Hey Artist,
Beginning a 6 month experiment to see how how much I can do with a routine. By nature, I am sporadic.( If you read the Manifesto I wrote I definitely fall into the work til 3 am and then be useless for 2 days category.)
So right now; my focus is on consistency. But there’s a problem.
The truth is that a career in any art is not just about making art. For instance, if you are an actor; There’s learning technique, analyzing scripts, headshots, self submissions, representation, creating your own work, networking, creating reels, getting footage, creating a social media presence, and more. In addition to finding ways to pay for all this along with food, shelter, classes, etc.
My past way of dealing with this was cycling through them. Work on a project. Promote. Do marketing. Then work on something else.
But there’s a problem. Like going to the gym or really anything; the moment you stop doing a thing you lose momentum and begin backsliding. Your twitter following slows down the second you stop posting, You get rusty if you don’t practice technique and suddenly you can’t cry on cue.
So just do the art right? Talent will prevail if you keep doing good work.Right?
I wish that were true, but that has not been my experience either first hand or among my peers. I am thoroughly convinced that the best actor in the world is doing community theater somewhere.
So fine, I’ll work harder. I’ll monologue daily. Take three classes a week. Work nights to pay for headshots. drive Uber on my way to auditions. tweet. Etc. I’ll do whatever it takes. It’ll be worth it (famous person I admire) lived in their car. Etc.
Maybe.
If you can maintain it maybe you’ll succeed. It MAY be a recipe for success, but it is definitely a recipe for burnout.
Can you do that for months, years? Decades?
I can’t.
And what about the rest of your life? Mental health. Physical health? Eventually energy drinks stop working. What then? Meth?
So I propose a return to basics. Do 1 thing in each category. Consistently. a D not for hours either. 10 minutes a day on one monologue. 10 minutes promotion. 10 minutes on whatever skill you want to improve and then live your life.
In a month, evaluate and see what’s working and either continue or find a new ten minute task.
And if your not convinced by the burnout problem, what about this: If you have no free time, what will you do when you actually get that big audition or job? You need to create space for it now. Otherwise you’ll actually dread when they come along because you know that getting what you want will actually throw your life into chaos.
Create tor space now, for the thing you want
Thanks for reading,
E