Conversation with a Creative: Meet Novelist & Startup Founder Amanda Havard

About once a month I change things up on my blog and interview a creative. I think it's important to hear what inspires other people and what they've learned along their own unique creative journeys. Today on the blog I’m thrilled to share an interview with Amanda Havard. Amanda is a Nashville-based tech entrepreneur—one of the 3% of female tech entrepreneurs in the United States. Yep, 97% of tech entrepreneur are men. Today I wanted to take a deep dive into Amanda’s career trajectory—from studying early childhood development in college to penning a young adult fiction series to steering a technology enterprise that could very well turn the healthcare industry on its head. And yeah, she’s done all this by age 30. Here's my conversation with Amanda. 

HS: So, thanks for letting me interview you! I’m so stoked! I always start with this question: What does creativity mean to you?

AH: To me creativity is probably more of a lens than a process. I’ve heard people call it a way of life, and I like that. It’s about being able to think without structures or limits in any capacity. In that way, you can be creative with things we think of as creative — e.g. music, the written word, performance, other arts — but you can also be creative with businesses, life hacks, conversations, the way you dress, the way you are. Creativity is a kind of boundlessness to me, a way to interact with every interesting and boring thing you encounter in a series of “what ifs” more than rules about what is.

HS: So you piqued my interest as someone to interview because I find your path pretty unusual and interesting: childhood development major turned YA fiction writer turned tech entrepreneur. That’s not something you hear every day! Why did you first decide to study childhood development and then embark on a career as a writer and then pivot to running a tech startup? Can you unpack your journey a bit?

AH: It’s definitely not something easy to see when you hear it like that, but there’s actually been a pretty clear through-line. I started with childhood development because I was interested in people. I worked in summer camps and things of the like growing up, and I was fascinated to see kids of different ages interact, problem solve, and learn differently than kids of other ages. I was somewhat obsessive about seeing the commonalities and what changed as they aged, what stayed the same. When I realized this was something you could actually study in school, I went that route.

You could also say I’ve always been interested in studying people. I wasn’t a huge people person growing up, and in a weird way that made me more of a people person. I watched. I learned. I narrated in my head. So I had a natural inclination toward storytelling. I’ve been writing stories my whole life.

In grad school, these things came together. I majored in child development and in early childhood education at Vanderbilt in undergrad. In grad school I got a research fellowship to study cognitive development as it pertained to curriculum design. I was also writing my first (well...what would be first published) novel. As I learned more and more about the cognitive processes that happen during reading and that we HOPE happen during reading, I imagined a technology we could build that would help foster this process. This was what became my first startup, Immersedition, and how I began my career in tech. We used my first novel as the prototype for Immersedition.

The more I worked in tech the more I realized that that cognitive-development-informing-curriculum-design skill and lens I had was really a human-development-influencing-information-design.

So then I realized my skills were not just limited to teachable or educational technologies.  In recent years I’ve broadened to larger tech industries. Circle back to that idea I said on creativity being a lens. I think creative entrepreneurs can enter non-creative fields (like I’m in healthcare right now) because they can bring an alternative or disruptive viewpoint. So that’s what I do now.

HS: Aha. It had broader application than just cognitive development.

AH: Exactly!

HS: So is the long game to remain in health tech? Or do you have goals that live outside of that industry? In other words--it sounds like “tech healthcare” is not your “calling”--it’s disruptive technology. 

AH: The long term goal is to keep using my skills to innovate. Healthcare is my current domain — specifically public health, state-funded health programs like Medicaid, and the like — and I like what we’re doing because it’s reinventing critical but outdated processes. I don’t imagine I’ll be in healthcare forever because I don’t imagine I’ll just be in one place forever. I keep amassing understanding that all entrepreneurs (hopefully) do: how to run a business, how to grow one, how to build a team. I also am becoming more and more technical all the time. I imagine disruptive technology, as you say, will be the through line. 

And I keep current in conversations outside my field. Just this morning I had a breakfast meeting with a hugely innovative guy in Nashville who is so insanely talented, creative, and business-strategic for creative industries. I want to keep working with people like that. Keep up all the parts of myself.

HS: Totally. So now let’s chat about your YA fiction series. I’d love to hear about your writing journey and the series. 

AH: Ah, my writing journey. It’s been... a journey. First to know, since we’re talking about it, is that none of the books I ever published — called THE SURVIVORS SERIES — are currently available for sale. This was a purposeful choice on my part to serve my current company in a more focused way. So to say there are sequels is an understatement. Three books in the series were out (and taken down), and there were two more. One of those two was already written, so there’s an entire one sitting there for no one to see. In the time that I was publishing SURVIVORS I developed story worlds and plots for about nine other books. And though you’d only ever see it if I became a Gaiman-esque prolific writer, SURVIVORS was actually the story world that could birth all the others. It was a supernatural story that played on the idea that a bunch of kids were accused as witches during the Salem Witch Trials. They were exiled instead of killed, and by a miracle, they survived. Of course, they survived because they were supernatural. The story itself takes place in modern day and is following one of their descendants who grew up in a Village-style hidden commune where all these Survivors lived, but she escaped and lives among people.

Now: The theory of how SURVIVORS was the initial concept for my supernatural plans comes in the “rules” of the story world. It assumes all human history is true. It assumes that all supernatural creatures, legends, lore, monsters — whatever — are real. And it assumes that it’s on the same timeline human history is. That is to say: anything could happen. I grew up on comic books, and you could imagine from this that I was thinking of how to build a universe that could house any story I could throw at it.

HS: Fascinating. Well, I hope these become available to the public sooner or later. Ok, so tell me about your health tech startup, Health ELT! How did go from an idea to a thing Where did the idea manifest?

AH: My dad and I co-founded the company. He’s a longtime healthcare entrepreneur, and he was starting to play in the Medicaid space because there’s a lot shifting there. I knew nothing about Medicaid but I knew a lot about digital audience engagement, and we used to have interesting conversations about how I could reach the same populations he was trying to for frivolous purposes but the Medicaid industry as a whole has trouble engaging its own populations for their healthcare needs. It’s very bizarre but it presented us with an interesting opportunity to take what someone with my skill set and mobile app/digital audience knowledge and his extreme healthcare knowledge and start tackling some big problems. Some of them are exactly what you’d expect: making health-driven apps for the Americans who have the fewest resources and the greatest needs. But our core business is actually in a bizarre but critical place: assessments.

The entire Medicaid system is run by assessments. Assessment of what you need, what you qualify for, how you’re doing now compared to how you were doing “before,” etc. And so, so, so much of this happens on paper still. With paper comes a myriad of troubles: slow workflow, human error, information that isn’t usable, data-entry people if you want the info to become useful, and so on. So I decided to deep, deep dive into Medicaid and learn where the real problems are. Most of those problems are in places where assessments are critical. So we create big systems that help the health plans (insurance companies) who are paid by the government and now run Medicaid in most states. Mobile apps for people who go into the field for their work. Web dashboards for people who work in offices, need to keep track of their workforce, etc.

It sounds unsexy, and I’m sure that it is. But it fills a huge, huge need. And to circle it back to the human development part: that’s all in how I handle interface design. My goal is to stop creating enterprise tech that requires three weeks of training. Stuff people use for work should be as simple as the stuff they use for life. We should be thinking a lot more Facebook-profile simple for someone’s health records than...well whatever they look like now. I’m working on all that.

In fact, creating enterprise tech to the simple-to-use, pretty-and-clean interface standard that feels more like the apps you use in your everyday life is my current overarching pursuit. I hate that there’s a dichotomy and tech: cool and great to use vs. important but terrible to use.

"My goal is to stop creating enterprise tech that requires three weeks of training. Stuff people use for work should be as simple as the stuff they use for life. We should be thinking a lot more Facebook-profile simple for someone’s health records than...well whatever they look like now."

HS: I don’t know anything but I know that medical records in and of themselves are the furthest from simple and organized.

AH: Right! And imagine if you had never had health insurance, knew NOTHING about your rights or responsibilities as a patient, and had a government entity involved in the process of your health records. THEN what kind of mess would it be like?

HS: So let’s go back to you being a creative, innovative person. How does that play out in your work on a really practical level? How do you use creativity every day?

AH: I definitely have to think through the use of creativity in my daily life. Recently I noticed I was getting too far away from creative pursuits, and so I’ve had to baby step my way back in so that my creative brain turned itself on all the time. If it’s on, then I can use it creatively everywhere. If it’s off, then I’m useless and just a boring ol business person who has lost her spark.

So I started reading comic books again. Lots and lots and lots of comic books. I travel ALL the time, and I used to get on planes and instantly try to get caught up on emails, work docs, wireframes to review, and all that. But I was never letting my brain work its magic. So now plane time is reserved (mostly) for comic books or reading other entertaining things. It probably sounds silly but the colors and extremity of them put my brain in a place they never go. By that definition, I can take my business brain to places it never goes.

I’ve also started carrying around a physical notebook, which is a great irony for my obsessive tech pursuits. I always did this when writing but got away from it. Now it’s helping me think things out in a big and sprawling way. 

I also just have to challenge my brain to think thoughts it doesn’t always. Keep playing piano. Keep outlining story ideas when they come to me. I can’t feel guilty or unproductive when I get a synopsis for a new story in my head. I have to let my brain decompress, write it out, and then when I’m done, 90% of the time I’ve also solved a business problem while I don’t even know it. I’m becoming a much better entrepreneur this way.

HS: That’s a brilliant habit—reading for fun on planes—to keep you fresh. 

AH: Plus, it allows me to sometimes support my business points with comic book panels that bizarrely illustrate my point. (Insert here how I referenced a Tony Stark sequence with Spider-Girl talking about information hubs and organization to discuss with my research team how we document Medicaid research.) The habit is helping. Noticeably. 

HS: Haha! That’s amazing! So let’s switch gears a little. I’m big on fighting the fear in the creative process. In your field--and career journey--it looks to me like there’s a lot of opportunity to overcome fear: being an outlier in a male-dominated industry, pivoting from writing to tech, etc. So how do you fight fear as you try new things and take big risks? What’s your secret sauce? 

AH: Oh man. I might have a secret sauce. I could pretend it’s the armor I wear — red lipstick! kickass heels! — but the armor is there just to help fortify what matters most: confidence. I had this really, really, really big revelation when I was switching industries. I had emotionally attached to Immersedition in a way I couldn’t even describe, but I’d felt nothing like it in my life. When something didn’t go well creatively, I thought it was a reflection of failure on my part, and I was, as you say, fearful. But it dawned on me that I was protective of that idea because it felt like my one chance to make something. And that was insane.

I am going to have an infinite number of chances as long as I am eternally willing to work for more chances. And I am. 

I had to gather the confidence to realize that I was going to keep having ideas. It didn’t mean they’d all be worth building. It certainly didn’t mean that all my ideas would be successful. It did mean that I had to find the right way to temper emotion at all — not just fear — into what I was doing. I believe SO STRONGLY in the Immersedition methodology. I believe SO SERIOUSLY in the need for Medicaid reform. I believe in so many things! I believe in them, and so I will fight for them. I have to be confident that I will always have that strength, and I will always have that vision.

