In Sanford’s memory, and from a deep place of gratitude, I want to share a few of the innumerable nuggets of “the old bald guy’s wisdom” (as he would jokingly refer to the advice he’d give to his students) throughout the very brief three years in which I had the privilege and joy of working with him. I went back through emails from him, as well as notes I’d taken from our weekly Voice Classes at Tanglewood last summer, and put together this little list.
Read moreDiscipline of Creating
As a perfectionist who struggles daily with a fear of failure, the messiness of creative work is daunting to me. I experience a lot of internal resistance when it comes to developing new work, because there’s no right answer. There’s no certainty of success. There are no to-do lists to complete, because the work is never truly complete.
Read moreSpending in the New Year →
This got me thinking about my penny-pinching ways. I realized that, while saving a little each month and avoiding excessive spending are very good habits, the level to which I maintain frugality goes beyond healthy saving habits and into an unhealthy need for control. My reluctance to spend money on things that are actually important reflects a fear of uncertainty and a desire to have all the cards in my hand before making any major decisions.
Read moreHibernating
It’s been a long year. There’s been so much anger and hurt in the world. Feelings of certainty and security are in short supply across the board.
To push through this and force myself to hustle would be to spiral toward burnout in the new year. Instead, as Jen Waldman puts so beautifully in her blog, I want to sit back, be still, and contemplate how I can contribute in the new year. I want to look back at 2018 and assess not only what I’m grateful for, but also what I did to contribute to others’ wellbeing, as well as how I could have contributed more.
Read moreSaying No →
Realistically speaking, as a young artist living in NYC, of course I can’t completely cut out ALL of my to-dos that do not provide 100% artistic satisfaction. But by intentionally evaluating my activities on a regular basis, I can at least become more aware of the value of my to-do list—as well as the cost of maintaining it when it grows too long.
Read moreBuilding Blocks Every Morning
The takeaway is that anyone attempting to acquire a new skill needs to focus on repeatedly practicing the foundational building blocks of that skill, detaching from achieving any particular end result. In this particular case, the argument is in favor of quantity over quality.
Read moreRewriting the Four Agreements →
Particularly as an artist, having the daily reminder to not take anything personally and to not make assumptions was crucial. However, in episode nine of The Long and The Short Of It, Jen reveals that there’s something that doesn’t sit well with her about the Four Agreements:
The problem here is that when you tell someone not to do something, you have neglected to tell them what to actually do. So I could say to you, “Don’t take anything personally,” but that leaves you action-less. It leaves you in a state of unknown.
So, in typical Jen and Peter fashion, they proceed to magnificently rewrite the Four Agreements, using “affirmative and inclusive language” in order to encourage active implementation of the agreements. (i.e. Saying “do this” instead of “don’t do that.”)
Read moreHygge
My Thanksgiving holiday was a prime example of this Danish concept of coziness, and so I wanted to take a moment to reflect on this in gratitude. Having spent a year and a half living in NYC at this point, it’s often difficult to feel any sense of warmth, coziness, or community. The hustle, the noise, and the ambition are all diametrically opposed to the feeling of hygge. So as I get back into the swing of work, practice, and city-living, I want to recommit to bringing a little hygge into my life each day.
Read moreYonder.....Yonder!
I looked out into the audience, and while I could feel that my face was bright red and very hot (the literal heat of failure), I actually couldn’t help but smile. I tried to connect with the individuals sitting in the audience, and the shame narrative running through my brain was replaced by a single sentence that kept repeating itself: “We’re all in this together; thank you for being here with me.”
Read morePermission to Screw Up
Ms. Hadeed’s primary thesis seems to be that by leaning into the possibility of failure and embracing the challenge of fixing one’s own screw-ups when they inevitably occur, growth and innovation are cultivated. A secondary, more understated thesis that I’m picking up on is that, as a leader, empathy and understanding for those in your managerial care is fostered by getting your own hands dirty and owning your own mistakes.
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