If You Build It . . . (5 Ways to Keep Motivated if they DON'T come)

I love movies.

Movies are shadow and illusion and what-might-be played out on the big screen. I can't resist!

Dialogue from movies STICKS in our collective consciousness.

The #39 top movie quote of all time is "If you build it, he will come."

This earworm is MY pick for the most dangerous movie quote of all time.

We glass-half-full creatives HEAR that quote as "If you build it, THEY will come."

That quote is in many artistic brains as we create something new, risky and daring.

That quote propels us hopefully onward.

But, this optimist is here to tell you, life isn't like the movies.

Even documentaries aren't real life, they are a filmmaker's version of what happened.

In the improv of life, the truth is this: If you build it . . . they might NOT come.

Even if you created something amazingly awesome.

They might not see your show.

They might not buy your art.

They might not want your music.

They might not SEEM to want any part of that creative thing you do.

IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD GIVE UP!

It just means you need to have a PLAN for those times when people don't see your show; buy your art or listen to your music.

If you must, allow yourself to have a 30 minute pity-party (set a timer). Then let it go and do something to keep you moving onward and upward!!

Here are five things you can do to keep motivated:

1. HAVE A LAUGH.
Browse through the website One Hundred Famous Rejections to read about all the very famous, well-loved authors who've been rejected. It's affirming to realize that others can often be WRONG about talent and art!

2. BRAINSTORM
Grab a piece of paper and write down 100 or more things you could do differently with your creative work. Brainstorm for quantity -not quality. Get silly. Get serious. Set the list aside for a day, then look at it the next day and highlight the ideas that just might work. Then, get to work.

3. DO SOMETHING NEW
But stay creative. If you're a musician, try painting. If you're a painter, try music. Anything to keep the creativity going but without the pressure of having to "be great".

4.  TAKE A BREATHER
Put your art aside for a day or two. Scrub your toilets, weed the garden, wash the dog -any physical labor that takes you away from your studio or creative space.

5. COLLABORATE
Find a friend who does something in your field and join forces. Just for fun. You'll both remind each other that you do great work.

Do you have anything YOU do to keep motivated? Please comment and share!!

I Trusted You

Just around bedtime, our son confessed that he had gotten called into the office at school!

What? Our empathetic, sweet boy?

Turns out our angel was playing a version of "so-and-so has cooties" game.

Hmmm.

That led to a discussion about treating people kindly. He told us that this person was a friend and that he'd apologized and that they were "good" now.

Really?

The hubby and I pointed out that he'd better re-examine how he behaved with friends and explained that he'd destroyed the trust in their relationship.

Ultimately, we told him he was going to have to work very hard to build back the original TRUST of this person. 

And, like any typical nearly-ten-year-old boy would, he rolled his eyes, shrugged his shoulders and left the room once we'd shared our wisdom!

In the improv of life, trust is crucial.

I remind my improv students all the time, that an "offer" made to purposely make a scene partner uncomfortable isn't the way to play the game.

It's not fun.

In real life it isn't fun, either.

What's the old saying?

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

Good improv -like good friendships- builds on the strengths of a scene partner, not their discomfort.

Today, I challenge you to only do "scenes" where you build up and strengthen those you interact with.

Remember, it's easy to tear things apart. It is far more creative to build UP.