In a recent video on storytelling seen on Carson Daly’s Last Call, The Moth founder George Dawes Green states great storytelling depends on vulnerability. I wanted to really understand that word, so I revisited several definitions including this one from The Oxford Dictionary: susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm. Sounds like a pretty scary place to be. [Read more…] about The Importance of Being Vulnerable
artists
Why Good Things Happen to Good People
Good things are happening to good people, and it’s all because they’ve WORKED VERY HARD. To start with, several of my fellow storytellers from The Moth got a terrific and well-deserved write-up in Wednesday’s NY Times. The article featured the multi-talented Ophira Eisenberg — host of next week’s Moth Mainstage in Boston where I’ll be performing — and Adam Wade, a native of New Hampshire, my current home. In addition to hosting his own show in NYC, he’s won at least 18 Moth StorySLAMS. He won another StorySLAM earlier this week, so the count’s probably an unbelievable 19. [Read more…] about Why Good Things Happen to Good People
Inspiration for the Journey
Doing my taxes this week, I sat surrounded by a sea of expense receipts, all glaring reminders that far more cash went out in 2011 than came in. I’ll be honest — sometimes in those moments, it’s hard not to ask myself, “Exactly why am I an artist?” and I romanticize about my days as a consultant when income was plentiful. I wonder briefly why I stopped doing that work and then I remember: Oh, yeah. I was miserable.
Trust Your Instincts
I went to T.J. Maxx the other day, the store that offers designer clothing for substantial savings. I’m not wild about T.J. Maxx, because it’s big and chaotic, filled with abandoned carts and endless racks of clothing sliding halfway off their hangers. Plus, there’s no one to help me decide what I should buy. I’m forced to trust my instincts. But I had a gift card and was feeling sturdy, so off I went. [Read more…] about Trust Your Instincts
Quote of the Week for Jan. 23
“When I can no longer create anything, I’ll be done for.” — Coco Chanel