While training as an actor, our troupe garnered loads of great instruction from John Barton’s video series “Playing Shakespeare.” Actors such as Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, and Patrick Stewart played the text wonderfully, showing us newbies how it’s to be done. Our English accents would have to come later. (Much later. Even now, my English friends say my faccent (fake/accent) boasts a Mike Myers feel. Ah well.)
One thing I took away from Barton’s teaching is this: the word “time” is the most important word in Shakespeare. I’ve said that word differently for the past 15 years because of Barton’s instruction.
Time.
The word itself is weighted with permanence and sobriety. It is not a flippant word.
Time.
The word is a gift, or a curse, depending on one’s vantage point.
Time.
We must make time. We must guard this precious resource. We must take the time we have been given and use it doing what we love: creating.
Yes, we can come up with a great idea and have all the freedom in the world, but if we don’t make time, our creative process stops short for a week. A month. A few years. Then decades. Then…. a lifetime.
Make. Time.
Our mantra:
We have all the time we need and more. We will spend our time doing the things we were created to do. We will not settle for excuses. We will not blame our schedule, our friends, our families, our jobs. We will use our time to create and share our expressions. Our creativity is a God-given expression that brings vibrant life to ourselves and to those with whom we share our creativity.
In Steve Jobs’ much quoted 2005 Stanford Commencement speech:
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”