Embracing Obliquity
“The quickest distance between two points may not be a direct line.” Another important book is by John Kay, entitled “Obliquity. Why our goals are best achieved indirectly.” What a Word Presenting...
View ArticleMortgaging Creativity
“We’ll front you the money. No problem.” Debt is evil. If any of us do not understand this at a deep intellectual, emotional, and entrepreneurial level, well then, the following will tilt at the...
View ArticlePatrons
“I don’t have any ‘patrons’; I have cheapskates.” Patrons may appear from everywhere, directly and indirectly. And it is interesting to see that the patrons we wish for may be different from the...
View ArticleThe Spark or the Light Bulb
“Now or later.” We can create “on the spot,” and we can also create “with deliberate intention.” But each of us usually has a preference of one or the other. Do Improvisation and Deliberation Come...
View ArticleA Done Widget
“I think I’m done.” How do we know when we’re done with our creation of a particular piece? Determining Completion The tinkering nature of the creative process plays right in to polishing a widget...
View Article“Peak Experiences,” for the Audience
“The audience enjoyed it more than I did.” Who knows what causes an audience to be deeply moved by a particular performance? Well, some experts have been looking into that. Got Peak Experiences? A...
View ArticleReady Already
“Badges? We don’t need no stinking badges!” How do we know when we’re “ready” to create? Oh, we know. Usually after the fact. Plumbers don’t face this “issue.” Plumbers go to work in the morning....
View ArticleDeclining Attendance Is Real
“Nobody goes to see shows anymore.” About 75% of U.S. adults participate in the arts. To heck with the other 25%. “Oh, this is what the NEA does.” By now, this is old news to many. In 2011, the...
View ArticleDoing a Little More v. Taking a Break
“Aaaarrrgh.” Giving our all to the creative work at hand in the moment is great, but it cannot last forever. Is it time to take a break? We’re creating, yes we are, right now, seeing progress (or...
View ArticleThe Spotlight Effect & the Writer/Performer
“No one cares.” Sure, the audience cares—just less than we think they do. The Spotlight Effect The “spotlight effect” is a short-hand phrase from the world of psychology to describe the...
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