Get Feedback From Other Artists

When I first moved to Los Angeles I worked as a bartender in a comedy club. After the comedians would finish their sets they would head to the bar to talk to the other comedians, so I heard many conversations regarding critique of what worked and what didn’t work. Even though they loved making the audience laugh, most comedians really wanted to make each other laugh. That was the ultimate compliment for them.

The same is true for actors. The Oscars and the Golden Globes are much more for the public and what the audience thinks. But the SAG awards are more cherished because the voters are limited to their peers. It’s a reward for reaching the pinnacle of their craft as established by those who have also worked hard on their craft.

Nominees for the SAG Awards are often similar to the list of nominees for the Oscars because many SAG voters are also Oscar voters. SAG award winners are a good predictor of who will win the Oscar in the same category.

Get feedback from other artists and brainstorm with other artists in your field to help you up your game.

Why Good Ideas Are Passed Over in Hollywood

I recently read an interview with Justin Berg from the Stanford School of Business about why good ideas are given a pass in Hollywood. He talks about how artists pitch original ideas, like Seinfeld, Star Wars and Titanic to executives who turn them down. He noticed that the artists create new ideas and evaluate their own ideas. But the executives who buy the material are focused on evaluating other people’s ideas.

Berg said “if your job is to evaluate ideas but not generate them, the criteria you use to evaluate ideas may become too rigid and idiosyncratic. This leads you to undervalue novel ideas.”

Another Artist Has Walked in Your Shoes

Artists are able to critique and evaluate other artists because they’ve walked in your shoes. And usually know the actual craft better than someone who has never been an artist. When it comes to the business side, ask an executive or buyer for their opinion. But as far as feedback on your painting, new book, screenplay, photography exhibit, etc., ask another artist.

“But Julie, aren’t artists jealous and competitive of each other?” you might ask. Here’s my opinion on that. Jealous artists are ones who haven’t figured out what makes them unique yet. Once you know that there is only one artist exactly like you. And you have put in the hard work that it takes, and you know that you have talent, there’s no reason to be jealous. And, if that’s an issue for you, find an artist who isn’t your direct competition. Or find an artist who is in another creative field.

Only another artist will know what it feels like to spend weeks, months or years on a project without getting paid. Only another artist will know what it feels like to go through constant rejection. Having a support system of your artistic peers is a good way to keep you on track and keep you inspired to do your best work.

 

 

P.T. Barnum Working Class

I was sad to hear that one of the most successful and innovative businesses to come out of the Gilded Age, Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, will be closing its doors after 146 years. The Gilded Age gave birth to all new types of entertainment, especially for the working class, including circuses.

Show Business

One of the most well-known raconteurs of that time was P.T. Barnum. He knew from an early age that he was born to be an entrepreneur. After several failed attempts at business, he went to New York City without a penny to his name and began his career as a showman. He quickly realized he had a knack for discovering unusual talent. He was the first person to coin the phrase “show business”. P.T. Barnum created entertainment for the working class.

The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age was a time of economic growth, and industrialization led to real wage growth. The working class had money in their pockets and free time to enjoy it. An inexpensive form of entertainment for the working class was the dime museum. The first one was called the “American Museum” and was founded by Barnum in New York City. It was billed as edutainment for the masses, a lowbrow combination of entertainment and moral education. It included freak shows, wax figures, films, variety acts, melodramas, and pseudo-scientific exhibits.

The museum burned to the ground three times. Each time, Barnum would pick himself up, dust himself off, and immediately start building it back again.

Entrepreneurial Artist

Barnum had loved the idea of contests since selling lottery tickets as a young man. He put on flower shows, dog shows, baby shows, and chicken shows. These were judged, and the winner was given prize money. Then he came up with the idea for a beauty contest where the visiting public would choose a winner. The first prize winner got $1000, and the top 100 got to pose for an oil painting. Out of those, the top ten were included in a French publication.

The Barnum Show

Barnum didn’t enter the circus industry until he was an older entrepreneur at 60 years old. He started with the P. T. Barnum’s Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan & Hippodrome, which was basically a traveling museum, menagerie and freak show.

P.T. Barnum eventually took his troupe of human oddities and created the Barnum Show, which was his grandest show ever. He later partnered with James Bailey and the show would become the “Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth” which was seen by crowds all over the world. He was one of the first circus owners to take his show around the country by train. This vastly increased his geographical reach and proved to be extremely profitable.

