Unplugging...

There comes a time in the life of every artist where they just need to go away for a bit.

Like to the cottage.

We just got back from four days at the cottage.  I left the laptop at home and the cellphone off. And I've got L.A waiting for a re-write on a script that's set to go out to the majors, a writer in Austin waiting for my 'dialogue pass' on a script I've got him re-writing for us, a writer in L.A waiting for detailed notes on a script he's written based on a story idea of mine, and a five-day stint in Vancouver where I have to 'story design', paper-edit, and shoot twenty episodes of one of my TV series...

To say nothing of the fact that I've got two weeks (count 'em: one...two...) before I come back to Vancouver for fifteen days (hell-yes, the family's coming with me...) to shoot 52 (count 'em: one...two...ahh, never mind) episodes of a new TV series that I'll be producing and hosting.

Yep'--back to my roots in front of the camera.

And I spent the first half of the week sailing and hanging with my wife and babies.

Why?

'Cause you can't let yourself run out of steam.

And that's why this post is relevant and SFS (supernatural film school) worthy.  If you're someone whose life is about communicating things to people you have to be sure to 1) absorb the truth from the life going on all around you and 2) be able to interpret and apply said truth for your audience.  And you can't do that when you're out of gas.

The challenge is to stay disciplined and self-motivated while being 'in touch' with yourself enough to know when it's time to pull the plug.  Lots of writers/preachers get stuck in writer's block and explain it away by saying they need to take time to 'find their muse' or whatever.

I'm not looking to bolster laziness.

I'm looking to remind us/me that it's O.K and imperative to make sure you don't push yourself to the point where the work you're doing sucks.

If you got nothing to give, you got nothing to give.

So, whatever 'sailing' is to you, make sure you go do it once in a while.

Whooooosh...

T