Author: feathersandtoast

Sometimes Its Good To Eat a Little Humble Pie, with a Poached Egg

feathersandtoast

Meme_S2E7_1Sometimes as artists, we can get so consumed by the difficulty of our chosen path, so deep in the pain of just wanting to get our work out into the world the way we want it, that we forget that the executives are not just some crazy gate keeper trolls wielding their judgements and standing in the way of our ultimate success, but rather are just people, with their own expertise to share, difficulties to face and goals to achieve.

It’s kind of like that phenomena that occurs between parents of young children, where each is working so hard in their own way and is so exhausted, that all they can see is what the other is not doing. They get caught up in the never ending spin cycle of trying to prove who is doing the “most”, or whose contribution is more important, instead of what is really needed, which is to turn to each other and just say “hey, I know this is hard, but you’re doing a great job.”

Which leads me to…

Industry Tip #22

Give an entertainment exec a hug. I’m kidding. You might frighten them. You weird creatives running around giving everyone a hug. The real tip is to make friends with the executives. Get to know them. Take an interest in their goals, hopes, dreams, concerns. Familiarize yourself with the challenges they face and be the solution. Make it fun. Be willing to learn something.

The age old battle between art and commerce doesn’t have to be a battle. We are creatives. If we’re doing our job right we should be able to create the art we want while still considering the legitimate concerns of commerce. If we can’t do it, then maybe its just not the right fit is all.

So without further ado, I leave you with Episode 7 of Season 2. The one where Tallulah starts to realize maybe Holster and her ideas weren’t so bad after all, and that maybe its time to eat a little humble pie and woo her back.

How to Be a Left Handed Person in a Right Handed World

feathersandtoast

Meme_S1E6_3Art really does just imitate life sometimes.

For the first time since I started writing this blog, I have no idea what to say.

I’ve been over here hemming and hawing, waiting until the last second, avoiding the task completely, and its not because I don’t have anything to express, to the contrary, I feel like a shaken up bottled soda with the cap still on, ready to explode, I just have no way to get it out.

In that magical way that art and life intersect sometimes, I feel like I am experiencing the doubt and subsequent insights Holster would be experiencing at this particular moment in our story.

Here Holster is, constantly pushing Tallulah in the direction of what she feels will be the answer to getting her more ratings, trying to be infinitely more clever in her marketing ploys, trying harder and harder to give the audience what she perceives they want, but what if she’s wrong? What if its true what Tallulah says, that all she really needs to do is be her authentic self and that that will eventually lead to the success they both desire? What if trust, patience and the courage to be one’s unique self is all that is required?

Being an artist can sometimes feel like being a left handed person in a right handed world. You know you don’t fit in but there’s still the pull to try, especially in situations where you are surrounded by the right handed people. You try to fit yourself into their box, do as you think they would want you to do, be as you think they would want you to be, as if that is the road to any kind of success. But what if you being your left handed self is really all those right handed people really want?

Anyway, these are the thoughts rolling around in my mind this morning as I contemplate spending the day in, what is for me, the right handed world. I intend to do something different today. I intend to draw from the continuous inspiration that is Tallulah Grace, a woman who doesn’t fit in this world at all and clearly isn’t bothered by it. Wish me luck.

Which leads me to…

Industry Tip #21

Have the courage to be your authentic self. It’s the most original idea you’ve got.

And without further ado, enjoy Episode 6 of Season 2