Quote of the Week - Fonda

"Ask questions, stay curious. It's much more important to be interested than to be interesting." 

~ Jane Fonda, AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards

This is great advice for any artist, well, for anyone.

When I was doing experimental theatre in college (oh yeah), my teacher gave us this one:

"When you're bored, you're boring. When you're interested, you're interesting."

Thank you, Peter B. Cucich.

Whether on stage, or making a film - whatever art form - this is the core, the way to open doors to creative solutions. In her book, Directing Actors, Judith Weston talks about listening, and how important it is in the process. The more I work with Judy, the more I realize that listening, in a non-judgmental way, isn't only the key to clear performances - it's a key to life.

And what is listening in a non-judgmental way, except being interested - truly interested. Asking questions is a way of engaging, of becoming interested; everyone and everything has a story.

Being interested, instead of interesting, as Fonda points out, is taking the focus off self. Whenever you can do this, life becomes richer. When life is rich, when inner and outer life is rich, creativity is fertile.

The Art of Listening

I completely love this Ted Talk.

Because the more I delve into life, the more I realize that listening is the key.

Listening and being listened to are what create true bonds, community, what imbue people with self-esteem, and empower individuals and communities to transcend divisive issues and solve complex problems.

A lot of what I know about listening comes from performing and directing and working with performers.  A lot of that comes from Judith Weston.  When I'm on stage, talking a mile a minute, I consider it my actual job to deeply listen to the audience.  I create them as a partner in the process of unveiling the text.  Truly this is the only way I connect and the only way I get myself on the stage.