I always say it takes three weeks to know a character and three months to own it. And I think that's probably true of every theater artist. If you really want to see a performance of the show, wait three months.
Brian Stokes MitchellRead
There are some projects where you have to just start doing it, and, after a while, the show starts telling you what it wants to be. You put your spirit in and, after a while, something bigger takes over, and it turns out to be much more fun and creative than what it was at the beginning.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of beginning a project without a fixed plan, allowing the process to evolve and inspire creativity.
In this quote, Brian Stokes Mitchell suggests that the true essence of a project often emerges organically after its inception. Instead of being constrained by preconceptions, he advocates for a flexible approach where initial efforts are made, and through engagement and passion, the project itself begins to guide its direction, resulting in a more enjoyable and creative outcome than what was initially envisioned.
Themes
CreativityProcessInspirationProjectsEvolution
In practice
Example use cases
During a team meeting, you might use this quote to encourage your colleagues to embrace flexibility in their project work.
More from Brian Stokes Mitchell
All quotes →That's the magic of art and the magic of theatre: it has the power to transform an audience, an individual, or en masse, to transform them and give them an epiphanal experience that changes their life, opens their hearts and their minds and the way they think.
Brian Stokes MitchellRead
One of the interesting things an artist does is they keep rediscovering things, whether it's a jazz piece or a role you've done for 3,000 performances or a song you're singing for the 3,000th time. My job is to find that spark that keeps it fresh and alive.
Brian Stokes MitchellRead
The older I get, I realize, 'Man, I'm a very rare bird,' and that's not because of necessarily my talent or ability; it so much depends on luck and just the grace of the universe.
Brian Stokes MitchellRead
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