LIVES ESSAYS BY CREATIVE PRACTITIONERS Edited by ED MURPHY WDI PRESS Albany, New York Copyright © 2017 by Workforce Development Institute Production Editor: Esther Cohen Book designed and set by Laura Tolkow, Flush Left ISBN – 978 0 9861875-1-3 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission from Workforce Development Institute, except in the case of brief quotations in reviews for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast. Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper. For information write to Workforce Development Institute, 96 South Swan Street, Albany, New York 12210. Or visit our website: www.wdiny.org. CONTENTS Acknowledgments . 5 Introduction: I See Creativity . 7 Ed Murphy The Importance of Mentors in the Creative Arts11 Ian Bearce Acting Out of Character . 21 Kevin Christoffersen Don’t Let the Fear Overtake the Joy . 31 Vinny Ciulla Creativity is Connecting Things . 47 Esther Cohen Where Creativity Sits . 53 Jim Crabtree Why Photography . 69 Michael Kamber A Steady Grind . 84 Victoria Kereszi 3 CREATIVE LIVES On Creativity, Community, and Kindness . 95 Annmarie Lanesey Olympic Reflections . 101 D. Thomas Lloyd Support the Edge . 111 Zigi Lowenberg My Multiple Pathways to Right Livelihood . 119 Marianela Medrano, PhD Learning to Shoot . 127 Ed Murphy Make It Sing . 139 Moses Nagel A Forgotten River Called the Nickel Vly . 152 Justin K. Rivers Rogues, Renegades, and Religious Work . 159 Donna Schaper Feet First . 169 Patch Schwadron Building a Creative Life . 177 Barbara Taylor Biographies . 187 4 Thanks to the many people who worked hard to publish this anthology: Donna Gaetano, project manager; Esther Cohen, bookdoctor; Laura Tolkow, designer; Cindy Hochman, proofreader; Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy; and Fort Orange Press, printer. Thank you to the writers, who are creative practitioners all . 5 CREATIVE LIVES 6 Introduction: I See Creativity INTRODUCTION I See Creativity Ed Murphy “Set your course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship.” —Omar N. Bradley America is an immigrant nation, made stronger by our inclusion of diverse cultures. Every culture has its own oral traditions and its own storytellers who share legends, teach values, and encourage cre- ativity. In modern times we share through books, movies, and digital technologies. Our elders teach us and we pass that wisdom on to our children. As adults we share with each other and learn from our neighbor’s experiences. Stories are the way we know each other. We are all storytellers. We inspire each other. Stories explain who we are. We all love and we learn from personal tales. Creative Lives is a collection of personal stories written by re- flective practitioners; those who were inspired to express themselves through cultural activities. They took personal journeys, often unex- pected, and they are now willing to discuss their experiences and the lessons they learned. For each author, creativity is a passion, ex- pressed through their work and their life. I see creativity as a spark of innovation and initiative, the foundation of hope, more powerful than optimism. We need creative people to strengthen our communities. 7 CREATIVE LIVES Each new American makes our nation richer and more interest- ing. Inclusion is not always easy. We are an evolving democracy. Our founding myth is the American Dream of opportunity. We hope that a new citizen’s family will integrate rather than blend, improving their lives and ours. We remember and celebrate our traditions through stories of our histories and roots. Mine include Celtic legends along- side tales of a time in America when we weren’t welcome. Signs existed saying “No Irish Need Apply.” This is another reason I appreciate stories. They open our hearts, take us beyond bias, offering an opportunity to understand cultures we don’t know and to discover common ground. The best stories include a message, but you often have to look for it. Good narrators entice, invite, and lay a trail of breadcrumbs, connecting our lives with theirs. They help us find our own place, and in the process, we make room for them. Our authors tell personal stories about how they fostered their creativity. We hope you will find inspiration to celebrate your own. Hope brought our ancestors to this country, but it is not enough for immigrants to show up. We need them to help us remember the American dream, to inspire us, to encourage our neighbors to be creative and for us all to contribute. America is a story of stories, an evolving experiment in democracy. We need grandmothers and mothers teaching values, cooking, and sewing, fathers passing on their priorities and skills, parents and teachers opening each child’s eyes to a wider world and encouraging all children to make their dreams come true. Creative people encourage us and we need to encourage them. I invited some to tell their stories, asking each to share something significant from their journey. I am reminded of a quote by: Thoreau, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is be- cause he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” I think of Zorba the Greek and “teach me to dance!” Through stories, we teach each other the music we hear and to live a vibrant life. 8 Introduction: I See Creativity The writers here are willing to share their stories. Each one hears their own music and has found a way to be creative. We can, too; for ourselves, our children, and our communities. In this anthology, we present a diverse collection of professionals. They have expressed themselves through film, photography, sound, design, crafts, mythol- ogy, counseling, poetry, teaching, spirituality, on the stage, and more. These stories invite us to reflect on our own creativity. Heraclitus advised, "You could not step twice into the same riv- ers; for other waters are ever flowing on to you …" Stories are situa- tional. I am different each time I read a favorite poem, see a familiar movie, or hear the same story. New and subtle dimensions always emerge. The same is true each time we tell a story. I’ve read each of these stories many times and find myself continually refreshed by new insights. I appreciate the hard work these writers have done and their service to so many communities. I also appreciate how much each of them has learned about themselves by writing their essays. I hope that in reading them, you will be inspired to write yours, celebrate your own path, and share your story. Creativity is a fire that must be fed and respected. It is the glue of an inspiring society. We are all storytellers. Once upon a time … 9 CREATIVE LIVES 10 The Importance of Mentors in the Creative Arts THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTORS IN THE CREATIVE ARTS Ian Bearce “Reading, conversation, environment, culture, heroes, mentors, nature—all are lottery tickets for creativity. Scratch away at them and you’ll find out how big a prize you’ve won.” ―Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life When I was asked to contribute to this book, I sat down and made a long list of all of the jobs I’ve had during my lifetime. What I noticed when I looked at that list was a common theme of the impor- tance of mentors in my life. The definition of a mentor is “an experi- enced and trusted adviser,” and without a doubt, the people I’ve met throughout the years helped me become successful in the entertain- ment industry. I lucked into my mentors. It was never a conscious decision on my part to have these people as mentors. It was prox- imity. They were always people who had something I admired. The word ‘mentor’ was never spoken between us. They took me under their wings, and I was happy to be there. It’s only in retrospect that I think of these people as mentors. They gave me advice. They looked out for my interests. These mentors may not have always been people I liked, but I 11 CREATIVE LIVES learned nonetheless. I think people generally think of mentorship only in the corporate setting, but I feel it’s equally important in the creative arts. Blacksmiths, glassblowers, and other artists traditional- ly learned by apprenticeship. I would argue that in the 21st century, guidance and teaching are just as important. Today, in my job as Head of Content for Mill+, US, my department makes TV commer- cials, Web commercials, virtual reality experiences, TV show title sequences, and website-specific content. My role is to supervise the live action production of the work out of our L.A., Chicago, and New York offices, and I feel strongly that this includes mentoring my staff as well. It’s a challenging, and rewarding job. My path to get here was one filled with hard work and great mentors, and below I’d like to share how it looked. Initially, I was not a great worker. I didn’t have a good work eth- ic, and I whined when asked to do chores and any kind of project. I started working when I was 12 or 13, painting my dad and stepmoth- er’s front porch. I distinctly remember one of them giving me a com- pliment about being a good worker, and that sticking with me and causing a shift in my attitude.