I’ve flipped the fear to a place of opportunity. Moments of chaos, even dysfunction, allow for new opportunities. I can see that now. Realistically I’ll be able to see that better as time goes on and as my experience grows.

And I will say this too... on being an outlier. A pioneer. A minority. Whatever. As I have been all those things. Being great at something trumps whatever disparities could come to you. The world isn’t fair, the opportunities aren’t equal, and that all sucks. Sure. But I never talk about it sucking, and no one ever talks about me being good at what I do “for being a girl” or whatever else they could say. If you work hard enough, keep your head down, and produce great things, then people tend to forget about the rest.

"I am going to have an infinite number of chances as long as I am eternally willing to work for more chances. And I am." 

HS: So true.

AH: If anything, those things end up working in my favor. It impresses people that kids of our generation are willing to quietly work their asses off. You think I’m kidding, but the confusion other generations have around ours is insane. I don’t know how many people get to see that the way I do since I typically interface with serious business people twice my age. 

HS: What inspires you? Any book recommendations? TedTalks that changed your life? Anything we can ingest that made a big impact on you? 

AH: Comics? No, really… I can make great recommendations for how to get started. There are huge books that change my life, of course. In fact, Sean and I have a library in our upstairs that’s done by category, and one of the categories are “the books that most profoundly affected Amanda’s writing career.” Some are the ones you’d expect, but to share a few, I’d say Janet Fitch’s PAINT IT BLACK (but you know her from WHITE OLEANDER). Elizabeth Kostova’s THE HISTORIAN is where I got fascinated with the idea of supernatural history + human history. All of Curtis Sittenfeld’s books (read them in order! PREP, MAN OF MY DREAMS, AMERICAN WIFE, SISTERLAND). Women will probably appreciate the hell out of her innate ability to have an incisive narrative voice in even mundane moments we’ve all been through. And a fast several: Sylvia Plath’s COLLECTED POEMS, John Corey Whaley’s WHERE THINGS COME BACK (He is the best!), Gillian Flynn’s SHARP OBJECTS, Asne Seirstand THE BOOKSELLER OF KABUL, S.E. Hinton’s THE OUTSIDERS, and finally finally Sandra Cisneros’ THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET. It might be my favorite book, which I’ve carefully kept from ever saying. To make your brain melt, READY PLAYER ONE. (You HAVE to read it before it becomes a movie!)

I also read myths from cultures all over the world. Still love poetry for what it does to your brain in such a small space. I listen to tons of music because we collect vinyl and live in Nashville. I like making a soundtrack for moments and a soundtrack for different emotions. And fashion! Oh man, I love fashion.

Street style blogs are life changing. The Sartorialist is the best place to start. His ability to make you stop and notice every choice some supremely unique and fashionable human has put into their appearance is huge. It’s almost like a learning tool. A noticing exercise.

I love fashion for a lot of reasons, but I mainly love it for how it is the way you speak to the world about yourself. You get to choose an image from scratch every day. Think of this! The opportunity! People like to say fashion and style can be frivolous and I heartily call bullsh—. What are you choosing to tell people about you when you walk out of the house? Your style is like your posture: It better be strong because whether you like it or not it is communicating to the world exactly what you think of yourself. So stand up straight and find a personal style that makes you feel most you.

HS: What advice would you have for someone starting out in their career that would like to have a multi-faceted career like yours and/or take the world by storm via tech startup? :) 

AH: Other than “Stand up straight and find a personal style that makes you feel most you?” Ha! I’d say: always be learning. Read magazines like Inc. and Wired and Fortune and Forbes that talk about business and startup culture and funding rounds. Be more well-versed in your industry (and in others!) than anyone ever, ever expects you to be. Shock them with how well-studied you are. When you do this and let the knowledge and practicality infiltrate your creativity and your original business idea, you’ll start to be able to see things in a three-dimensional space inside your head. This thing you’l be able to see: it’s what we call having vision. Being a visionary. Use every skill and sense you have to figure out how this vision should take shape, how it should form and evolve. Use every skill and sense you have to guide it and build it. Use everything you’ve got. You must.

Also: if you’re not technical, you MUST find a tech partner that you trust with your life. If the code doesn’t work, nothing else will.

HS: Closing thought? 

AH: Sometimes people talk to me about leaving creative fields to go “work,” and I think this misses the mark. Creativity and work can and should be universal. Bring creativity to all the work you do. Work at your creativity, even if it comes naturally to you. This is how you hold yourself to a high enough standard. Don’t expect things to be easy; they won’t be. If they were, you simply didn’t challenge yourself enough.

Many, many thinks to Amanda Havard for texting with me for an hour about her life as a startup founder, creative, and all around cool girl. Follow Amanda on Twitter at @AmandaHavard and Instagram. And if you liked this post and want this kind of thing in your inbox, subscribe here.

More in Less is Now Available (And some other exciting news!)

After writing feverishly on flights to and from Texas and crowdsourcing a name for the book and even tapping my husband and Mom to help me edit and fine tune (thanks guys!), More in Less is finally here! 

I'm so thrilled to share with you this 53-page eBook that is full of strategies and tools that I use every day to get more creative work done in less time. Creatives get a bad rap for living in disorganized chaos and I want to debunk that myth. I'll be the first to admit that I have mild ADD, so these productivity strategies are exactly what I need in order to create. So many of us would not be able to produce if we didn't have strategies in place to be organized and productive. Amiright?

If you could benefit from a few more ideas for getting focused and productive, this eBook is for you.  I'm making it available for free until July 31. So get your copy now. You can download it right here. 

Some other exciting news to share is that I've begun working on a full-length nonfiction book (like, hold in your hand, smell the pages, bend the binding book. Ahh! ) and I'm now officially represented by the DRS Agency in Nashville. Guys, I have a literary agent. Geek out with me? 🎉

As always, really appreciate you taking the time to read. And if you download More in Less I'd love to hear your thoughts on it and hear your own strategies. Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 

Video: My TV Interview on All Things Freelance, Branding and SEO

This week instead of writing an article, I'm excited to share with you a recent interview I gave where I got to talk all things freelance, branding, SEO and outsourcing--among other things. We covered a lot in just a few minutes! 

And I'm thrilled to announce that my new eBook, More in Less: 21 Productivity Hacks for Creatives, is going to be available JUNE 1! Stay tuned to find out how you can get a copy. And for now, be sure and sign up to receive the Editorial Calendar Cheat Sheet. It's going back in the vault at the end of the month. 

By the way, if you found value in this video it would mean a lot if you'd share it. I know you don't share everything you see, so if you choose to share something from here, trust me, I don't take it lightly. Thanks, as always, for taking the time to read (or watch)! 

Tuesday Tip 007: My #1 Piece of Advice for Freelancers

Growing a freelance career is about so much more than just being good at that thing you do.

As any business owner would agree, if people don’t know your business exists, then it doesn’t matter how good your fries are. 

In today’s Tuesday Tip, I’m sharing what is most critical to know to get your freelance career off the ground. 

Your personal brand is essentially how people experience you online and what ideas are associated with you. Everything from the fonts you choose to the words on your website to the images on your public social profiles reflect your personal brand when you’re a freelancer. 

Let me unpack the three questions I ask in the video: 

1. What do you do? It’s important that people understand what services you provide and what your specialty is. But before it can become closely associated with you via your personal brand you need to get crystal clear on it. Carve out some time to think about and draft up a summary of exactly what it is you do. Use that as a starting place.

2. Who is it for? Even though we want everyone to hire us, the truth is that we are not perfect for everyone. And if we were then we’d be nothing special. So there may be lots of different kinds of people and businesses you serve but who are you a perfect fit for? Who is your target audience? 

3. What do you want people to think about when they think of you? Organized? Creative? Cheerful? Masculine? Simple? Classy? Think about the words you want people to think about when they think of you. This is a critical component of your personal brand. 

Establishing a career as a freelancer is a multi-faceted endeavor but before you even start your freelance business you've got to get clear on exactly what it is that you're selling, how you're packaging it and who it's for. The more crystal clear you make it, the easier it is for your target audience to know that it is for them.

If you found this post to be helpful it would mean a lot if you'd share it! And please connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. And click here to make sure you don't miss any future posts. 

What I Wish I Knew About Entrepreneurship Before I Graduated College

First of all, I must congratulate you.

This is an incredible milestone. You’ve stuck with something through many challenges and you completed it. Just the fact that you’re completing college says something about your character! You had a years-long goal and you achieved it. Now you’re dreaming of going freelance, launching your own startup or maybe a nonprofit. 

Today I want to share just a few things that I think every hopeful entrepreneur should know by the time you walk across the stage and get your diploma. 

What Every Aspiring Entrepreneur Needs to Know By Graduation

Your education is only beginning. The rest of it simply isn’t for a grade. But to succeed you’ve got to constantly invest in education—whether it’s books, internships, podcasts, TedTalks, or time with a mentor. There are lessons and teachable moments all around you. Learn them. And now you get to choose the books you read. Score! 

Failure will happen. Embrace it early. The more you fail, the more resilience you’ll build. The bigger your aspirations, the more failure will undoubtedly be a part of your journey. Make failure your best friend. Don’t shy away from it. 

You are who you hang out with. Be intentional in spending time with people who encourage you as you head down this non-traditional path. Be intentional in spending time with people who are doing things—not just talking about doing things or worse yet—people who are critics. Stay connected with people from college and constantly invest in opportunities to connect with new people at a variety of career phases. 

Structure and plans help. Don’t worry—the plan can be tweaked! But as of the day after graduation you suddenly may find yourself with a lot more time on your hands. Use that time to reflect, dream, and begin to put together 90-day and year-long goals. Even if you’re striking out on your own, you need to have a plan and structure in place to achieve your goals. 

Risk and reward are twins. You may have trouble trying something new and putting yourself out there for fear of failing in front of people you respect. But reward always comes with risk. And the truth is, you can always change directions if you change your mind about something. Just try. The chances that you'll regret trying are slim.

You’ll never feel fully prepared. You’ll never know everything you need to know before launching. You’ve got to ship and then just learn on the way down. 

Graduation is truly only the beginning. I’m thrilled for you to embark on this next phase in the journey. The 20s can be a really weird time so don’t lose heart. And don't get too caught up in expectations. Every one's experience is different but I can tell you from experience, it just gets better. 

If you’re an entrepreneur, I’d love for you to weigh in! What would you add to this list? 

And if you liked this post and want this kind of stuff in your inbox a few times a month, hop on the subscriber list! I'll send you the 5-Minute Mentor for Creatives to say thanks.

Conversation with a Creative: Meet Composer Scott Gendel

This month I got to sit down with composer Scott Gendel.

I've had the pleasure of singing Scott's music and I've been consistently blown away by his creativity and talent. I wanted to interview Scott because I was curious to learn about the world of composing, hear Scott's approach to creating new material and collaborating with other artists. Oh, and I also wanted to hear about what it was like to collaborate with Yo-Yo Ma. :-) Enjoy this conversation with a creative! 

