Five Ways to Get Creatively Un-Stuck

I'm currently teaching a scene study class in Manhattan and a lot of my students speak to me about feeling "stuck." They feel unable to make progress in their acting career and find themselves spending lots of time in unfulfilling jobs that pay the rent but leave them little time to fill their creative wells. The good news for my students is that taking a class is one great way to get unstuck!

When you take a class, you're recommitting to your artistic path and telling your fear-based mind that you're going to do something creative and good for your well-being. Fear is what keeps us feeling stuck, so ANY positive action we take to nurture our creative selves tells fear that it's not in charge anymore.

One of my favorite quotes about the relationship between fear and creativity is from Elizabeth Gilbert. She writes:

I understand that you are Fear, and that your job is to be afraid. And you do your job really well! I will never ask you to go away or to be silent, because you have a right to speak your own voice, and I know that you will never go away or be silent, anyhow. But I need you to understand that I will always choose Creativity's ideas over yours. You may join us on this journey — and I know that you will — but you do not get to choose the direction in which we will walk, and you will not stop me and Creativity from making plans and decisions together.

Fear is always going to be with us. It is part of what makes us human, but fear should never be in the driver's seat. It can go along with us on our creative journey, but it can't be a decision maker. Too many of us allow fear to make our decisions for us. We choose what is known, what is safe and what will pay the bills. We sacrifice the very things that make us come alive because they make us feel too vulnerable, are too hard, and often don't pay the bills. There's a big cost to this; the cost is our sense of aliveness and creative fulfillment. Below are some ideas that you can implement to get you out of that stuck place and back into a state of creative flow.

• Take a Class. As I mentioned earlier, taking a class is a good first step to reconnect with the creative expression we love. It creates an opportunity for us to find community with other like-minded artists and offers us the chance to learn something new, sharpen our skills and get inspired. That being said, make sure you aren't taking a class to avoid participating in your art! Classes are great, but not if they serve as an excuse to avoid putting yourself out there.

• Do Something Every Day for your Craft. Commit to doing one thing for your artistic self everyday. This could be something like practicing a new monologue with a friend, going on an audition, seeing a play or sending out a submission to that agent you've been wanting to meet. We often feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work it takes to keep an artistic career going. It can help us feel more in control by committing to doing one thing per day for our artistic self. 

• Keep a Log. Write down (either in a journal or on the Notes app on your phone) a list of what you've done daily for your career. At the end of the month, you can look at the list with a sense of pride at all you've accomplished. It's also a good way to help take stock of what actions bore fruit and what actions did not. For some people (and I count myself in this group), the action of writing down what you've accomplished each day encourages you to keep honoring your commitment to yourself.

• Find an Accountability Partner. This is someone with whom you meet with on a weekly basis to encourage each other and to talk about what you've done for your artistic career. This is not the same thing as getting together with a friend and kvetching about how terrible the acting industry is! It's a scheduled weekly meeting where you get together specifically to strategize about what is (and isn't) working in your artistic life. Your partner is someone from whom you get support and give support. Finding a good accountability partner can be one of the most powerful things that you do for your creative life because it gives you a sense that you're not in this alone.

• Log Off Social Media. I know you're probably saying: what does social media have to do with being stuck? Often what keeps us stuck and inactive is comparing ourselves to others. Self-comparison is one of the primary by-products of social media. It's hard to move ourselves to act if we feel like we'll never measure up to what everyone else is doing. It's helpful to take a social media fast for thirty days in order to reboot and focus on taking positive steps rather than comparing ourselves to others.

We all get stuck from time to time, it's part of the human experience. The key is to recognize that you're stuck and to take that first step towards getting unstuck. The first step is always the hardest. We as humans are naturally lazy and tend towards complacency. However once you get the proverbial "ball rolling" it becomes easier and easier to keep making strides toward your creative goals. I would love to hear from you. What do you do to get unstuck when you find yourself mired in complacency? Feel free to respond in the comments!

5 Simple Rituals to Start Your Day Mindfully

I used to begin my day by pressing the snooze button about four times, scrolling through Instagram and email for a few minutes, dragging myself to the shower, smearing some makeup on my face and running out the door without breakfast. While it might have gotten me out the door in a timely manner, it did nothing for my mental well-being!

Recently I started to begin my day in a more mindful way. I've noticed that when I take time to center myself in the morning, that calm energy reverberates throughout the rest of my day. Morning self-care practices help us stay more calm, centered and focused. In turn, this helps us to be more efficient, effective and creative. Commit to at least one of the below rituals for thirty days and see if your mornings aren't completely transformed.