In 1907, after his death, the circus was sold to Ringling Brothers for what would amount to over $9 million dollars in today’s currency.

P.T. Barnum Grew up in Working Class Roots

P.T. Barnum had grown up in working class roots and understood the people he attracted to his shows. He always wanted to give them the most value possible, and got them in the door by using hype to get their attention. He showed them a glimpse of something they had never seen before. His goal was to bring pleasure to as many people as possible, while making money doing it.

Childlike Wonder

He also believed in “profitable philanthropy”, or what we would today call “social entrepreneurship”. His goal was always to show people how to tap into their sense of childlike wonder about the world around them.

Towards the end of his life he told his partner James Bailey “always remember that the children have ever been out best patrons”. Barnum cherished his nickname “The Children’s Friend” and was prouder of that title than being called “King of the World”.

Though Barnum would be sad to know that the circus was closing, in true P.T. Barnum style, he would pick himself up, dust himself off, and start thinking of his next adventure.

 

 

Robin Williams’ Brain

Looking back on Robin William’s amazing career, I didn’t realize how much of it was improvised. Producers like David E. Kelly and writers from “Mork and Mindy” would often leave room for William’s to put his own spin on TV and film lines. It was his brilliance at seemingly flawless ad-libbing that marked him as a genius, much like Beethoven did with music.

Since we all have basically the same physical brains, what is it about Robin William’s brain that made him so different? Basically his brain was always in a constant state of “flow”, a concept that was developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi of the University of Chicago. According to Csikzentmihalyi, flow is a state where you lose your sense of self and your sense of time and become focused on a challenging creative task, and do it at peak performance. It’s as if time has no meaning as you become one with your work.

It’s a state where you get immediate feedback, such as a jazz musician who improvises. They can immediately tell if it’s working or not. With Williams, he would either gets laughs or not. It was an immediate type of feedback. And he thrived on it.

It takes a certain amount of confidence in your ability to be able to reach that flow stage, and succeed without editing. And that confidence comes from skill, knowledge, and practice. Beethoven knew he had a skill that few other musicians had, and that was the ability to improvise, and to do it prolifically. Robin Williams also knew his craft inside and out. He had the skill, the knowledge, and the practice.

Another element you must have is the passion, and the willingness to be challenged over and over again. This is when artists create their best work. And it almost feels effortless. Robin Williams had that passion in everything he did.

The irony is that Robin Williams’ brain, his most amazing asset was also his downfall. The artist, and the man will be greatly missed.

 

 

From the time I was a teenager I was auditioning for acting jobs. I would have taken pretty much anything to get work. I’ve played a zombie, belly dancer, beach bunny, rag doll, fairy, bimbo, and girl #3. There weren’t a lot of roles that I turned down, especially when I was a teenager. I just wanted to work. Every part was just an acting job and I saw it as fun.

Using Reverse Psychology to Get Acting Jobs

So when my old manager called last week and asked if I wanted a part in a small indie film, he was surprised when I didn’t jump at the chance, and kind of mumbled “Nah, not really”. In fact, he was completely baffled. “What do you mean ‘not really’? “That’s totally out of character”.

Yeah, exactly. It’s funny how when you really, really want something and give 110% trying to get it that it never seems to come easy. Maybe it’s just that you want it too bad. Or maybe there’s some kind of desperation in your voice that shows through. That’s completely possible.

But not on that day. I surprised even myself that I genuinely wasn’t interested. But that made him even more persistent.

Film Development

The same thing happened a few years ago with a script. I was working in film development and a fairly big studio dude came by the office. He happened to see my script on the desk and liked the title. I told him it was mine and he asked if he could read it. After all the times I’ve tried to get scripts into certain people’s hands, and this time big studio dude actually asked if he could read one.

I said no. Not because I didn’t want him to read it, but because it wasn’t really ready. This was a first draft and I didn’t think it was smart to let him read a first draft. (Now looking back on it, it was a smart choice).

But the more I said no, the more he insisted. He promised he could see through a first draft and he really wanted to read it. I knew that wouldn’t be the case. The first draft sucked. And I didn’t want him to see that as a first impression.