HS: What does creativity mean to you? 

SG: Creativity is just about letting yourself play and not getting in the way of your own ideas and impulses. I think so much of the time the world around us has so many rules for what we’re supposed to do and so many paths and expectations to make sure we’re playing our part properly. Creativity is like what if we pretend none of that exists and just play.

HS: Can you give me an overview of your career trajectory from college until now? 

SG: I went to college as a Biology major, and considered music just a hobby. But in college I discovered all kinds of amazing musical experiences that changed my life, including my first time composing music. And eventually I went to graduate school and got my doctorate in composing. I had also always been playing piano and started working with singers a lot in graduate school. I could never be held to doing just one thing. Plus, if you’re writing music I think you also need to be performing music to keep yourself connected to what it feels like to perform. So I got my doctorate in composition, but I also completed a doctoral minor in opera and vocal coaching, and I also worked doing musical direction for theatre. I never really wanted to give any of it up. I like it all! 

When I finished my doctorate I realized you can make a career out of playing piano for singers and vocal coaching, and so I developed that career in addition to continuing my career composing. I was composing vocal music primarily, and working with singers all day at the same time. It all sort of feeds each other, and helps me be well rounded as an artist. At this point I am a vocal coach and pianist for opera companies, I do some musical theater direction, play for lots of auditions, but my main thing is composing. I compose songs, I just finished a ballet score, I write a lot of song cycles, choral music, and even operas. I like to keep my work diverse, and I make a living by doing all those diverse things. They all inform each other, and make each other better. If you were going to be a chef in a restaurant and you didn’t ever go to restaurants you would lose your touch. In order to write music I need to be making music all the time, and having all these different outlets makes that my reality. 

HS: What work have you been working on most recently and what are you most excited about? 

SG: I just finished up this children’s ballet score for a ballet company in Texas: “7 Princesses and a Bear.” It’s a two-act ballet for children. It’s got different themes for each princess, fun characters, and great dramatic arcs. It’s a fun new branching out for me, as I’ve never done a ballet before! I just finished the music a month ago; now I’m recording and getting it ready to go. I’ll go out to Texas and do a class for kids about what writing music for ballet is like, and then be there for the premiere of the ballet. Another project I’m excited about is with a friend who teaches voice at University of Massachusetts-Amherst and her husband, who is an amazing cello player. Amherst is where Emily Dickinson was born, so we’re writing a cycle of songs for soprano and cello and piano. We plan to perform it at a bunch of Emily Dickinson-related historical sites, the college,  and other places around the country. 

HS: What is your writing process like? 

SG: It varies a lot depending on what I’m writing. Generally there’s a level of preparatory work that happens before I’m writing anything. So I take apart the text (if there is one), play with the text in various ways, do a lot of singing in the shower, walk around with my ideas. Singing tunes and improvising vocally always gets me in the right headspace, so [I can spend time] living in the world of the piece before I start writing it. The actual writing is a lot of—I write at the piano some, but mostly I write directly to the computer. I don’t want it to be too informed by what my fingers enjoy playing, so I compose right on sheet music. For me, I really feel strongly that you have to write and write and write and write: writing things then throwing them away, writing things, throwing them away. That helps you figure out what you don't want the piece to be. Every time you throw something away, you get closer to what you really want.  For me, it’s rare that tweaking little details about a problematic idea will fix it. The more I tinker the more I can hear the tinkering, and it makes the music weaker. Instead, I just have to throw myself headlong into an idea, and then when I’m done, ask “is this what I truly want it to be?” And then 9 times out of 10, I throw it in the trash.  And then finally, once you have ideas that you love, you can build on them. But that first stage is always throwing a lot of things away. And then the further I get into a big project the less of that I have to do. Once you’re deep in, you’re sort of building in a world that you’ve already created, which is much easier than building your world from scratch. 

HS: How does inspiration play a role in what you write? Do you just sit down to write whether or not an idea has been sparked? 

SG: Most everything—with a few minor exceptions—most everything I write is written because it’s been commissioned. That’s what I do for my job. Having good technique means I don’t have to wait for inspiration to write, but I can do things to make inspiration come to me. Inspiration is a lot about finding the thing that sparks you, in the project at hand. I’m not big on the myth of the “god-like artist figure,” where things just occur to them from thin air. I don’t think that’s what happens. I keep a list of inspirational things around that I pull out for projects. Like when I set out to write some songs for tenor, for example. I had about 20 different poets I love bookmarked, poets whose work I think would make good songs. And those helped me to find an inspirational spark for the project. 

Though of course a lot of projects start with: “we need you to use this poem, or create this thing, for this type of performer.”  Having those guidelines essentially focuses me in. It gives me a world to play in, a focus and a point to invite inspiration into. Then it’s just finding the thing about that poem that speaks to me and going from there. I may not like a poem at first that I’ve been asked to work with, but the more I read any poem, even if I don’t like it, I can always get sucked into it. I’ve never had to work with material I think is terrible. If I’m working with poems or collaborators there’s always something I can find that makes me think, “that’s really neat.”  For me, inspiration is about finding that thing that’s really neat, and then I can’t resist wanting to play with it and work with it. I want to play with just about everything. Any piece of music I hear even if I don’t like it, I’ll be like “Ooh I want to play with it. I wonder if I could solve that problem by doing something musically to get around it.” It’s not that I don’t believe in inspiration, but so much of it is having skills and ideas to navigate the musical world. 

I often feel totally crippled by the idea of “write whatever you want.” I would have no idea. It’s like if you have no menu, being asked what you want to eat.  That’s one reason why, in a lot of my work, I start with poems. Finding ways to narrow down the field of possibilities—That’s a lot of what school was about. “Here’s this weird technique you probably don’t like very much. Why don’t you write a piece with it?” Stravinsky famously wrote something about that, about how composition is narrowing the field of “all possible music” into smaller and smaller boxes until you’ve created something unique. If we’re going with the “play” metaphor, imagine kids out on the playground with a ball. You can make up games with the ball, or you can play Foursquare, or whatever. And then the play really happens. Having a set of rules helps you focus your energy on what’s really needed to make the music work.

HS: It seems like I’ve seen you collaborate a fair amount. Can you talk about what that process is like? 

SG: In a way, all creativity is taking something that already exists and building on it in a different direction. I don’t really believe in something occurring to you in a vacuum. So much of what we do is “I heard this song but what if we tried this other interpretation instead.”  Or “I hated this thing on a concert, but that one part was really interesting, I’m going to try and do something like that but different.”  So anything I write is collaborative, whether it’s written with a living poet, or whether it’s just piano music. But it’s especially nice when you’re working with a living collaborator. There’s such a sense of playing together and taking each other’s ideas and running with them in a different direction the other person may not have expected. It’s hard to find the right collaborator that you get along well enough with to collaborate, but it’s magical when it works. So everything is collaborative in a sense. But the difference with live collaboration is that the other person can hear your artistic choices and respond back. (laughs) 

"In a way, all creativity is taking something that already exists and building on it in a different direction. I don’t really believe in something occurring to you in a vacuum."

HS: What do you look for in a collaborator? 

SG: The first questions are simple: Am I moved by their work? When I read this does it move me? Does it speak to me? But beyond that, you’re looking for someone who is both very creative and able to hear critiques and commentary about their work. That is not easy to find. A lot of people aren’t used to working with others. Poetry is a very solitary activity. I’ve met some fantastic poets, but if you say “What if we tried something like this? It would help what I’m doing musically,” they might feel mortally wounded and snap back, “Are you saying my poem’s bad?”  To work collaboratively, you need to be very comfortable with criticism. I’ve worked with Kelly, my wife, on a number of projects, and she’ll say to me things like “this part you’ve written here doesn’t work in the context of the show. It’s beautiful but you need to cut it.” And I trust her. That’s what it requires: to be in a collaborative relationship, you have to listen to people’s reactions and really consider them seriously. It takes trust and being willing to take critique. We have this image of artists as having an infallible vision that can’t be changed. It “came to them in a dream” so you can’t tinker with it. But that isn’t how it works with collaboration at all. You have to create and listen to feedback from other people and find ways to make it better.

SCOTT GENDEL WITH CAMILLE ZAMORA AND YO-YO MA 

HS: What is your advice to a young musician who would like to do what you do one day?

SG: Write and write and write. Sometimes people get bogged down in making everything perfect. Nothing you write will ever feel perfect to you—or it might for like, one hour. Then two hours later you’ll start to think it’s not perfect any more. I’ve seen a lot of young composers get bogged down worrying about getting every detail perfect. You don’t want to be sloppy, but really you learn technique by trying and seeing what works for you, then failing, and trying again. You don't want to get bogged down with fixing everything. 

Also: make friends with lots of musicians and write things for them. Work with your friends and be good to them. Honestly, I’m moderately successful, and a lot of my commissions come from a connection from some friend somewhere. Like this ballet commission: someone I went to grad school with, an excellent piano player, we got along well, she knows I am good at what I do and fun to work with. The ballet mistress was a piano student of hers, and asked her how to find a composer for a new ballet.  And that’s how I got involved with the ballet company!  You have to have good work and a strong work ethic to back it up, but a lot of getting work is being sure that is you have good relationships with other musicians. If they like your stuff and enjoy working with you, that can snowball into more and more work. So much of being a composer is about being pleasant to work with, making deadlines, listening to the people around you, being giving of your time and energy, forming a good network of friends and collaborators. 

And it’s about saying yes. Any time you have the opportunity to make music you should do it, or at least want to do it. Any time you have a dream you should follow it. Any time you have an opportunity you should take it. In hindsight, I became a professional musician because any time anybody in college was like “Hey, do you want to do this musical thing?” I was like “Yeah! Always!” The more music you’re making, the more you learn, the more fun you have, the more you become experienced. Too often I see people hesitant to take risks with their music or with their careers. Lots of young musicians are shy about sharing their music or putting themselves out there. But the most important thing in my development as a young musician was that I said “yes.” Eventually I had to learn to say “no” some. To have a career you have to say “no.” But even now, if someone talented pitches me a great idea I’m almost always like “Yeah, let's try it!”  Because this world is about forming connections and never losing that creative spark and passion for it. I always feel like when I meet a composer who doesn’t like to compose, well then [I think] “Why are you a composer?” It’s like singers who spend all their time stressing about singing, and never find enjoyment in it. If it stresses you out so much, then maybe don’t do it. Yes, there’s always stress, but the love has to be stronger than it. I say “yes” to almost every project because almost anything I hear about, I feel like “This is so exciting! I'm making art! How wonderful!” You don’t ever want to lose that excitement about making art. That’s the best part. 

If I had to pick one important lesson for a young musician, it would be that. You should find that kind of passion in yourself, get rid of whatever gets in the way of you making music, and doing everything you can to hold on to the joy of music.

Thank you Scott for the wonderful chat and for imparting such wisdom. You can find Scott's work on his website and keep up with him over on his Facebook page. Read advice from Scott and other thriving creatives in my eBook “5 Minute Mentor for Creatives”. Grab your copy here.

If you'd like posts like this right in your inbox once a week, sign up for updates here. 