Below are 5 simple self-care rituals that you can easily integrate into your morning routine:

1. Intention Setting. Before I get out of bed or check my phone in the morning, I like to set an intention. "Intention setting" is different from goal setting. An intention is an expression of our soul's desire for that day. It could be something like: "Allow me to accept what life brings to me with equanimity and grace," "Allow me to make the time to be creative today" or "Provide me the space to take life less seriously today." 

2. Meditation. I've written about meditation before on this blog, but it bears repeating. I've found nothing more effective to start my day off on a positive note than the practice of meditation. Meditation also has a cumulative effect: the more often you practice, the greater the results. A daily meditation practice has helped me cultivate inner-peace and has given me more access to my creativity.

3. Gratitude. A gratitude list is a great way to both start and end your day. Making the time to jot down three things that you're grateful for every morning is a quick and easy way to connect with your higher self. There is even a journal specifically formatted for writing daily gratitude lists. It's called The Five Minute Journal  and I highly recommend it if you're someone who would like to start a gratitude journal but have never done so before.

4. Affirmation cards. I am a huge fan of affirmation cards. Many "self-help gurus" make them, but my favorites are Louise Hay's "Power Thought Cards." Every morning, after my meditation, I like to hold these cards in my hands and ask that I be guided to pick a card that will serve me today. I then close my eyes and shuffle the cards until I feel moved to stop. I pick one out of the deck, open my eyes and read the card. One of things that I like most about these cards is that unlike Tarot Cards, all of the cards in this deck are positive and inspirational.

5. Mindful Eating. Many of us don't take the time in the morning to sit down for five to ten minutes and simply eat our breakfast.  And even if we do, it's often in front of the computer or our smartphone. It's a gift to your body and mind to eat mindfully and simply focus on the action of chewing before getting caught up in the daily rat race. We place a huge value on multi-tasking in our culture, but there are enormous mental benefits to single-tasting. 

While you often can't control the events in your life, you can help yourself approach your day with some self-care. If we start our day mindfully, we have a much better chance of staying centered no matter what the day brings.

How Poor Diction Can Hurt a Performance

Recently I had the pleasure of seeing the Tony-nominated production of The Crucible. I am a huge fan of director Ivo Van Hove's work and loved his powerful production of A View From the Bridge earlier this season. Needless to say I was really looking forward to this evening at the theater. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. A large part of my disappointment was due to the fact that several of the main players were difficult to hear and understand.

There is a simple and profound lesson in this. If an audience member can't hear you, there is a good chance they cease to care about you. AND if the character is important enough to the plot, one may even stop caring about the entire story. Fortunately, I know The Crucible quite well, having studied it in both high school and college. Even so, I found myself straining to catch certain plot points because I simply couldn't hear some of the actors. And unlike most Broadway shows, these actors were not mic'd.

Whether you're a young actor embarking on your career or a seasoned professional, it's so important to take your voice and speech training seriously. Oftentimes young actors place way too much importance on getting the "emotion" of a speech and not enough focus on vocal clarity. Actors, first and foremost, need to be heard and understood. It is the most important aspect of your job. If I can't hear or understand you, I can't appreciate your beautiful character or emotional work!

That is not to say that you need to yell onstage in order to be understood. But you do need to be speaking from a supported and grounded place. It is also important to make sure that your consonants are sharp and crisp. In speech, the vowels carry the emotional life of the word and the consonants carry the thought. They are equally important.

If you are lacking training in voice and speech, check out my article on 5 Essential Physical Warm-Ups. In that post you will find valuable information on how you can open up your body and voice so you are able to get a fuller breath and speak from a more open place. I also recommend picking up a copy of Edith Skinner's Speak With Distinction in addition to working with a private coach who can help you speak with a more neutral American accent and improve your diction.

There are many variables in this business that are out of your control.  One that isn't is the clarity of your voice and speech. Don't underestimate the importance of this aspect of your training. It can literally make or break your performance.

5 Essential Physical Warm-ups

As performers we want to be present and "in the moment." That phrase is thrown around a lot, but what I mean by "in the moment" is taking in the information that is currently happening. One way we can encourage this is by opening up our bodies before we get on stage. All performers should do a physical warm-up of some kind before they hit the stage for a performance or speech. Stretching and opening our bodies helps us to shed the accumulated experiences of our day so that we can perform at our best.

