As I sit and watch what’s going on in the world today, it seems our culture is confused, frustrated, lost, angry, and sad. We need art more than ever.
Whether it’s Covid, Afghanistan, Cuomo resigning, Newsom being recalled, masks or anti masks, vaccines or anti vax, Democrats or Republicans, it is a time of worry, helplessness, frustration, and polarization for many people.
That is why, at this time, we need art more than ever.
Art distracts the brain and opens the soul to experience itself. It can be grounding and healing.
Many people I know are struggling to silence the noise in their heads, whether it’s the news, social media, or their thoughts, worries and fears.
So, my note this month is to focus on your art.
Whether it’s painting, sculpture, music, writing, gardening, cooking, sewing, cleaning, whatever your creative expression or even your chore work is, indulge in it. It quiets the mind and helps to get grounded.
Therefore, acts of artistic value can be very helpful during this time. What are things you have to do? Make them an art project.
Is it exercise, cooking, cleaning your closet, polishing silver, a craft or woodworking project? Even washing the dishes and doing laundry can be an artistic experience. Focus on the work, make it a project, put your attention on each moment and if you’re lucky you just may escape yourself for a few moments (as well as get something productive done).
I so look forward to teaching my acting classes each week. For four hours I get engrossed and lost. I watch passionate actors work their craft and emotions. Their emotions fly, they fight, laugh, and cry as they passionately go after their needs and wants with their partners. I not only watch and coach, but get to experience the human emotion as they go through their journeys in numerous circumstances, and vicariously, I experience them. I get lost in my own work of coaching and insight into their blocks and work. I forget the time, don’t notice my aches and pains. My thoughts disappear, I forget the bills, emails, to do lists, politics, covid, whatever I’m obsessed with. I get lost for several hours. Time doesn’t exist. I lose myself. When it’s over, all those realities come back and reenter my consciousness. But for that time, I escape, my mind is quiet, my soul opens. I get to have a wonderful human experience and recalibrate myself. As well as make a contribution to my students.
Actors, you are needed more now than ever. Audiences are craving to get away from their minds, from their worries, from their fears.
They want and need to escape into another world. Even if it’s for a short moment, great work can lift the veil and we can see into and experience another world. The brain settles, the soul is regulated, and peace can be found.
That is why TikTok and other social media shorts are so popular at this time. People need an escape.
Find art in your work. A chore can be a pain in the butt. But, can you turn it into an art project? Try it. It will exercise your brain to be focused and you can lose yourself for some time. Also, it can be quite productive.
Take care,
Fran Montano
Actors Workout Studio
In case you missed it, catch up on the business of acting (parts 1, 2, and 3) posts.
