Anthony Meindl is an award-winning writer, director, producer, and Artistic Director of Anthony Meindl’s Actor Workshop in London. He is also the author of the new best-selling book,
“At Left Brain Turn Right,” which helps artists of all kinds unleash their creative genius within.
“At Left Brain Turn Right,” which helps artists of all kinds unleash their creative genius within.
His London acting classes meet Monday nights. To find out more please visit
Anthony Meindl’s Actor Workshop: London
Anthony Meindl’s Actor Workshop: London
AMAW was voted the Best Acting Studio in Los Angeles by Backstage in 2011 and 2012 (Best Scene Study and Best Cold Read). AMAW is also located in New York, Australia and Vancouver.
Sometimes you’re going to want to quit.
It’s normal. People feel that way in all walks of life and in all pursuits – from artists to athletes, from mothers to media moguls. If you didn’t feel that way, I’d think you were maybe not normal.
By embracing our lives totally even the stuff that “sucks”, we get through it.
But often, in an artistic career path, we choose to quit, not because we aren’t having fun or aren’t being challenged, but because we allow society’s (warped and incorrect) definitions of “success” determine our self-worth and happiness.
But society has it all wrong.
You aren’t creating for millions of dollars. You aren’t creating to have your face on a gigantic billboard. You aren’t creating to have the most famous website or brand.
You’re creating for the pure joy of creating.
(Yes, those other things are fine – and they stroke your ego deliciously – but they are the end-products of creating and ultimately don’t bring happiness.)
But you let society’s standards of “success” poison your joy of your journey. Of honoring who you are and where you are.
If you’re 30 and “haven’t made it,” or “aren’t famous,” or still have “a day job,” you internalize the negative associations derived from a monetary and results-oriented model that says “you’re a failure,” or “untalented.”
And then you turn these untruths on yourself and start feeling resentful. Or angry. Or jealous. Or bitter. And feel like you deserve to be getting “something back.”
It’s understandable!
But you can’t take on this societal dysfunction. Stop making an artistic process (or any process for that matter) a means to an end.
There is no end to get to.
Throughout your life and your career, you’re going to have to give yourself the green light.
Again and again.
No one else is ever going to give it to you.
Start giving back to yourself. You’re never going to get it “back” from society anyway, because society and its standards are fickle and based on the whims of fads and trends and demographics and sales and popularity polls.
You want more love in your life? Give more love. You want more support? Give more support. You want more of an adventure? Be more adventuresome.
It all starts with you. You want more from this world – go out into the world with more of yourself engaged. Smile more, listen to other people more, look on the upside of things more, laugh more, stop taking everything so seriously, be more generous, be more kind, be more forgiving.
As you do, you’ll begin to feel that anything is possible.
And that’s because – in creating – it is.
Meindl’s first feature film, “Birds of a Feather,” won the Spirit of the Festival Award at the 2012 Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, and he won Best Director at the Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles.
He is a regular contributor to The Daily Love, Backstage, and various spirituality podcasts.
He has been featured in ABC News, Daily Variety, LA Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter and the CW KTLA. He is also the author of the new best-selling book, “At Left Brain Turn Right,” which helps artists of all kinds unleash their creative genius within.
Check out Meindl’s free smartphone app on iTunes.
Follow Meindl on Twitter @AnthonyMeindl