Below are 5 warm-ups I always do before a performance. By no means is this list exhaustive, but it's a good place to begin if you are just starting out as a public speaker or performer. It's also an effective list if you need to warm-up but are short on time. Most of these exercises are from the Miller Voice Method work that I practice. In all of these exercises I encourage you to breathe in and out of your mouth, which is the most economical and easiest way to breathe. Focus on breathing into your low belly (the area between your navel and hip points.) You want your breath to be flowing easily in and out with no stoppage at the bottom of the exhale or top of the inhale.

• Jaw massage: I like to begin my warm-ups with this exercise: take both of your hands and clasp them together, bring your thumbs to your right and left side of your jaw and rub into the muscle that is just in front of the jaw hinge. You may find this to be slightly uncomfortable or painful. As a matter of fact, if it isn't you're probably not in the right spot. Most of us hold a lot of tension here. This is the last place of holding before "information" leaves our lips and is out in the world. If there's something we want to say but feel like we can't or shouldn't, it often gets "stored" in our jaw muscles. Remember when you're doing this exercise to release your jaw and breathe in and out of the mouth.

• Roll down: In a standing position, bend your knees slightly and bring your feet hips-width apart. (This is most likely going to be narrower than you think it should be.) Bring your chin to your chest and then slowly roll down the entire length of your spine, go vertebra by vertebra if possible. When you are completely released in this position take a few deep breaths into your belly and low back. Feel your belly expand and release against your thighs. If you would like to deepen this stretch, clasp opposite elbows and continue to breathe deeply. Stay in this position for about 30 seconds, then slowly roll back up through the spine. If you feel dizzy, put your index finger a foot in front of your face and focus on it until your dizziness subsides.

• Half-Moon: In a standing position, bring your feet together and clasp your arms above your head. You want your pointer fingers pointing towards the sky. Wiggle your rib-cage up off of your internal organs and feel the space that is created. Staying in this position stretch over to the right side, stretching out the left side of the rib cage. Notice how your ribs expand as you breathe in  and release as you breathe out. Remember to keep your body facing toward the opposite wall so you are not collapsing down towards your feet. Repeat this stretch on the opposite side.

• Hip Opener: Bring your legs a bit wider than hips distance apart. Bend your legs fully so that you are in a squat position. If possible, your toes and heels should be rooted into the floor. Bring your hands into a prayer position between your thighs. Use your forearms to gently press against the inner thighs encouraging a deep stretch. Try to maintain a long spine in this position. Breathe in and out of the mouth, maintaining the pose for 30 seconds to a minute.

• Tongue Twister: The last thing I like to do before going on stage is tongue-twisters! If I'm pressed for time and can only do one it's generally going to be "My Sister Sally." The reason being is that the "s" is the most likely sound to be sloppy in our speech. Having as much clarity as possible with our "s" makes all of our speech more crisp. You can find the full text of "My Sister Sally" in Edith Skinner's Speak With Distinction 

I like the progression of this warm-up because it warms up the whole body: the jaw, the spine, the ribs, the legs and the tongue. All of these exercises are linked by the continuous breath that you maintain throughout the warm-up. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments and also leave any warm-ups that you find useful!

On Nourishing Your Inner Orchid

This morning as I was writing in my journal, I looked up and noticed that an orchid I've had for over two years had sprouted a new vine. My heart lept into my chest. I bought this orchid a few years ago and after a couple of months the blooms fell off and it went into "hibernation." I'd been watering it every week or so for the past couple of years and (when I remembered) spraying it with orchid fertilizer.

I've been determined to get that orchid to bloom again. I could never throw it out, even though it hasn't bloomed it ages. It would be throwing out a living creature and that seems cruel and inconsiderate! So I've faithfully watered and spritzed this plant for years, hoping that one day it would bloom again. Today finally after over two years there is a glimmer that something might happen!

Aren't we like the orchid? We need tending and nourishment in order to thrive. Sometimes we go into hibernation and it seems like nothing is happening on the outside, but on the inside we may be completely transforming.

Most of us have days where we feel like giving up on our goals. They seem too unrealistic and we get discouraged because of the lack of forward movement. When this happens to you, remember the orchid.

It takes a lot of energy for an orchid to bloom and along the way it needs three things:

1) Nourishment: Orchids need water, indirect light and orchid fertilizer in order to bloom. Like the orchid, we also need nourishment in order to blossom. We need to feed ourselves physically with nutritious and wholesome food. We also need to feed ourselves creatively and spiritually in order to truly thrive. Choose activities that truly nourish you, such as going for a walk in nature or seeing a soul-stirring performance.

