Once, in a ballet class in Paris, the teacher said, “If you feel like you have a choice, don’t do it.” He was talking about pursuing dance as a profession. It was a harsh thing to say, especially for a millennial generation that has always been told you can be anything you want! The thing…
I was going to write this blog just about the importance of mentors, but then I realized that these days, people are using AI as a type of mentor. At least, in the sense of providing inspiration (and content) and maybe, if the person is very clever and determined and very well trained in using…
For various reasons, I read a fair amount about AI – both the techno-utopian and the techno-doom versions. I’ve gone through courses about how to use it as a creative professional. I did research on it for An AI of Our Own, an initiative by Living Arts International around AI and cultural heritage in the…
I can’t tell you how often I got an opportunity – or even the hint of an opportunity – and thought, this (could be) is my big break! It was meeting a director in Cambodia, or shooting a TV series in Pakistan (that never saw the light of day). It was a Creative Director job…
A performing arts career is not typically advised by your local high school guidance counsellor. They’re the sort of careers you expect parents to frown at, long dinners with extended family asking when you’ll get a real job. Of course, that is all normative bull**** if you ask me. The truth is that a performing…