Tuesday Tip 006: My Secret Weapons for Blogging Consistently

Lately I've been reading about habits.

A few months ago I finished Gretchen Rubin's book Better than Before that provided all kinds of practical tips on how to change your habits. Now I'm reading The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and it brilliantly unpacks the science behind habits. Have you ever driven yourself home and not really recalled any memory of the drive?  Or have you gone on "autopilot" and accidentally driven yourself to Chipotle (oh, just me?) It proves that habits are disconnected, in many ways, from our conscious thoughts. 

Habits are powerful. And one way to change them is to remove the friction in the process of doing something that you really do want to accomplish.

[Enter the Editorial Calendar.]

An editorial calendar makes blogging consistently so much easier. I don't have to reinvent the wheel every week when I sit down to write. Here's four other things that together with an editorial calendar help me blog consistently: 

1. A standing list of blog post ideas. I view the world through the lens of a writer. I keep an eye out for blog ideas all the time and I often add ideas to a standing list. 

2. An expectation. I blog each week not only because I want to but also because I have an audience that expects a new post each week. I feel a responsibility to you to provide you something valuable and new each week. 

3. An intuitive image creation tool. In the past, creating images for blog posts was a real drag for me. I'm a writer, not a graphic designer! Canva has changed my perspective on creating images. I can't recommend it enough. 

4. A blogging platform that's easy to use. Creating new pages and blogs on Squarespace is painless. Blogging is more than writing. And having tools and a platform that support me as a writer really helps me stick to my commitment to blog weekly. 

I'm learning in blogging, as in life, that if we make it easier for ourselves to do the good thing (in this case--blog) then we will inevitably do it more often. So keep a stash of ideas, create an editorial calendar, and use a platform and tools that you like. You'll be churning out brilliant new content as quick as I can say "burrito bowl for here white black chicken."

Get your copy of the Blogger's Editorial Calendar Cheat Sheet here.

If the freelance life appeals to you, check out my on demand webinar: Going Freelance.

Going Freelance: How to Launch, Market, & Build Your Freelance Business

Are you one of those people who would LOVE to freelance but you're not really sure where to start?

Over the past few months I’ve had many conversations about freelancing (some came as a result of this piece I wrote for Yellow Conference on freelancing) and I’ve noticed a trend. People have questions about super practical things like pricing, contracts, invoices, getting clients, networking, marketing, etc. There are people out there (perhaps you) that have a skill they’re ready to put to good use, it’s just all the other stuff that seems a little daunting. 

As a result of these conversations I’ve decided to lead a brand NEW workshop called “Going Freelance.” In this intensive, two-hour class I’m going to unpack all I’ve learned over the past five years throughout my freelance career. I’ll share things like where to find clients, when to fire a client, what makes a good client, the importance of your personal brand and what you absolutely MUST have on your website. I’ll share the lessons I’ve learned over the past five years and some of the systems and processes I’ve put in place that have made freelancing (and getting paid) a pain-free, dare I say, dreamy process. 

I’ve been there. There was a time when I loved the idea of doing my own thing and working 100% freelance but I just didn't have the tools in place yet to make a freelance career flourish. Working on my own terms definitely was a big part of "living the dream" but there was a lot of stuff I had to learn along the way. 

Give me two hours and I'll share with you what I've learned about freelancing over the past five years. 

If you're ready to go freelance, this workshop is for you! So yeah, I’m talking to you: 

• designer
• writer
• artist
• caterer
• videographer
• musician
• subject matter expert
• coach
• actor
• social media manager
• tutor
• web developer
• illustrator
• choreographer
• stylist
• photographer
• teacher
• seamstress
• director
• voice over artist
• interior designer
• wedding planner
• (insert your specialty here because it's clear that I won't be able to list all of the incredible freelance skills out there!)

Bottom line: if the freelance life is calling, you know who you are!

It doesn't matter if you want to freelance just a bit on the side or if you want to go full time. If the idea of saying goodbye to a cubicle, being your own boss, having a flexible schedule, working on your own terms, and being entrepreneurial are attractive to you, freelancing may be for you. Get a crash course introduction to freelancing in my on demand webinar: Going Freelance.

Q&A with Oh-fer Writer/Director, Dr. Carey Martin

We theatre actors don't have to be patient.

We know as soon as a moment happens on stage if it connects with our audience or not. There is applause. There is laughter. There may even be sniffles. But in the world of film, actors don't get that instant gratification.

Last summer I was cast in a short film called Oh-fer that I am (finally) getting to watch tonight at its premiere. It was a pretty special experience, in large part because the writer and director was my old grad school professor, Dr. Martin. And I'm pleased to share that the film has already gotten positive reception. It was given an Award of Excellence, Faculty Video - Narrative Category at the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts. 

Today I'm doing a quick sit-down with Oh-fer's writer and director, Dr. Carey Martin to chat about the film and what it's like to be a professor who moonlights as a film director and screen writer. Enjoy! 

Q&A with Oh-fer Writer/Director, Dr. Carey Martin

HS: Let's talk about that old adage "those who can't do, teach." Clearly not true with you! Can you walk me through your career trajectory--what led to going from the newsroom to the classroom and then ultimately to directing this film?

CM: I got my bachelor’s in radio-TV-film from Northwestern University and went to work in Charleston, SC; first, very briefly, in radio, then in local broadcast TV (news & production), then in non-profit medical education video. My work in the educational field showed me that teaching is something I love; I truly feel it’s my calling. So I quit my job and went back to school. 

I earned my master of fine arts in motion picture, television & recording arts from Florida State University’s “Film School,” and then my PhD in communication from FSU as well.  When I finished my course work for the doctorate, I got a job working for IBM in Atlanta, GA, as part of one of their earlier units working with digital video.  When I finished my dissertation, I moved on into higher ed.  I taught in Florida and in North Carolina, and joined Liberty’s faculty in 2007.  

At Liberty, I chaired the thesis of a master’s student named Jacob Johnston, and at the same time taught an undergraduate named Kristen Chambers.  After they both graduated, with their partner Lem Curran, they formed an independent production company called Mirari Pictures. While they were doing that, I wrote the script for Oh-fer, which won the Best of Competition, Faculty Scriptwriting - Short Category award in the 2011 BEA Festival of Media Arts.  A couple of years later, I showed the script to Kristen & Jake.  

To sum up, Mirari Pictures optioned Oh-fer, we did preproduction last spring, shot in two weekends this past summer, edited it this fall and just made the deadline to submit it to the Broadcast Education Association festival, coming up in April.

Oh-fer Behind the Scenes Shot of Dr. Martin and Me

HS: Where did you get the idea to write Oh-fer? 

CM: Oh-fer is very loosely based on my own experience in baseball. The story also has roots in something I was observing even as a young graduate instructor, where students from troubled families would share that their older siblings had been as important in their upbringings as their parents were.  It began as a short story I wrote for a creative writing class in graduate school. My professor loved it and told me I needed to do something more with it beyond the class.  Unfortunately this was just after the market for short stories had mostly vanished, but just before the potential of the blogosphere exploded.  So I really had no place to do anything with it.  Being a writer, though, I never throw anything away (at least not on purpose) so I held onto it, through four or five moves/states/jobs.  Finally I dusted it off a few summers ago here in Lynchburg, and decided to turn it into a script, with the results above.

HS: How challenging is it to direct a piece you wrote? How are the challenges different than directing a piece you did not conceive?

CM: When directing something I didn’t write, all conflicts with the writer are external; when directing something I did write, it’s all internal.  (Since tone is hard on the internet, let me note this was said with a smile.) Really, when I’m directing something I didn’t write, I can be fairly dispassionate when something has to be cut or changed.  On the other hand, I feel I have to work even harder to really absorb the heartbeat of the story, because I firmly believe the old adage “If it ain’t on the page, it ain’t on the stage!”  

When I’m directing something I did write, like this piece, I have to consciously shift gears as it were, from writer into director mode.  For example, in the original story, Dawn — the older sibling to my protagonist — is described as energetic, athletic, and tall.  The actress I cast, Tatiana Harman, has talent and energy up to eleven; and if memory serves, she was an actual competitive athlete.  Her sport, though, was gymnastics, and like most competitive gymnasts, “tall” is not the first word one would use to describe her.  So I told her to think tall thoughts, and her performance was a home run — or, to use the gymnastics metaphor, at least a 9.5 out of 10!

One challenge that’s the same for me, whether I wrote it or not, is auditions.  I’ve done some acting myself, which on the one hand I recommend to any aspiring director — you really understand the acting process so much better when you’ve gone through it — but on the other hand I also know what it’s like to not get the part, or even a call back. So,  I hate that I can’t cast everyone — I basically want to find something for everybody.  That’s when it’s important for a director to have good producers to remind you that that’s not necessarily a great idea.  (Again,since tone is hard on the internet, let me note this was also said with a smile.)

HS: Tell me about the team you put together to bring this film to life. 

CM: Giving credit where credit is due, Providence brought this team together.  I’ve already noted how Jake & Kristen met through Liberty and started Mirari after their time as students of mine.  Not only were they fantastic producers, but Jake doubles as my AD for much of the shoot, and Kristen edited the picture.  Further, their work on previous projects gave them excellent contacts in the Central VA filmmaking community.  For example, it was their work that brought us our great director of photography, CT Bell.  The wonderful audio we have is the work of my faculty colleague at Liberty, Kornel Gerstner.  And, looking over the credits, roughly half the crew are former or current students of mine — and I must say, as a professor, it’s a fantastic experience to work with your students when they’ve matured into colleagues.

As far as cast goes, I have to sing the praises of Chris Nelson, my colleague over in Liberty’s theater department.  His contacts got us our truly amazing young cast, William Arrington in the lead role as Craig, and Isabel and Jay Norton co-starring as his best friends Shannon and Brick.  Networking is such an important part of this business, but I was blessed on this project — most of the network came to me!

HS: Where do you anticipate people being able to see the film?

CM: The first public screening will be Thursday, March 24, at 7 pm in the Hancock Welcome Center in Lynchburg. After that, we’re looking at several film festivals. We'll be announcing those soon. 

HS: What's your next project?

CM: I currently have a feature script in development.  And, it further develops my story-world, because one of the characters in Oh-fer plays a prominent role in the feature.

Intriguing! Could it be about my pivotal role of "Warrior's Cool Aunt"? Something tells me "no" but I will stay tuned anyway. ;-) Many thanks to Dr. Martin for taking the time to chat. If you want to see a few photos from the premiere (and my other random adventures) follow my Instagram here. 

Read advice from Carey and other thriving creatives in my eBook “5 Minute Mentor for Creatives”. Grab your copy here.

Tuesday Tip 005: How to Eliminate Distractions on Social Media

If you're anything like me, social media can be a black hole of procrastination. Buzzfeed articles, is it a dog/is it a muffin memes, photos of friends, Bernie Sanders GIFs, reminders from Facebook of things that happened 10 years ago...the list goes on. 

But I'm a big believer that in order to enjoy social media we have to control our experience on each platform. That's why I swear by three tools that I use to focus my social media experience and get to the good stuff. I highlight the first one in the video below. 

