Yes, You Need a Mentor We all love those epic tales of the “self-made” man or woman. The idea of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and conquering the world single-handedly is intoxicating. Why? Because our flesh wants us to believe we don’t need anyone or anything to succeed. We just need to work harder, […]
Joy is Essential to Your Creativity. Joy is essential to your creativity. In a world full of cynics and skeptics, we cannot forget the true nature of joy, and the deep value of joy. Without joy, your creativity will never be what it was meant to be, your imagination will never fly the way it […]
The Artist’s Identity Series: The Self-Creation Obsession The promise of self-creation is that you are free. You do not need to be confined by traditions of the past. You do not need to be confined by the cultural assumptions of your parents. You do not need to be confined to what other people say. And […]
The Artist’s Identity Series: Chasing Success, The Hidden Dangers We all want success. We want our hard work and creativity to be noticed and celebrated. And there is nothing wrong with that. Success is a good thing. But sometimes the way we pursue a good thing can eventually lead to frustration and temptation. The road […]
The Artists Identity Series: The Bohemian Artist Myth The Bohemian artist is one of the most romanticized ideals in the art world. Artists and creative types living carefree, unconventional lives, devoted to the idea of pure creativity, void of materialism. From Puccini’s opera, La Boheme, and its Broadway adaptation, Rent, to the movie Moulin Rouge, […]
The Artist’s Identity Series: The Seduction of Self Expression Today’s culture places tremendous emphasis on individuality and self-expression. Whether it is your ethnic heritage, your sexuality or your personal uniqueness, self-expression is encouraged, promoted and celebrated in nearly every sector of our culture. The implied promise is that if you just express yourself purely, you […]
One Book Every Artist Needs to Read: The War of Art If you want short and sweet, real-world answers to what’s holding you back as a creative, you need to watch this video, and learn about this book by Steven Pressfield. I’ve given this book away so many times I’ve lost count. Let […]
Faith and Work Basics for Artists Great opportunities and great challenges: That is what creative people who work in the mainstream art world, media, or the entertainment industry will always encounter. If you want to be salt and light you need to think through how your faith intersects, informs, and fuels your creative endeavors. The […]
Hollywood is Broken Hollywood is broken and it will never return to what it once was. Jerry Seinfeld just said in his interview with GQ, “The movie business is over.” The stand-up comic, writer, and producer who loves cars, comedians, and coffee was commenting on the decline of movies, saying, “…film doesn’t occupy the pinnacle […]
How to Maintain Your Faith While Working in Mainstream Media, Entertainment or the Art World If God can use Daniel in Babylon, and Joseph in Egypt, and Esther in Babylon, God can use you to be salt and light in any industry. Unfortunately, There are too many men and women who have lost their faith […]