Now I’m starting to wonder if I shouldn’t have been using reverse psychology to get acting jobs all along. When that acting role came along, should I have just turned it down? Even if I needed the money?

I’m not saying you should start turning down work. But if you really don’t want the part, say no and mean it. They just may be so baffled that they call you back in for something else.

 

In the wake of the sudden death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, it got me thinking, “Are artists more prone to addiction than people who aren’t as creative”? Is there some trait that artists have that makes them more susceptible? After all, Phillip Seymour Hoffman is just the latest in a long line of artists who have succumbed to some kind of drug. Anna Nicole Smith, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, River Phoenix, Amy Winehouse, Judy Garland, John Belushi, Elvis Presley, Heath Ledger. And the list goes on and on.

Research from the National Institutes of Health claims that in the past 40 years or so approximately 300 drug-related deaths have been from celebrities. Most of those were musicians and actors, but also includes other artists.

Genetic Predisposition to Addiction

But before we start putting the blame somewhere, think about this. About 40% of a predisposition to addiction is already genetically determined. This isn’t an excuse for addiction, just one reason it tends to happen.

Taking Creative Risks

Biochemistry tests on monkeys and rats shows us a lot about the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is connected to pleasure and reward. Addicts don’t feel as much pleasure, so they are always striving to get more. When you think about the fact that artists are really taking creative risks every day, maybe some of this makes sense. Risk takers tend to crave attention and will go to great lengths to get it. Many artists are the same way, craving the spotlight and driving themselves to extremes to get there.

According to Psychology Today:

“Scientists have learned that people whose minds and lives are controlled by alcohol or drugs are not more creative or more successful as a result. When asked by Scientific American magazine whether there’s a link between creativity and addiction, neuroscientist David Linden of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine responded succinctly, “No.” To suggest otherwise confuses coincidence with cause.”

Escaping Reality

Addiction is one way to avoid emotional pain and escape reality. Does it have anything to do with the fact that the career path for an artist is usually long and fraught with rejection every step of the way? Do artists tend to internalize the pain and seek to cover it up with drugs and alcohol?

Writer Pearl S. Buck said “The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this. A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive.”

Maybe that’s just what it boils down to. What do you think? Are artists more prone to addiction and why?

 

 

I was watching an interview with Bono and Elon Musk the other day on creativity. They each had a different take on it, and I wanted to ponder the subject further. Where do artists get their inspiration?

Bono’s Creative Inspiration

Bono said his inspiration comes from either despair or joy. When he is in the joy phase his cup runneth over and there is joy to spare. When the business life, health, and home life is all in balance and things are going great there is a certain burst of creativity. He gets pleasure out of sharing that joy with others in a song and he starts writing like crazy.

But he also gets inspiration from despair. When he’s in a hole and needs to create to get out of it and attempt to put things right with the world. He writes songs to pull himself out of the hole.

“The great songs kind of write you”, states Bono. Or as Yates says “The dancer and the dance become the same thing”.

Creative Types Have More Ups and Downs

None of this comes as a surprise to psychologists, who say that creative types have a lot more ups and downs than non creatives. They tolerate ambiguity and leave themselves open to new adventures and experiences. Their highs may be higher, but the lows are also lower. Creative artists are much more likely to live life on the edge.

Elon Musk’s Creative Inspiration

Co-founder of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk, sees creativity from a different angle. Musk, an engineer and inventor, favors more of a forced creativity model. As an inventor myself, I use this every day to generate new innovation.

Musk calls his method “first principles”, or basically starting with the fundamentals that you know to be true instead of making slight improvements to someone else’s system. He draws from the laws of physics as creative inspiration, and likes to take things apart to see for himself from the ground up how they work.

Creative Pitches

Most people, especially in the entertainment industry and high tech, like the idea of making slight improvements to someone else’s system instead of using the first principles method. It’s much easier to make a pitch by saying “It’s “Ghostbusters’ meets ‘Twilight”, or “Facebook meets Twitter”, rather than starting from scratch with a concept that no one has ever heard of.

As Musk says “Think until your brain hurts”. This is more of a forced creativity method that requires stripping things down to the basics and building it from the ground up. It’s also a way to make radical leaps in innovation, which Musk is known for.

As an artist, where do you get your inspiration?