Here's a link to the Newsfeed Eradicator Google Chrome extension.

My two other secret weapons of social media satisfaction and productivity are Nuzzel and Facebook lists.

Nuzzel is a daily digest that I get in my inbox that gives me a rundown of the most shared articles on my Twitter feed. Because I'm pretty serious about who I follow on Twitter, this digest gives me a bird's eye view of the conversation and posts that I will find important. And I get to see them all in one place eliminating the need to go hunting on Twitter for interesting or helpful posts.

Facebook Lists help me categorize the various pages that I follow on Facebook so I can just see posts from the individuals and businesses that really interest me. I have them categorized by different topics. A few separate lists that I have include Social Media, Thought Leaders, Bloggers and Theatre. This is helpful in cutting through the noise of all of the hundreds of pages and people I'm following on Facebook and helps me quickly find the content that I'm looking for. Also, as a social media professional I can compare the social posts of several different companies, individuals or media entities in one continuous stream so I can see what types of posts are trending and who is doing what. It's lovely.

So those are a few of the tools that I use so I don't get sucked into the social media abyss. I'd love to hear YOUR tips for using social media without letting it own your day. Drop in the comments!

If you'd like posts like this in your inbox once a week go ahead and sign up for the email list. I'll even send you the editorial calendar cheat sheet as a thank you. (And of course, no spamming!)

10 Pieces of Advice for a Young Theatre Major (That Have Nothing to Do with Acting)

Today's post is a slight detour from the usual. I'm getting specific and giving some advice to young theatre majors. Back to our regularly scheduled programming next week when I come at you with a #TuesdayTip video! 

If I could do anything differently in my past I would’ve been a theatre major.

I know, some of you may be surprised that I wasn’t one. I wasn’t! (And let me edit that slightly--I would've double majored in theatre and communications.) When I started college I hadn’t been exposed to theatre very much and I really didn’t realize that one could make a career out of stage performance outside of Broadway (I know…). Luckily I was exposed to great theatre training and experience when I was in college so I got the opportunity to embark on this wild ride of a career after all. (When God has plans for you, He makes a way.)

Now I’m entering my 10th(!) year in professional theatre and I'm thinking back on the lessons I've learned along the journey. While I haven't been a full time actor every day of those ten years, I have spent at least part of the year on a professional contract each year since 2006 (with the exception of 2011--grad school.) Here's a few lessons I've learned over the duration that I wish I had known my freshman year of college (if I could do it all over again). 

10 Pieces of Advice for a Young Theatre Major 

1. You’ll never regret getting a second skill. Now, don’t confuse this with a “Plan B.” When you want to become a professional actor you don't have a Plan B. But you should diversify your skills. You'll be able to contribute to society in more than one meaningful way and you won't resent your passion during those times that said passion might not provide for your basic needs. 

2. Don’t look for your creative fulfillment solely in one kind of artistic expression. Disappointments come. Make sure you are finding joy in more than just your "one thing." 

3. Talent is critical, but so is work ethic and kindness. It's not just about who has the "it" factor. An incredibly practical piece of advice I got from Tory Ross has rung in my ears ever since: "be early and over prepared." Go the extra mile. 

4. Don’t be so competitive that upon graduation all you leave college with are a bunch of memories of roles. Invest in friendships. College is where you can make friends for life. Don’t let competition keep you from community.

5. Practice things that help to thicken your skin—whether it’s a new art form, asking for a discount, or traveling alone. Bravery is a critical part of performing. If you don't feel confident pretend to be a confident person. You're an actor after all. (Stolen from the brilliant Lindsley Register.) 

6. Diversify the important voices in your life and career. One person’s opinion is just that. Don’t put too much stock in it (whether he thinks you’re brilliant or hates your work.) 

7. As important as it is to get lots of experience, it’s also incredibly important to see great work. Go to plays. Go to movies. Rent the really good, old movies. See as much as you can. 

8. Build relationships with actors from other programs, technicians at your own school, people older than you, people outside the theatre program, etc. It’s important to not get in a silos where you’re insulated from others’ experiences. Learn all you can about the many artists who contribute to the creation of a show. And make a point to collide with people who are different than you. You'll be a better actor and a better human for it. 

9. Know what your boundaries are and stick to them. And beyond that, know why you have those boundaries in place. Figure that out while you're in a safe, collegiate atmosphere. Once you get out into the professional community it will be much more challenging to make those decisions without the support of your mentors, professors and peers. 

10. Keep at it. The secret to success in this business is going to one more audition. Keep going. Listen to Rocky: “One step. One round at a time.” The reason I continued to book shows throughout my twenties is because I continued to go to auditions. It's as simple as that. 

So there’s my list of advice for someone starting out in a theatre program. There's obviously TONS more to learn. That's what your degree is for! :-) 

Bottom line, remember there’s always another show. And there’s always another audition. It’s up to you to show up and make it count. 

If you're curious about my acting work or if you're like wait, what? You're an actor? Go here to get the scoop.

How to Combat Fear in the Creative Process

When you're trying to do something you haven't done before--whether it's start a side hustle, pitch an article idea to a magazine, write a song, or publish some photos you took--going for something new can be scary. Putting yourself out there can be paralyzing.

What if people don't like it? What if you don't look cool? What if you're no good? What if you fail? 

Being willing to to take risks to create something, achieve something, or even win someone over (I'm looking at you, nervous guy who has a crush on that girl!) is admirable. It's respectable. Risk and reward often go hand in hand. 

Today I want to share with you a few things I've seen to be true in my own life around fear as it specifically relates to creativity. Here are a few tactics to combat the fear that can so easily silence that thing in you that the world needs you to share. 

How to Combat Fear in the Creative Process

1. Don't let fear drive decision making. It will be in the "car" but it should be in the backseat. Acknowledge that fear is along for the ride, but don't give it the power to drive your decisions. 

2. Just launch and learn on the way down. More often than not you will need to ship your idea before you are 100% done tinkering with it. You will always want to improve on it before you put it out there. But at some point you've got to let go. There will be more to learn after you launch. And that's ok.  

3. Relinquish your control over what people think of you. Don’t make decisions based on how other people will judge those decisions. That is a waste of energy. Don’t let people’s opinions paralyze you. The truth is, you can't control what people think about you and your work and they aren't thinking about you all that much anyway. 

4. Become prolific. Do the thing. And do it a lot. Fear’s goal is paralysis. Don’t even stop to think about it. Just do it. Hold your creativity lightly. Produce, produce, produce, and you’ll get better.

5. Choose goals that mainly take YOU to achieve. Don’t make goals around your “big break.” Make goals that you can achieve even if no one else is cooperating. Maybe it’s showing up at a networking group, reading 50 books this year, learning to code, or going to at least one audition every week. Focus on what you can control to get you where you want to go. 

6. Surround yourself with uplifting people and the right community. Be intentional with who influences you. Are you surrounded by people who are paralyzed by fear? People who used to be this or used to do that? People who do a lot of talking and criticizing but aren’t producing? Surround yourself with people who encourage your bravery by words and example.  

7. Verbalize what it is you are fearful of. Take it to its eventual end. What is the worst that could happen if you did a thing? Would you survive? Verbalizing your fear will diminish it because often when you say it out loud, it's not that bad. 

8. Make failure your new best friend. The more you risk, the more you will fail. The more you fail the more you will realize that failure will not kill you. You can get back up and go try again. That's empowering. 

Risk and reward are basically twins. You can't get to reward without the risk. So embrace the uncertainty! Do the thing because you simply love doing it. Don't focus on how it's received, lauded, or criticized. You're the brave person who created something. And that's awesome. 

Any strategies of your own for combatting fear in creativity? Share it with us in the comments or on social media! 

And if you're into this topic and want more like it you can subscribe here (I'll send you my editorial calendar cheat sheet as a thank you) or follow the Facebook page here.

HSL Book Club Pick: Big Magic By Elizabeth Gilbert (Summary and Discussion Questions)

Last fall I picked up the book Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. You probably know her name because of that other book she wrote or maybe because Julia Roberts played her once (#goals.)

My ears perked when I heard that Gilbert was penning this book because her TedTalk on creativity really made an impact on me. And here she was writing a whole book about the very same topic. YES! 

I waited for a while for Liz’s book to come out. Thanks to an incredibly well-executed social media and marketing strategy (complete with a short-term podcast and beautiful quote images on Instagram), I had Big Magic on the brain for several months before I got to read it. 

From my new book BIG MAGIC: CREATIVE LIVING BEYOND FEAR. Coming September 22! Never forget that #creativity is your rightful human inheritance! #onward #motivationmonday #inspiration #art #writing #dance #music #crafting #invention #youcandoit #yougotthis #makers

"From my new book BIG MAGIC: CREATIVE LIVING BEYOND FEAR. Coming September 22! Never forget that #creativity is your rightful human inheritance! #onward..."

I finally got my own copy and set about reading it in the fall. And in January I got some friends together to do a “Pop Up Book Club” (new term, but so great for the busy/commitment-phobic types!)

The summary of Big Magic can actually be found right on its dust jacket. It reads: 

Creativity is sacred,

and it is not sacred.

What we make matters enormously,

and it doesn't matter at all.

We toil alone, and we are

accompanied by spirits.

We are terrified, and we are brave.

Art is a crushing chore and a wonderful privilege.

The work wants to be made, and

it wants to be made through you.

As you can see this book is full of paradoxes—and so is creativity, of course. To become better artists we must become prolific. To be prolific we cannot be perfectionistic. We must not be afraid to be bad in order to become good. 

Viewing our art as sacred can be paralyzing. We have to hold it lightly in order to produce. We must value it deeply in order to have the commitment it takes to grow. We must take our work seriously and not seriously at all.  

A few of my favorite quotes from Big Magic: 

“To even call somebody a ‘creative person’ is almost laughably redundant; creativity is the hallmark of our species…If you’re alive, you’re a creative person.” (89)

“Never delude yourself into believing that you require someone else’s blessing (or even their comprehension) in order to make your own creative work. And always remember that people’s judgments about you are none of your business…remember what W.C. Fields had to say on this point: ‘It ain’t what they call you; it’s what you answer to.’” (121)

“The image of the tragic artist who lays down his tools rather than fall short of his impeccable ideals holds no romance for me. I don’t see this path as heroic. I think it’s far more honorable to stay in the game—even if you’re objectively failing at the game—than to excuse yourself from participation because of your delicate sensibilities. But in order to stay in the game, you must let go of your fantasy of perfection.” (166)

“Whatever you do, try not to dwell too long on your failures. You don’t need to conduct autopsies on your disasters. You don’t need to know what anything means. Remember: the gods of creativity are not obliged to explain anything to us. Own your disappointment, acknowledge it for what it is, and move on. Chop up that failure and use it for bait to try to catch another project. Someday it might all make sense to you—why you needed to go through this botched up mess in order to land in a better place. Or maybe it will never make sense.
So be it.
Move on, anyhow.” (252)

And perhaps my favorite:

“Maybe I won’t always be successful at my creativity, but the world won’t end because of that. Maybe I won’t always be able to make a living out of my writing, but that’s not the end of the world, either, because there are lots of other ways to make a living besides writing books—and many of them are easier than writing books. And while it’s definitely true that failure and criticism may bruise my precious ego, the fate of nations does not depend upon my precious ego. (Thank God.)
So let’s try to wrap our minds around this reality: There’s probably never going to be any such thing in your life or mine as ‘an arts emergency.’
That being the case, why not make art?” (130)

Big Magic Discussion Questions

If you decide to read this through with a few friends or even make it your official book club pick, here are some discussion questions you can use to guide your conversation. 