2) Rest: It takes a lot of energy for orchids to bloom. Humans also need adequate rest in order to perform at our optimum. If we're not getting the rest we need our physical health suffers, and so does our mental health. In times of intense activity, make doubly sure that you're getting adequate rest to support your well-being. And at those times when you're not productive, trust that the period of rest is necessary and nourishing so that you may bloom again.

3) Alone Time: Now you may think I'm crazy saying that orchids need alone time! What I mean is this: if you over-water, give to much sun to or over-fertilize an orchid (or any plant) it will die. Orchids need only a few ounces of water per week, any more and they start to drown. Check in with yourself daily. Are you giving yourself adequate "alone time"? Remember that when we feed ourselves too much "food," be it through activities such as socializing or over-scheduling ourselves, we are in effect drowning ourselves and damaging our ability to thrive.

It is a dance to stay in balance and harmony. You can help yourself achieve that sense of inner balance by following the above tips. How do you nurture yourself? I'd love to hear from you in the comments.

5 Ways to Stay on Track With Your Creative Goals

A few days ago, I got an idea for a book. I sat down at the computer and an outline flew out of me. It felt like this was the book I was born to write. In the process of writing the outline I entered that "flow state" where I felt totally in the creative zone. It was great.

However later that evening, the voices of doubt started to creep in: "Who's going to read this book?" "Who are YOU to write a book?" "How could you ever get this thing published?" "You're not even a good writer..." etc. So I stopped writing. A week went by and I did no work on my book. I abandoned this project that had given me a few hours of total joy and excitement. I believed the voices that said I wasn't good enough.

And then I had a realization: "Just write the damn book and worry about who's going to read it later. Write the book because right now your soul wants to create this book. Write it for YOU right now and trust that when the time is right this book will find it's audience... and if its audience is just you, that's okay." 

Have you ever found yourself giving up on a goal that earlier had given you lots of joy? 

Here are some tools for getting back on track:

• Don't believe everything you think. I've written a bit about this in a previous post, but it holds especially true in this scenario. Most negative thoughts are fear-based and invented by our subconscious mind to protect ourselves from perceived danger. Your brain isn't trying to sabotage you; it's trying to protect you. However, in most creative endeavors, you don't need you brain's protection. Shine a light on the negative voice inside of you that is trying to stop you from creating. Thank this voice and show gratitude for its efforts in trying to protect you. Also let it know that it's not going to stop you from pursuing your goal and then carry on creating!

• Resolve to work on your goal every day. I've committed to working on my book for 20 minutes every day. Now this might not seem like a lot of time, but 20 minutes a day adds up to 10 hours a month. Committing to work on something every day actually increases your odds of working on it for longer. Often I'll do my 20 minutes in the morning and then later find myself inspired to go back to work on a section of the book. I'm getting new ideas because the book is constantly on my mind and so my brain is working on it even when I'm not actively "working on it."

• Have an accountability partner. Oftentimes setting goals on our own isn't enough to keep us on track. It can be helpful to buddy up with a friend who is working on a similar goal. You can connect weekly in person or via Skype and make sure that you're both staying on track with your goals. Break your goals down into manageable weekly "chunks" and then check in with your partner to see if you've both reached the week's goal.

• Reward yourself. This one works really well for me and I've used it throughout my life. (It's how I used to get myself to go to auditions.) Your reward for making progress towards your goal can be anything you want it to be (although I do encourage green juice over ice cream). I urge you to give yourself small rewards as you make positive steps toward your goal, rather than one large reward when you've succeeded - this way you're most likely to stay motivated.

• Let go of perfection. I'm aware that my book is not ready to be published in its current state. I'm writing from the heart first and then will go back and edit and polish, etc. Writing a book takes a lot of time, a lot of work and a lot of endurance. I'm giving myself permission at this stage for the book to be rough, for it to be "bad." I'm in this for the long haul. I'm allowing myself to be in the process of writing a book, without needing my book to be a product.

I hope you found these suggestions helpful. They are certainly helping me stay on track with my goals. If you find yourself falling off the wagon with your creative goals, getting back on track is just a few actionable steps away. I'd love to hear how you stay on track with your creative endeavors.

Four Benefits of a Daily Meditation Practice

A couple of months ago I gave myself a challenge. I committed to meditating every morning for at least ten minutes a day for the next thirty days. I created a small altar on the coffee table in our living room, consisting of a Buddha statue, a surrender box, and an incense burner.

