Philip Seymour Hoffman on Acting - and it goes for the creative arts in general!

[ellenkushner]

From a profile on Philip Seymour Hoffman in the 12/21/08 NYTimes Magazine:

“In my mid-20s, an actor told me, ‘Acting ain’t no puzzle.' I thought: ‘Ain’t no puzzle?!?’ You must be bad!” He laughed. “You must be really bad, because it is a puzzle. Creating anything is hard. It’s a cliché thing to say, but every time you start a job, you just don’t know anything. I mean, I can break something down, but ultimately I don’t know anything when I start work on a new movie. You start stabbing out, and you make a mistake, and it’s not right, and then you try again and again. The key is you have to commit. And that’s hard because you have to find what it is you are committing to.”

. . . Novelists? Painters? Musicians? . . . Others? If you agree, then raise your hands!

Comments

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

Can dissertators raise our hands too?

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

You bet!

[jencallisto]

Hee! That was pretty much what I was going to say, too -- though for any serious academic project, even pre-dissertation stage, such as a thesis-level research paper. I have this whole huge essay in my about History as a creative project; possibly this quote will go into it, too, if I ever manage to get it down on paper.

The musician in me raises my hand as well.

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Heh! Oh yes! *raises hand*

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

Hand is up!

[beth-bernobich.livejournal.com]

I was so happy when I thought I'd figured out My One True Process For Writing Novels.

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!

*wipes tears from eyes*

Sorry. Old illusionsmemories.

[dryfoo.livejournal.com]

Acting is weird as an art. Some people, like Hoffman, are hugely cerebral, and put their characters together with lots of trial and error. His tremendous versatility is the result of all that hard work. Others are much more instinctive: they read the script, think about the story, and the character just kind of "occurs" to them and they slide into it.

I've worked with both kinds. Sometimes it's hard to tell from the outside, even in rehearsals, which kind you're working with. You should ask some of your new Kleznut pals.

[timwb.livejournal.com]

relationships/spouses?

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

*toes waving*

(because sometimes I'm too clueless to find my hands)

[redbird]

Maybe the person who said it's not a puzzle meant that it doesn't have one neat solution: not that it isn't puzzling, but that it isn't like a jigsaw or crossword puzzle.

[ellen-denham.livejournal.com]

I'm constantly amazed by the number of people who think you're either talented or you're not. Sure, not everyone is equally capable to be a fabulous writer, composer, musician, actor, etc. but from my experience, hard work, determination, and commitment pay off more than talent. I've had lots of voice students, and the ones who come in with amazing voices aren't always the ones who end up being very good performers. The ones who work hard and practice intelligently usually surpass them, given time.

[hoppytoad79.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. You can be good at something but if you don't work to develop and hone your skills you'll be left in the dust by those who are working their asses off.

[lucythedragon.livejournal.com]

*raises hand*

I always resent it when people say "I wish I could draw" to me, as though there was some angelic lottery that I won and my abilities were gifted to me on a platter, which was descended from the ephemera by seraphic postal workers. I'm currently in art school, pulling all-nighters and spending the days in workshops so I can create things. It don't just happen, folks!

(Goes back to lurking.)

[hoppytoad79.livejournal.com]

*raises hand*

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

*raises hand*

[scbutler.livejournal.com]

Raises both hands.

[deliasherman.livejournal.com]

This is allied to the Thing I Always Say, which is "Your art is the thing you have the patience for." You know, like when somebody says, "I'd like to write a book, but I just don't have the patience?" Same with any kind or art. Talent counts for less than sticktoitiveness.