Get your free PDF of Big Magic Discussion questions by filling out the form below. 

 

Want to learn how to combat fear in your creative process? Download the free infographic here. 

Conversation with a Creative: Meet Kathleen Ostrom

In today's Conversation with a Creative, I got to catch up with Kathleen Ostrom. Kathleen is the solopreneur and artist behind Leen Jean Studios, a custom stationery and calligraphy business based in Aurora, Colorado.

If you love beautiful paper goods you will fall in love with Kathleen's designs. I've been a repeat customer of Leen Jean Studios because I cannot get enough of her beautiful work! In today's conversation we discussed the challenges of being a solo creative, working from home and the importance of determining your own career dreams. 

HS: What does creativity mean to you? 

KO: Creativity, to me, is when you’re inspired by something in life. It can be translated to the artistic side of life but you can be creative in any field. I see that the most with my husband who’s in finance. I see him using creativity in a different way. It’s being inspired to solve a problem or to create something new. 

HS: Tell us what Leen Jean Studios is and how it came to be. 

KO: I studied graphic design in college. And then was working a graphic design job. This idea came to me and I didn’t really know what it was exactly. I kind of knew where I wanted it to go. I love paper. I love art. I wanted to create a greeting card, paper product line as well as something geared toward the wedding industry and calligraphy. I was really interested in those things. I was really new in that field but it was just something I really loved to do. I still have the piece of paper I wrote. This “web of dreams” for Leen Jean Studios. I feel like my dreams were so small looking back. It’s cool to look back and see I didn’t know where I was going with it but at the same time I did. The name is from my name “Kathleen Jean” named after both my grandmas. It worked because it rhymes. That’s how I came up with the name. 

HS: What is Leen Jean Studios now? 

KO: It has three categories: wedding, calligraphy and paper goods. So with that I do a lot of wedding industry, wedding invitations and paper products you would need for your wedding as well as envelope addressing and different calligraphy items. That rolls into the calligraphy side. I do a lot of custom work for people for homes, nursery, gifts, a lot of different things. That’s very open ended. It’s tailored to what a person wants. On the paper goods side are greeting cards, notepads, prints and different things like that.

HS: Which are you most passionate about? 

KO: I think the greeting card side. I love paper. I love quality paper. I get to use the calligraphy side when I’m making the greeting cards. 

Image Courtesy of Leen Jean Studios

HS: What does that [production] schedule look like in a given year? 

KO: I’m definitely always creating new products. That’s what I’m working on today and this week, a bunch of new card designs. I’m going to the National Stationery Show in May so I really need to amp up my product line by then. It’s kind of an industry standard that each year you’re producing new work. You’re always adding to it. 

HS: Can you go back and tell us a little about your career trajectory? How did you get from college graphic design major to running your own company? 

KO: In my first graphic design job out of college, the idea of Leen Jean came to me. From that point on I always knew this was something I enjoyed doing. I thought, “I’m just going to do it because I enjoy it right now.” I had big goals and dreams but I didn’t know what the future would hold. I knew I wanted to do this because I enjoyed it and I liked it. That’s where my talents leaned toward. First I started doing it on the side. Then I went to work for an agency and I was always trying to find a balance of making the time to do [Leen Jean work]. At some point while I was working at the ad agency Leen Jean started to demand more time. I was starting to build a name for myself and to get more work so it became more obvious and forced me to make a decision about my professional goals. Where do I want to go with this? I had an awesome job. It was a great learning opportunity; I was promoted to art director. It was awesome but it wasn’t. I had to decide “is this where I want to be? And why?” It was a great honor to be promoted. But it was never my dream to be an art director at an ad agency. Not to say that’s not a great job. It was but it wasn’t for me. I realized that quickly. I wanted Leen Jean to be more. I had to find a way to make that happen. That meant leaving the agency. I took another graphic design job that let me grow in the design field but I could leave [at the end of the day] and not have to worry about it and not work overtime as much. Then I could focus more on Leen Jean. Professionally a lot of people didn’t understand why I did that. I took a pay cut. In a lot of ways it was a step backward. That [art director] job took so much of my life. I had to ask myself, is this really what I want to go after? I had to make that decision. 

HS: Do you view yourself as a freelancer or as a “company?” 

KO: I’m both in some ways. I definitely see it eventually being not dependent upon me always, having other people to help me. Right now I don’t. I’m at this “in between.” It’s just me right now. It’s hard. I’ve struggled the past few months. Running your own company and wanting it to grow requires you to wear many hats. They’re not all my strengths but I still have to do them and do them well in order to make it succeed. It’s a challenge. 

HS: So you work from home. How do you make that work for you? Any strategies? 

KO: Get outside. That’s key for me. Being outside inspires me. It helps me to clear my head and see the bigger picture. I can get really overwhelmed with the feelings of everything going on. I stay in my own little bubble and worry about it. If i go on a walk life is so much better. That’s definitely key. 

HS: You recently moved from central Virginia to Colorado. Has that affected your work at all? What is moving like as someone who mainly works from home?  

KO: I definitely knew before I moved that it was going to be a transition because I had been in an environment and community that supported me so much. It was a support system that I knew and didn’t know that cheered me on. Removing myself from that was going to be a challenge. So far I have enough contacts and enough people outside of that area that knew me and knew my brand enough that it hasn’t been as hard of a transition as I thought it would be. I was intentional about meeting new people here in this area. it’s naturally growing here. I have enough supporters whether online or from different areas that have kept me going in this transition. I totally didn’t know what to expect, but it’s really been good. 

HS: What are your biggest obstacles to creative output? And how do you combat them? 

KO: Knowing that I have to wear so many different hats. I get overwhelmed with the logistical side of things. Also, [it’s challenging] working from home, feeling like there’s so much to do around the house or whatever. It’s just making myself sit down and start drawing or painting and then I’m fine. I just have to get to my drafting table to do that. 

HS: Where do you go for inspiration? Any one our readers can check out who really inspires you? 

KO: The mountains. Outside just really inspires me. I try not to look online excessively. I really try to challenge myself to create original work. There’s a balance between learning and growing and creating original work and not copying other people’s work. As a creative you don’t want to be copied. I try to respect that for other people. I really try to focus on things that inspire me personally: going outside, seeing family, meeting people and hearing their life stories. Community inspires me too. 

HS: What is the best piece of career advice you’ve been given? 

KO: “Go for it.”

HS: What is your advice to someone who’s at the beginning of their career who would like to have a job like yours?

KO: Keep practicing. Keep doing it. No. I would say, the biggest thing I’m realizing for me personally, I do what I do because I enjoy creating. I feel like that’s where the Lord has blessed me. So I have to remind myself and keep remembering I do what I do because I enjoy it and find joy in it. Don’t worry about the pressures of feeling like you have to have so many followers or quit your day job so you can arrive at some point. Is this something you truly enjoy? If it’s not something you really enjoy it’s not worth the energy and time it’s going to take to make it into something bigger. It’s ok to just do something because you enjoy it. 

Image Courtesy of Leen Jean Studios

HS: Parting thoughts? 

KO: Fear is something that’s going to be there. I’m not an exception and some special case where I own my company. That’s what this country was founded on. We’re not special people. That’s just how it is. When you own your own company it’s hard sometimes. There are things unknown. You can tell fear to take its place in the backseat. You can let fear in on the road trip. But you tell it it’s not driving and has no say in where you’re going. 

My thanks to Kathleen for a thought provoking chat! I know you'll want to find her on the interwebs so definitely check out her website and online store here (featuring some a-dorable Valentines!) and follow her on Instagram here.

Read advice from Kathleen and other thriving creatives in my eBook “5 Minute Mentor for Creatives”. Grab your copy here.

The Entrepreneur Chronicles: What I Learned from Starting a Business in One Month

Yes, it was rash. But was it too soon? I argue that it wasn't.

Here's how it happened.

The Entrepreneur Chronicles: What I Learned from Starting a Business in One Month

Back before my days of social media strategist/writer/consultant, I mainly did just one thing: acting. And when I say "mainly" I don't mean like "most of the time." I mean that was what I viewed as my career even though I'd spend anywhere between three months and nine months out of the year not doing the thing I loved. 

During one such period of working survival jobs I got a quirky gig as a princess with a character performing company in Nashville. Yes, I literally dressed up in costumes, brought my own soundtrack and sang Disney songs to sweet little girls wearing plastic tiaras and lip gloss. They loved it. I loved it. Everyone was happy*. :-)

*(Except when I was tasked with portraying Hannah Montana. Couldn't escape the skeptical side eye I got at those parties.)

I moved away from Nashville at the end of 2009 and spent another year performing in dinner theatre (while lightly freelance writing on the side) before embarking on a new parallel path to performing: the business side of show business which led to social media for live experiences which led to grad school which led to launching my full-time freelance career as a writer/social media strategist. All along I was still performing professionally when a good opportunity came along. 

Cut to fall 2014. (5 years since I had retired my glass slippers). It was Halloween. I was the candy passer-outer at our abode. 

And my mind was blown.

*Ding dong.*

Aren't you a pretty Elsa!

*Ding dong.*

Oh! Queen Elsa!

*Ding dong.*

Oh look! Elsa.

I began to feel a bit like Bill Murray in that film about February 2. How many Elsas could come to one door on one night?

That's when ideas began to come together in my mind. Einstein called this "combinatory play"--when you begin to piece together ideas that didn't necessarily originate with you and you create a new idea out of them. 

I set about researching. Were there any princess-type companies in Lynchburg? How about Roanoke? Charlottesville? Was this actually legal to do? (Lucky me--I've got a lawyer sibling!) I had a slew of actress friends who would be perfect to hire. Would they be interested? Available? I could use independent contractors. Pay roll wouldn't be a worry. I had experience performing at princess parties before. I could train the performers. I knew how to create a website. Marketing is my sweet spot. 

So all I needed to know was how to conduct research, make a website, get some friends on board and buy costumes? 

I needed a name. I needed some friends to say it was a good idea. And I needed those costumes by December 7--the date of a big public event where we could make a splash. 

I crunched some numbers and figured out that if all went well I could make back my investment by early March. It was low risk. It was exciting. Why not give it a try? 

Perhaps it wasn't as easy as all that. Did I oversimplify it? Would it have all gone better if I had created a long-term business plan, got funding, launched a perfect product?

The answer is "no." I didn't oversimplify it. You know what would have happened if I hadn't just gone for it?

Nothing at all, dear friends. 

