it was God.”
Whether or not we believe in God, there is that energy and momentum that comes out of creativity; even at the most tired, I always have the energy to sing, to perform. Anyway, read the rest of the blog entry, it’s really understanding and thoughtful about how we as performers and creative entities need to treat each other with compassion rather than cutthroat jealousy.
A second wonderful blog entry I recently read was from that of Michael Roderick’s wonderful Producing blog One Producer In the City – I read his blog entries in my inbox practically every day. I may not be a Producer in title, but as an actor who should self-produce and understand the producing world’s ups and downs, I feel this is an important blog to read (I also keep up with Ken Davenport’s The Producer’s Perspective in my inbox and Google Reader as well).
In this entry at One Producer in the City, Roderick talks about the ways and means to navigate between two friends who don’t see eye to eye, and compares it to the issues a Producer may have to face when dealing with all the creative people on his team. I was struck at how each action is good for ANY relationship, whether one feels stuck in the middle of a conflict or not. Excerpt here:
“4. Make suggestions with them in mind- Once someone has communicated a frustration, think through what might be a potential solution and present it as something that will help them. For example ‘________ I completely understand where you are coming from and it seems that perhaps the easiest thing to do is to try it this way. If ___________ is still upset, we can revisit it and find out why’ “
Read these blog entries, check out the other entries of the above blogs, and look forward to treating everyone with compassion, respect and open minds.
Cheers,
Sierra Rein “I don’t sing because I’m happy, I’m happy because I sing” – William James