When I was around ten or eleven, I wrote a song that had the following lyric: They say a broken heart can mend When time kicks in the pain will end But how long does it take, For time to come? Heavy. A bit too saccharine for me, even now. But I think about itContinue reading “When Time Kicks In”
Tag Archives: creative practice
Theatre: An Empathy Playground
Let’s not forget, in this relatively short blip of time when humans aren’t gathering to experience live theatre, the powerful effect that the art form has on our communities. Theatre encourages empathy by acting as a playground for emotions. In that room, together, we put ourselves in different shoes. As a group, we’re imagining whatContinue reading “Theatre: An Empathy Playground”
Standards of Lifting
Marginalized people face a disproportionate amount of forced introspective work: the desperate search for purpose, or an innate “goodness”, that will counterbalance the shaming we face from those in power. After swimming through oceans of ignorance and deeply engrained biases, we’re often left dripping with diffidence. Maybe if I work harder at articulating my personalContinue reading “Standards of Lifting”
Dedication to Craft
Those of us who stand out as exceptional artists tend to be those who work the hardest on improving our craft. If you’re paying attention at all right now, you’ve heard of Amanda Gorman. Watching her recitation on Inauguration Day and her subsequent interviews, it’s easy to see the amount of hard work she putContinue reading “Dedication to Craft”
Dipping Down to Pettiness
My gosh, is it ever tempting. I’ve got a lot of critical thoughts about a lot of things. And when I’m ticked off I tend to quickly make it obvious. My first instinct is always to speak out against any harm with which I’m met. But I’m learning to focus that anger into more productiveContinue reading “Dipping Down to Pettiness”
Werk Authentically
I’m thinking about the amount of work that has to go into creative success, no matter how you define “success” for yourself. And across the board, in my opinion, quality work means extended deep focus. Such dedication requires a removal of feigned personalities. Pretending to be someone you’re not is utterly exhausting. If you’re metContinue reading “Werk Authentically”
Naïve Discoveries
I can only hope I’m always this naïve. Isn’t life so much better for those of us who lean in to our ignorance? No one can know everything. To pretend otherwise is to dig yourself an inescapable hole and miss out on all the fun. Projecting an image of unwavering confidence means turning a blindContinue reading “Naïve Discoveries”
Delight in Just the Thought
I’m noticing a trend in my circles that makes me feel icky. Artists do not need to be “productive” to be good artists. We don’t need to be churning out viral videos, TV pilots, or reams of great poetry to be deemed worthy. I’m seeing a number of people (including myself) feeling uninspired or overwhelmedContinue reading “Delight in Just the Thought”
luke brown 