In short, I would've over-thought it. I would've talked myself out of it. But instead, in this instance, in this low-risk instance, I just gave it a shot. What's the worst that could happen? 

I'd be out a grand and I'd fail in front of my friends, family and community. 

Worth the risk.

So on December 7, 2014 Enchanting Entertainment was born. A cool five weeks after the idea popped into my head. 

You may be toying with an idea. You may have a dream passion project or have thought "somebody should really do that." What if it's you? What if you're that somebody?

It may be worth the risk. As one of my favorite authors, Gretchen Rubin says, "Choose the bigger life"--whatever that means to you. 

Go do it. And sprinkle some fairy dust while you're at it. 

The snow Queen and friends on december 7, 2014

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The Save Sweet Briar Success Story: 5 Lessons About Making an Impact

Sweet Briar College campus, Photos by Adam Barnes Fine Art Photography

You probably recognize the name of Sweet Briar College because you heard it mentioned on NPR or in an article on social media. The women's college was declared dead around this time last year then against all odds and expectations, it made a fairly shocking recovery. I've had the privilege of spending a few summers at Sweet Briar College when I worked there with Endstation Theatre Company. My husband and I chose their stunning campus for the location of our engagement photos and I sort of, well, fell in love with the beauty of Virginia there. 

When I heard the news that Sweet Briar would be closing I was saddened but not surprised. We all knew that women's colleges were in decline and that Sweet Briar had suffered from low enrollment. I wouldn't be deeply impacted by the loss of Sweet Briar. I was an outsider who enjoyed the tranquil campus. I would miss that. Little did I know that Sweet Briar alumni would sweep in, raise money, and save the institution. Fast forward a mere seven months since Mission: Save Sweet Briar was officially accomplished and the school is boasting its highest application rate in half a century. This is some serious, Lazarus-level coming back from the dead stuff. It's just amazing. So what can we all learn from this Cinderella story? Here's a few things I've noticed.

The Save Sweet Briar Success Story: 5 Lessons About Making an Impact

1. Social media can be a game changer. While the Save Sweet Briar Movement may have been able to achieve similar success if it had occurred prior to the advent of social media, it's undeniable that social media was critical to networking, spreading messages and galvanizing this donor base. Social media gave alumni and supporters all over the country a front row ticket to what was going on right here in central Virginia. That was a huge component of this movement working. If you have a product or message that you're passionate about, there's no replacement for growing awareness through a well-executed social media strategy. 

2. Institutions rise and fall on leadership. A president and a board were ready to wash their hands of the struggle of running a women's college. They didn't see a way out. There was no Plan B. They were going to shutter the doors. Alumni stepped in and immediately began to cast a vision. They weren't just complaining. They weren't just upset. They were going to take action. Sweet Briar's success can be credited to the leadership of its alumni. The success or failure of any organization can be attributed in large part to its leadership. We must choose our leaders well! 

3. Actions reveal what people really care about. Leaders must cast vision that inspires constituents. And no matter what their people say or how much they press "like," it's the real-life actions taken by human beings that show what they care about. Actions are telling. Whether in saving an institution or simply in how people treat one another, actions really do speak louder than words. Sweet Briar was saved because people were passionate about it enough to take action.   

4. The best days can often come after “the game has been called.” Many, many people did not give Sweet Briar a chance. The Save Sweet Briar movement talked about "coming back" and many of us just sort of shook our heads and sighed. They couldn't really raise all that money. The damage had been done. Pink slips had been issued. The school had no chance. Little did any of us know that not only would Sweet Briar make it, it would blossom and achieve unprecedented milestones. Sweet Briar is the Rocky Balboa of colleges. It just keeps getting back up again. And you know what? There's no reason why your best days can't still be in front of you.   

5. Never underestimate the power of good press. Sweet Briar has gotten a lot of media coverage over the last year. No doubt that the media coverage helped put Sweet Briar on the map. I totally get why a high school senior would apply to Sweet Briar. Look at what their alumni were able to accomplish! Who wouldn't want to join those ranks? Publicity probably didn't have a lot to do with Sweet Briar's recovery, but it certainly has helped it's growth in number of applications received. Good press is gold. 

Every time I think of Sweet Briar it reminds me that when things are looking bad, it in no way means that we have to give up. When an organization or business has strong leadership, good storytelling and communication, and passionate, action-oriented people, the potential for achievement really is huge. Go Sweet Briar. Proud to know you.  

[VIDEO] How do you get people to read your whole post?

Get to the point.

Get to the point right away!

Online article readers don't have the patience to let you warm up and ease into what you want to say in your blog post. It's like journalism. It's an upside down pyramid (shout out to Mrs. Huff, my journalism professor!)! Give your audience the most important, compelling information first! And let them know from that very first sentence that you have solid take-aways for them if they read on. 

In the social media classes I teach it blows me away how semester after semester so many students don't really get to the crux of their message until a few paragraphs into a blog post. Does this feel familiar?

I didn't really know what I was going to write about today. I could go in so many different directions! I was going to talk about this other thing but then I changed my mind. So now I'm going to write about this thing. **Here's what I'm actually writing about! 

Everything before the ** needs to be cut. Your process is important and may be interesting to your spouse or your puppy but your blog readers don't care about that irrelevant information. Get to the point. Get to the point right away. And that's your Tuesday tip. 

If the process of blogging isn't all sunshine and rainbows for you maybe you could use my Blogger's Editorial Calendar Cheat Sheet. Subscribe to the blog here and I'll send it to you today.

Do you have a hard time settling into what your blog post is actually about? How do you get started writing? 

Conversation with a Creative: Meet Joshua Mikel

I am oh so pleased to hop back into the interviewer chair and pick the brain of yet another brilliant, creative soul dwelling among us. This month I got the chance to interview actor/writer/musician/designer Joshua Mikel! I first met Josh via Endstation Theatre Company where I was actor turned marketing director and he was the resident playwright. Little did I know then that Josh would randomly continue to pop up on my TV and at my visits to the movies. (I saw him on Nashville and in Million Dollar Arm, among others.) I'm really excited to introduce you to this prolific, multidisciplinary artist. He's just cool. Cool and funny. And inspiring. Read on, people!

HS: What does creativity mean to you?

JM: I think, very basically, creativity is an ability to think differently. Imagination. Seeing potential in things where other folks might not. Very early on (as early as Kindergarten) I found that being creative garnered me a lot of positive attention from my friends and teachers, and so being creative was always a fun thing for me. I used to think that everyone saw wonderful things in their heads, say, when a teacher asked them to complete a creative project (they had the imagination), only they hadn't incubated the skill or vocabulary to translate that idea to what they were working on. I still do believe that, only some folks are more inclined to lose that side of themselves as their energies move (or they're pushed) towards other interests. I was lucky enough to have family that encouraged my imagination and encouraged me to practice. My grandma was a painter, my parents are super creative in their own right, and both my brothers are as well. 

HS: Tell us a little about your career path. I first met you as Endstation Theatre Company's resident playwright, but you've had pretty steady acting work over the years and it seems like that what you spend more of your time doing. Could you tell us about your career trajectory?

JM: I started acting my junior year of high school. I had the time of my life playing Gollum in The Hobbit (before the movies). My mentor (friend and AP English teacher Jerry Smith) at the time pushed me to apply to FSU to study theatre. Once I got there I auditioned for everything that was going on. I met Geoff [Kershner] and tons of other folks that shaped me creatively and still do to this day. I found that I was learning more doing student productions than I was in my classes, so I did as many shows as I possibly could. Meanwhile, I decided to double major in creative writing because I'd always been interested in it and serendipitously the School of Theatre at FSU had brought in a visiting chair, Mark Medoff, whom I was able to get a couple playwriting classes with. He encouraged me to write young audiences plays and pushed me to submit one, my first TYA [Theatre for Young Audiences] play: The Monster Hunters, to The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. It won the TYA award at KCACTF, and later was published through Playscripts, and that began my relationship with them. While all that was going on, I started doing student films at FSU with their pretty incredible film school. I graduated in '07 rather unceremoniously after fulfilling my final requirement for graduation via a CLEP test I took on Liberty's Campus while in Lynchburg working with Endstation on The Tell Tale Heart and The Mind of Poe (might have to read that sentence twice). Meanwhile, I was touring full time playing drums for my band Look Mexico. I traveled with them for another three years and in 2010 we parted ways as they moved to Austin and I moved back to Atlanta just as Atlanta's film scene was starting to take real shape. I landed an agent that October (thanks to the reel I was able to scrape together from my FSU films) and each year in Georgia has been better than the last. 

Joshua on Abc's nashville 

HS: So you're based out of Atlanta. How did you land there as opposed to LA or NYC or anywhere else?

I grew up in Conyers (Southeast of Atlanta) and when I parted ways with my band, I knew that Atlanta had a burgeoning film scene (they shot Prisoners on the street behind my parents' house. Never in my life did I think the industry would be that close). It just made sense to come here, be close to my family and get some early credits before trying to enter those larger markets. Thankfully so much of the business has relocated here and self taping for auditions has really taken off as well which makes auditioning a million times easier (and less terrifying than going into a room with casting directors for them). 

HS: So, are you an actor that writes plays or a playwright that acts? How do you identify? And how does your time break down for each art form?  

JM: At this point in my life, unfortunately, I'm definitely an actor that writes plays. I don't stress about it too much, because I know creative folks' output generally waxes and wanes (we can't all be Stephen King), but I do think I was way more dynamic and exciting when I was primarily a writer. I hope to get back to some sort of writing schedule in 2016. I'd say 50% acting, 10% writing, 10% Facebook, 10% stressing about work I'm not doing, 10% Netflix, 5% stressing about how I used to be a better artist, 5% Fantasy Football. Is that 100%? I don't know, I'm too distracted. 

HS: Ha! So, do you write for other mediums as well or mainly stick to the stage? 

JM: I've written some short screenplays, some crappy poems, a couple short stories, and I'm working on my first feature length screenplay.  

HS: Secondary question: which came first? Writing or acting?

JM: I think writing, but that was mostly really crappy angsty high school poetry. I think it's probably up on a Live Journal somewhere, and I talk about women's clavicles like every other line.  

HS: I always feel kinship with other multidisciplinary creatives. Did anyone ever tell you that you should only be a playwright or only be an actor? If so, how did you combat that?

JM: My mentor told me a while back that one day I would have to choose. I always took it as a matter of pride that I never would, but the longer I tried spinning all these plates, the less fulfilled I felt and the less I felt like I was creating my best work. Just this year I decided to calm down my music video work and was feeling a lot less compelled to continue doing graphic design (because it's a thankless f*cking career). I've since found more time to focus on acting, but the tough times are when acting jobs or auditions aren't making it across my plate. I've yet to figure out what to do with that time. I think I work very well on a schedule, but the nature of the film business and auditioning runs contrary to that. 2015 has definitely been a transition year. 

HS: What is your approach to writing a play? Can you tell us about your creative habits when you're creating a new work?

