'30 Days of Creative Inspiration' Day 6: Mental Notes

Just got home from tonight's Q2Q. This is all I need to remember for tomorrow.

'30 Days of Creative Inspiration' Day 5: A Quote by a Favourite Playwright

This blog entry means I am now caught up to date with my schedule of '30 Days of Inspiration'. Back on track! ....I'm really enjoying this little project so far. I think it's important to grant oneself the time each day to allow room for inspiration, no matter how crazy busy life can get. I know for me, with tech beginning for 'A Night of Shanley', things have felt really tumultuous and really stressful lately. This inspiration project has reminded me daily how much I really love the work.

Tonight's post is a quick one - it's one of many brilliant quotes by John Patrick Shanley, the playwright who is the inspiration for my company Half-Pint Theatre's show, 'A Night of Shanley'. Enjoy friends, and see you tomorrow.

"Choose life over the other stuff. Get out of your head. Live. Dress up. Eat. Touch people. Help out. Give up. Love people. Give your best away. There's more. What's the problem? Relax. You're going to die. Throw a party. Eat off my plate. Sing to me. Meet me in the bedroom. Get a massage. Give one. Let your amazement out into the room. Pry open the box you hide your joy in. Be a poem."

                  - John Patrick Shanley

'30 Days of Creative Inspiration' Day 2: 33 Ways.

Today is Day 2 of my '30 Days of Creative Inspiration' project. Reading Smart Actors, Foolish Choices yesterday was awesome for Day 1, and it's definitely something I want to come back to this month.

One really big thing I want to do in this project is see more theatre, which will probably have to wait til the end of the month, as I'm in a show myself until Feb. 16th! I'm both in it and producing it. It's called 'A Night of Shanley', and the show is a double bill of two one-act plays by the great American playwright, John Patrick Shanley. We open a week today!

Today's inspiration is this list I found. I can't find the original source, so I unfortunately cannot credit it; however, I'll put out a universal thank you to whoever the person was that created this list! See below.

I know I personally could be doing numbers 2, 3, 11, 12, 18, 26, 29.... well, really all of them more often, but those are just a few that stand out to me. I love this list. This is definitely something that I'll be printing out today and throwing on my fridge.

I encourage you all to take a look at the list for yourselves! But for me, it's time for numbers 2 and 4 - Carry a Notebook Everywhere, and Get Away from the Computer. See you tomorrow for Day 3!

30 Days of Creative Inspiration: Day 1

Ah, the "dry season", as many of us actors call it. Being in a brutally gruelling industry is hard enough (but still wonderful, don't get me wrong!), but around this time of year, things can seem even more bleak. I've decided that this would be a PERFECT time to find ways to feel even more creatively fulfilled than ever, dry season or not.

So, today starts 'Esther's 30-Day Creative Inspiration Project'. Every day I'll find, and share something that inspires me as an artist. This will include books I read, shows I see, finding new discoveries in the show I'm in, 'A Night of Shanley', articles, photographs, and whatever else might be out there.

Today is Day 1, and I have to accredit today's inspiration to my dear friend, Ryan Browne, a fellow actor. A couple months ago when the industry had completely shot my self-esteem, he suggested this book to me, which I finally got around to picking up. It's called 'Smart Actors, Foolish Choices - A Self-Help Guide to Coping with the Emotional Stresses of the Business'.

The book isn't focused on acting technique, or how to have a great audition, or the tricks of the business. The book is for the emotional psyche of the person, not the actor. This is something  that I know is really going to benefit me, and even though I've just started Chapter 1, I think this book will help me feel better about myself, both as a person and as a performer. Over the next 30 days, you might see this book come up again.

I'm also extremely interested to hear suggestions from all of you wonderful people in the industry out there! What inspires you - any specific books, movies, something you stick on the back of your door or on your fridge, or plays on in Toronto right now? I'd love to hear what you've got.

This next month is really my own, live version of 'The Artist's Way'. It's going to be good!