Every morning, soon after waking, I sit cross-legged for ten minutes in front of the altar. I meditate with my eyes open, but in soft focus and place my awareness on my breath. I count my breaths from one through ten and begin again when I reach ten. This method helps calm my mind and keeps me focused.

That doesn't mean that I've achieved enlightenment or inner-peace! On the contrary, meditating has helped me realize how active my mind really is. It seems as soon as I begin, my mind remembers this HUGE to-do list that had previously been living in the dark recesses of my mind. Things that had seemed trivial yesterday all of a sudden come to the forefront, wanting to be heard and recognized. When the thoughts come (and they always do), I try to practice compassion and loving-kindness towards myself. I label the thoughts "thinking" and bring my focus back to the breath.

Sometimes while meditating, I experience thirty seconds of presence and sometimes I experience two whole minutes! And at other times, no peace comes, just an endless stream of thoughts punctuated by breath.

What have I gained in my 80+ days of daily meditation?

• Time. I used to feel like I didn't have time for anything, like time was continually slipping away and I was running to keep up with all the items I had to check off my to-do list. I still have the same amount of responsibilities in my life, but now I experience a lot more space around these responsibilities. Time seems to be elastic, rather than fixed. And although I'm taking at least 10 minutes a day to sit in stillness, somehow I seem to have more time to do the things I need to do and, more importantly, the things I want to do.

• Inner Peace. A funny thing started to happen after I'd been meditating for awhile. I started sweating the small stuff less. For example, I live in New Jersey and have struggled my entire adult life with road rage. The moment I get in the car I'm "horn happy." I won't claim to be a saint now, but I will say that my tolerance for sitting behind someone who has stopped at a green light has increased ten-fold. I no longer take their absent-mindedness as a personal affront, but recognize that they may be having a bad day. Nowadays when I find my stress levels rising, I remind myself that "we are all one."

• Perspective. We all struggle. We all have stressful aspects to our lives that aren't going as well as we wish they would. Meditation has given me the perspective to recognize that my problems are only as big or as small as I make them. I have the power to change my perspective. I have the power to decide if a problem is going to ruin my day.

• Positivity. Before I started meditating, I was often at the mercy of my mind. Human beings have a tendency to over-focus on the negative and I was no exception. Since I've started meditating, I've become more aware of my negative thoughts. When you notice a negative thought before it takes hold, you can easily replace it with a more positive thought. One of my favorite sayings is: "You don't have to believe everything you think." Meditation has given me the power to chose more positive thoughts and that is an invaluable gift.

This started off as a thirty day experiment, but now that I'm eighty-seven days in, I think it's safe to say I'm hooked! I can't imagine not continuing to meditate daily and I've upped my daily meditation practice to fifteen minutes a day. Meditation is how I start my day; it is a small, but incredibly effective way that you can begin your day with self-care.

Don't Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Good

Yesterday, while taking a drop-in art class I had an experience that I don't always have when I'm engaging in something creative: I was fully "in the zone." My instructor even commented: "You're on fire today." Painting after painting was flying out of me. I felt free and almost reckless - a very unfamiliar feeling for me.

Class started off with quick thirty-second figure drawings, then we worked our way up to one-minute, and then finally four minute sketches. Ever since the instructor told me not to go over the same line twice, I've really struggled with finding my freedom in figure drawing. But today I was completely free, and as a consequence, my line quality was much better. I felt completely unconcerned with what the teacher thought of my work and totally uninhibited. It was one of the most enjoyable creative experiences I've had in a long time.

Afterwards, I was reflecting on why this was such a pleasurable experience. This is how I always WANT to feel while creating, why do I often NOT feel that way? 

I think this was so enjoyable because it was a drop-in class. Not a full course. Not a master's degree. Just a drop-in class. Therefore I felt no responsibility in getting it right or needing the teacher to like me. I was able to take it less seriously and just have fun with it. And I wasn't monitoring myself to make sure that I was improving.

If you practice at your chosen craft(s), you will improve over time. Worrying about whether or not you're getting better doesn't help you improve. It actually slows down your growth. Your intellect might think it's helping out, but it's actually slowing you down and making your creative process less fun. Ultimately there's truth to the simple adage that "practice makes perfect." Or rather, since there's no perfection in the world of creativity, "practice makes better."

Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Create even though it won't be perfect. Create BECAUSE it won't be perfect. Create because you're spirit cries out that it needs to express itself. That is where the freedom is. That is where the joy is.