JM: I like pondering on the play for as long as I can until I sit down to write it, and once I do, I try and crank out a draft as quickly as possible (in a week or so). That's at least how my past three or four plays have worked. Then, hopefully, I can get the thing read out loud and go back and do some drafts. And hopefully, shortly thereafter, all that writing misery will be over. It's never that easy. 

Good Good Trouble on Bad, Bad Island at NextStop Theatre. Photo by Matt Rose Photography 

HS: How does your acting work inspire your writing? Writing inspire your acting? Do the two influence one another? Do you ever write parts you'd want to play?

JM: I think, when I'm writing, it is very much like I am ad libbing for every character.  I don't much like writing at coffee shops anymore because I like saying the lines out loud. I think the better actor I become, the better writer I will be for sure. And yeah, there are a handful of parts I'd like to play. Mostly fruit people in my latest TYA play The Whole Bunch. 

HS: And Virginia people get the chance to see that play next month when it premieres in Lynchburg! We are lucky. So, what inspires you to write?

JM: I used to just write stuff I thought was cool or funny (and still do in my TYA work), but lately I've been aiming to write stuff that asks those larger questions (this is going to sound so dumb and pretentious) of why we're here, or to help shed some light on one issue or another. Not in a teacher/student way, but in a "let's have a dialogue about this weird thing we all experience" way. I've been wanting to tell a story about racism for a long time, but it always seemed a little patronizing for me to write a black character experiencing racism, but I think I've figured out a way into that story, and I'm real excited about it. 

HS: Very cool. So, I think you and I are about the same age. We graduated college at the same time. I've noticed a lot of my actor friends burning out or bowing out after hustling throughout their 20's. It doesn't seem like you're slowing down at all. How do you stay encouraged and inspired to continue pursuing acting and your goals? 

JM: I see it too, and I think what's helped me stay afloat is kind of what we've been touching on- I've thankfully got other coals in the fire, so when I lose and feel helpless acting, I still am commander of my destiny as a writer. I luckily have encouragement and things to look forward to in both worlds. And I've reconnected with my band, so writing music and playing with them gives me another exciting thing to look forward to. Also, I'm fortunate that there is so much going on in Georgia. I'm lucky to be close to my family (in proximity & in love). That when sh*t is hitting the fan in my work life, I have them close to recenter myself. Also I'm fortunate to know my type. I think so many people aren't really honest with themselves about the type of characters they should play. I think one of the best realizations I've had as an actor is that I'm not your typical leading man material. It changed how I saw my work, and how I marketed myself. Every show has a meth head, a pizza guy, a murderer, or just some creep. It's my bread and butter. 

And let's be completely honest, I'm fortunate to be a slender white male. You change a single one of those words and my path would have been exponentially harder. 

HS: What is your advice to someone who is just starting out but who'd like to do what you do?

JM: So many folks these days get caught up talking about what they're doing, telling people what they're going to be working on before they even lift a finger. Just quit talking about it, and do it. The proof is in the pudding. Are you creating good work? No. Then keep working and stop hollowing out your intentions with Facebook updates and crowdfunding campaigns. Encouragement is fantastic, but you have to be honest with yourself about the extent and quality of your output. I am speaking from experience here. I can post a Facebook update and get smoke blown up my ass from here to doomsday, but all I'm doing is stroking my ego, riding a slowing wave, and distracting myself from real work. 

"Just quit talking about it, and do it."

Gary Garrison talks about your "artistic age." How long have you been practicing your craft? I've been acting since 2001. I'm 31 years old, but artistically I have been practicing my craft for 14 years. I am 14 years old as an actor. A two year old can't expect to have the same successes as a 14 year old. It is dangerous to compare yourself to other artists of different artistic ages. Pat yourself on the back for what you've accomplished, but don't expect credit for stripes you have not earned. Stop talking about how hard and miserable it is to be an artist and just be one. I don't know a single person that I would call an artist that does not create. 

Learn more about Josh by checking out all of his creative endeavors online. You can find his acting work here, follow his playwriting work here and view his most recent reel here. 

Read advice from Joshua and other thriving creatives in my eBook “5 Minute Mentor for Creatives”. Grab your copy here. And if you'd like more articles like this in your life, subscribe here! Once a week you'll get my blog right in your inbox. No bombarding, I promise. Just inspiring, helpful posts. 

15 Strategic Questions to Answer to Determine your New Year's Goals (and then nail them.)

I am wildly excited about New Year's.

No, not New Year's Eve, but the new year. The fresh slate. The beginning. The opportunity to make changes and to do life better. 

This week, as things are likely still a bit slow at work, is the ideal time to carve out some you time to reflect on the year behind and strategize about the year ahead.

This year represents 1% or more of your life. It deserves some contemplation and strategy.

As you're thinking about who you want to be and what you want to have accomplished by this time next year, I challenge you to consider these 15 strategic questions. The answers to these questions will help you determine exactly what your goals should be and what you need to do to achieve them. 

So carve out some time on your calendar, grab a moleskin or virtually grab a notepad on your computer, put a pot of coffee on or heat up the kettle and answer these questions. 

15 Strategic Questions that Will Help You Achieve Your New Year's Goals

1. How do you want to be different one year from now? What do you want to have accomplished one year from today?

2. Why do you want to make this change? What is your deeper motivation? 

3. What do you need to do this year to get there? What are the practical steps you need to take?

4. If you could accomplish three specific things this year, what would they be? 

5. Two specific things?

6. One specific thing? 

7. What books do you need to read to help you reach these goals?

8. What podcasts do you need to listen to?

9. What habits are currently a part of your life that don't support your goals? What are some practical ways you can release yourself from those habits? 

10. What habits do you need to adopt?

11. What relationships do you need to cultivate? Who do you need to ask to lunch? 

12. What relationships do you need to step away from? Which friendships in your life are draining, discouraging or are adversarial? 

13. What are all the possible obstacles that may pose problems for achieving your goals? How can you prepare for them in advance? 

14. How can you break down your big year vision into smaller, more manageable goals? What are the practical small goals that add up to your bigger goals?

15. What can you do in the next three months to put yourself closer to your ultimate goal? What can you accomplish in the first quarter of the year to give yourself a winning start to the year?

Nailing your goals starts with determining where you want to be a year from now. Start with the end in mind and zoom out before you zoom in. To reach your goals, determine what you want to achieve, why you want to achieve it, and what strategies you need to put in place to ensure success.

If you liked this post you may like this one about how to kick the new year in the pants or this one about social media resolutions .

Gift Guide for the Multi Gig-er in Your Life

It's that time of year to find the perfect gift for the people you love. If you are multidisciplinary or know someone who wears several hats (which, these days, is a heck of a lot of us) then this gift guide is for them (or you). I pulled together a list of some of my favorite books and finds that I use regularly (or want to use!) that multidisciplinary and/or creative people will love. And last year I put together this Gift Guide for Entrepreneurs, so you may want to take a look there for some gift inspiration as well. Take a gander friends! Happy holidays. 

Gift Guide for the Multi Gig-er in Your Life

1. A planner. Truth be told, I use a running task list/schedule right on my MacBook Air as well as a Google calendar that syncs with my iPhone (if you’re sensing an Apple pattern, you’re probably right) but if your multi gig-er loves the feeling of putting pen to paper, get her this beautiful Rifle Paper Company planner.  I almost wish I wanted to use a paper planner just so I could have an excuse to get this one.

2. Subscription to audible.com. Multi gig-ers are often long on curiosity and short on time so audiobooks are perfect. My husband was able to Snag a 3-month trial for me last year for Christmas and I LOVED it. I just finished listening to 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam and now I’m starting the Lean Startup by Eric Ries. I absolutely love being able to listen and learn while I’m doing something like running, cooking or driving. 

3. Better than Before. This book, by Gretchen Rubin, was one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. Rubin unpacks the various strategies we can use to change our habits. Every strategy doesn’t work for every person. Rubin provides a ton of different options and you can see, based on your personality and preferences, which ones might work for you. I’ve found the strategies that I learned by reading Better than Before to help me be more productive and happy with the choices I make on a daily basis.

4. Portable charger for an iPhone. There are some stressors in life that we can’t control and then there’s the stress of having a dead iPhone. This portable charger is just $10 and gives you an extra 9 hours of time talking on the phone. It’s cheap, it’s small, it comes in pretty colors. Why haven’t I had this for a long time? We should really use things that make life easier, shouldn’t we? 

5. A Spotify Premium subscription. I know everyone has their streaming music provider of choice but it really doesn’t get better than Spotify. If your significant other is a multi gig-er—especially of the creative or athletic variety—then Spotify is a win. The premium version is just $10 a month and gives you access to pretty much all music of all time (minus T Swift but plus Ryan Adams, so…). For the musical theatre types, Spotify has karaoke tracks to even the most obscure tunes, so he or she can rehearse songs in the car, at home, wherever, without the need for an accompanist or shelling out cash for a karaoke album they’ll only use for a few weeks or months during the rehearsal process. It also has an amazing feature that gives you music that matches the speed of your steps when you’re running to help you keep pace. Spotify makes life better. That is all.

6. A framed print of a favorite quote. It’s probably on Etsy. And if it’s not you can get artwork custom made. Just ask Kathleen. I found this really pretty downloadable print of one of my favorite Bible verses—Galatians 6:9 in an Etsy shop. I printed it off, put it in a Michael’s frame (purchased with a 40% off coupon, of course) and now I have this beautiful, meaningful quote hanging right above my desk. I love it. Your multi gig-er will too.

7. Tile. This may be the year to drop $25 to get Tile. Tile connects to whatever it is that can get lost and helps you keep track of it. Multi Gig-ers have a lot to mentally keep up with. This means that keys, headphones, wallets, smart phones often don’t make the cut for memory space. This is too helpful not to have. 

8. Essentialism. This was one of the toughest books I’ve read because it completely challenged my multi-gig mentality. Greg McKeown purports that the best way to be effective in life is to say "yes" to one really important thing and "no" to other things that are good but not the best. McKeown had tons of great time management strategies in this book. If nothing else, read it for that. But he also challenges our busy, do-it-all attitudes. By the end of the book the reader should really know if he is spending his time in the best possible way. I recommend this book. I don’t agree with every point—at least for my journey. But it’s good and challenging.

9. An inspiring mug. I seriously attribute part of the start to my happy day with drinking coffee from a mug that I love. This one is an old standby. I love it so much that after it accidentally got dropped and broken my husband swiftly ordered me a replacement. He knows me. And Carole King makes a morning great and that is a fact. 

10. A wall calendar that doubles as an art print. I’ve gotten pretty committed to Rifle’s cities calendar each year but there are tons of beautiful and inspiring calendars out there to choose from. Think inspiring quotes, landscapes or even a personalized calendar that has photos of friends and family. The multi gig-er definitely needs a calendar in her life so this is an easy gift win.  

So there ya have it! Find anything on this list that would be perfect for your loved one? If you see something you'd like, it never hurts to forward this or post it on your social media. Maybe your Santa will come through. I hope you and your family have a peaceful and joyful holiday season.

Want more ideas? Check out the Gift Guide for the Entrepreneur. And, of course, subscribe to the blog so you get future posts right in your inbox.