Still waiting (?)

Welcome to the ArtsBound Newsletter. Every Tuesday, I share three thoughts or insights meant to help performing arts students and young professionals flourish in their life and career. Today, 1) the productivity in waiting, 2) what performing artists can learn from surfers, and 3) things we didn’t learn in school. 

You can read a web version of this newsletter (and past newsletters) HERE.

- 5-minute read -

(NOTE: I started ArtsBound because I believe the world would be a better place with more people living their true calling. If you know a student or young professional who is searching for their niche in the performing arts world, consider forwarding this email to them. If this email was forwarded to you, you can sign up to receive my newsletter every Tuesday. It's free, and I’ll never share or sell your data.)

1. Still waiting.

In recent weeks, it seems Life has been sending me the message to assume a posture of receptivity - rather than active productivity - with regard to a number of creative pursuits I’ve been envisioning.

The pandemic has forced all of us to slow down and contemplate what is most important in our lives. I have a number of colleagues - coincidentally, all teachers - who have told me that they have moved into a really healthy stage in their life as a result.

So, in the moments when I feel swept away by our productivity-driven culture and anxious for the ‘timeout’ of the pandemic to be over, I’ve been telling myself it’s OK to have chunks of time that are totally unplanned and unproductive - time when I’m not actively trying to get something done (“the dishes can wait”), learn something (“turn off the podcast for a while”), or even do something my ego would identify as worthwhile (“it’s OK if I don’t go outside right now”). 

Paradoxically, just about every time I let go of the need to produce in a given moment, something fruitful or joyful rises out of it. 

Many performers have found innovative ways to continue creating art. Others are still waiting for a time when creating in the physical presence of others doesn’t evoke anxiety about spreading a deadly virus.

If you fall in the second camp, I would invite you to reflect on ways you are perhaps still being nourished by maintaining a healthy attitude of waiting. And I also hope you might find a kernel of insight in the next item, which is all about recognizing the ‘right’ opportunity for taking action.

2. Recognizing opportunities.

Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have grandparents who loved vacationing on the New Jersey shore and who were willing and able to provide lodging for their children and grandchildren who would join them. And so every summer, my parents would pack my sister and me into our blue Chevy Cavalier station wagon and make the 8-hour drive to the beach.

Body surfing was a favorite pastime for the family, and a good dealing of energy went into catching the ideal wave, teaching the youngest generation to do the same, and talking about all of it when we returned to our beach chairs.

The career of a performing artist is often a series of gigs - opportunities that can be caught like a wave and rode out until the finite end for which they are destined. Below are five things I learned about body surfing that can be informative for performing artists on the lookout for the next great opportunity:

• Never turn your back to the ocean. When you are a child standing in the energetic surf, turning to fully face the shore can be dangerous. Similarly, when you are a performer looking for opportunities, it’s important to know where to look so as not to get sideswiped by an opportunity you weren’t ready for.
  

• The best rides occur when multiple factors align. Catching a great wave in just the right way is dependent upon many factors: e.g. your location relative to the wave, the position of your body, whether the tide is coming in or going out, wind speed and direction, etc. Some of these factors you can control - like identifying prime time in the tide, or hustling to get in a better position when you see a decent wave forming a little ways off - and some of it is just luck. Being successful in the gig economy depends on knowing where you have influence, concentrating your efforts in those places, and not getting hung up on things you can’t control. 
  

• You can always try again. Enough said.
  

• You can’t just wait forever for the perfect wave. You might know someone who is so dedicated to shopping around for the best deal that they never settle on anything. The same applies to riding waves and catching gigs. Certainly, it helps to have savvy and patient; there have been a number of times in the water when I was tempted to ride one wave, but then I noticed that another was forming behind it that was even better. But there’ve been equally as many times that I’d been waiting for a thrilling ride only to realize it wasn’t going to happen that day. It’s always a gamble, but sometimes you have to take what you can get.
  

• It’s OK to sit it out sometimes. If you just scuffed up your shoulder because you got dumped by a big breaker - or if you’re just enjoying the book you brought with you - it’s just fine to take some time and rest. As I discussed in the item above, sometimes taking a timeout is just what we need to recharge for our next burst of activity. Most importantly, when you do choose to sit it out, be careful to manage any feelings of regret or envy you might have when you see others catch a good ride. It’s OK to have those feelings (they can be instructive); but also own the choice you made, and try to be happy for those who caught the ride you sat out. 

3. What they didn’t teach you in school.

This week, I revised and posted an article that I wrote almost two years ago. It’s a bit of a longer read (about 7 minutes) and bears the admittedly provocative title, “School Hasn’t Prepared You to Do Good Work - Here’s What You Need to Know”.

In the article, I compare trends in our school system to the definition of ‘Good Work’ as established by Havard psychologist Howard Garnder and his colleagues in their study on the topic. In short, I use Gardner et al.’s work (as well as that of Doris Santoro) to support my belief that the policies and practices of our public schools put us out of touch with our inner calling.

It’s not the first time I’ve written in critique of our school system, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. 

HOWEVER…

I want to be sure to say that my criticism of the system is not an indictment of any and all who participate in it. The work undertaken by our teachers and school leaders is of monumental importance. And while I may say in one breath that our schools system is in need of a new vision (and I believe that many of my colleagues in the schools would agree), I will use the next breath to express my appreciation and respect for those who meet our children each day within the context of the system we currently have.

Truth be told, I miss the relationships I was able to form with my students as a result of my work in the schools... AND... I am grateful to now have the chance to work with blossoming professionals to develop the deep, foundational skills that I believe get covered up by the pile of external expectations laid upon our young people by our school system and the culture at large.

Read: “School Hasn’t Prepared You to Do Good Work - Here’s What You Need to Know”

See you next week!

Lee

PS - I started ArtsBound because I believe the world would be a better place with more people living their true calling. If you know a student or young professional who is searching for their niche in the performing arts world, consider forwarding this email to them. If this email was forwarded to you, you can sign up to receive my newsletter every Tuesday. It's free, and I’ll never share or sell your data.