Aren’t our brains wonderful?! We hear, see, taste, smell and touch elements of the world and compute them into novel ideas, new perspectives, art! We all have the ability to create a response to the feelings provoked within us. It blows my mind on a daily basis. When it comes to acting and my creativity, I attribute any vague success I’ve had to my ability to cultivate and work in a particular state of mind. A state of mind which is inspired and influenced by many things, a state of “flow”. Things that I love, things that I hate, things that cause me mild irritation. Beautiful things, confusing things, tantalising things, things that move me to tears, or make me green with envy. If I am able to feel a real response to something, then that is magic.
No one is going to make anything happen for you; “you cannot wait for the phone to ring”. That’s a line we all know well.
Now I’m not saying you have to write the next Oscar winning feature - it’s just about noticing a state of mind, and letting it carry you further into making choices which will help your position as an actor. We are professional storytellers. Look for stories in the mundane. From there we can write killer application letter, film an awesome selftape, or spark an idea for a new script.
For the last week, I have felt completely devoid of any inspiration, my brain behaving as if it were treacle, slow and sticky. I have been moping and miserable in my lack of zesty thoughts. It got to about day 10 of this torture, and I decided enough was enough. Just do SOMETHING, I urged myself. Something to get out of this rut. And this post, my friends, is my attempt at achieving that...
*** DISCLAIMER *** This isn’t me claiming to have a foolproof set of guidelines, these are just the steps I take when I personally am feeling a little dry. They may not be for everyone, but I very much pick and choose what suits me on any given day.
What I do when I don’t have it:
Find it through work:
I get on spotlight, I get on Mandy (the website, not the drug), maybe even a Facebook group for castings, and find something. Even if it's a student film or a rehearsed reading, I smash out applications to things. Something is better than nothing, there’s always something to get out of little creative endeavours (now this is not to say I take any and every opportunity I see - I stay safe and stay vigilant, because exploitation is rife in this industry - more on that in another post; don’t worry, I’ve got a lot to say on that topic…) Whether I get some new showreel material, or making a really useful connection with a producer that may help me out in a few months, cultivating a state of creativity is the most important thing for me. It helps me to springboard into more thing which will keep me making. And even if nothing comes from the applications, I was still proactive in attempting to seek something out. I have to find those silver linings to keep the hustle alive.
Sit or walk in nature:
I find nature one of my biggest inspirations. Sometimes I feel sad when I see how we as humans are becoming evermore disconnected from our natural beginnings. I always return to green when I’m feeling stagnant; it’s the one thing that’s always been constant. Even if it’s just a quick walk around a field or park, it helps to change my state of mind and get my body working a little. Seeing nature at work is something which many people bypass; we forget to notice what is naturally occurring all around us. But if I just spend a little more time observing these things around me, I feel more at ease with them and can use them as an inspiration source for my own creativity. I often muse how Mother Nature herself was the first and will always be the most authentic creative genius. Everything around us exists because of her. If that isn't an inspiring thought, I don't know what is.
Animals:
Similar to nature, animals have a huge impact on my state of mind. Simply stroking an animal can improve our mood. Touch helps increase Oxytocin levels and reduces Cortisol, the infamous and dreaded stress-related hormone (yeah I can do science too!). Even if it doesn’t spring new ideas for me, it still helps to ground me and bring me back to a base-level where I know I’m able to cultivate ideas. And if not, I still got some good strokes in, which can never be a bad thing.
Meditation:
This is such a simple but enriching practice that I use everyday. It is not hippy-dippy rubbish, I find it an incredibly empowering tool, noticing and observing what I am rather than allowing myself to fall into the usual torrent of negative thoughts (if you're interested, maybe check out Sam Harris; he offers an explanation with some solid scientific backing). The act of simply noticing my present mood and physical sensations in another powerful grounding tool. It helps me tune into what I’m really feeling in each moment and helps me to decipher where my mood is really at. Then from there, I am able to feel if I can delve into a creative project, or if I need to go digging for a little more inspiration.
Journalling
Journalling is another one of my daily practices. It acts as a bit of a follow-on from meditation. It takes the ‘noticing’ a step further and forces me to articulate my feelings and get some words down on paper, even if it turns out to be utter nonsense or incredibly boring. One great technique I find helpful is the practice of freewriting. A practice developed by Peter Elbow in 1973, it is the process of constantly writing without pause. It helps to increase the flow of ideas on a certain topic. Through the process of freewriting, I am able to uncover subconscious or hidden ideas which otherwise feel difficult to dredge up.
Talk:
Talking to people can sometimes be the most useful way of getting myself out of a rut. Simply asking someone a question I’m pondering or gaining another perspective can ignite ideas in my head. Depending on my mood, I'll seek out different conversations with different friends. I may talk to one of my friends to have a bit of a vent, whereas, I'll approach another if I want to delve deep into more introspective topics. People are wonderful and endless sources of inspiration, and at the very least can just offer an ear to listen with.
If you do have inspiration and are feeling wonderfully creative, channel it! Write, sing, dance, take to the streets and make something magic happen. Talk to other creatives, hash out an idea for something you may want to explore and use it to propel yourself forward into building something awesome! Because when we are inspired, we are working towards a vision of something which has the potential to inspire others, and how cool is that?