Why I never talk in the Zoom meeting
Oh, hi friends!
When you get the urge to say something, say it.
I’m thinking about the times I’ve been walking around New York and thought, “That person is wearing a nice hat/pin/scarf, I should tell them.”
Or if you’re in a meeting and have a comment, but bite your tongue for fear of looking silly or repetitive.
Or if you have an idea for changing something in your group project and want to talk about fixing it but don't want to be the "difficult" ones.
We sit and wonder and ponder and blunder. We overthink until the moment passes.
Why not just say it?
Just say it.
Because walking away and saying nothing is an itch you can never scratch.
“I hope people will give themselves permission to do whatever they want this year."
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a minute of the Barefoot Contessa (is that a show??), but this was a delightful interview with Ina Garten. The quote above was about cooking certain Thanksgiving foods but should be used in pretty much any context? Let's be nice to ourselves right now!
Tonight’s the Night
Our 10-minute musical Letters From May is getting a, what shall we call this, digital premiere tonight! You can grab the link — it’s free! — for the Sound Bites Streaming Live festival right here. Kris and I will be doing a live interview and there are two other new musicals that will delight you.
Letters from May is all about being a creator and what it means — and who you might have to leave behind — when you reach for your dreams.
So I wanted to introduce you to the other creators behind the musical, who filmed their parts across the country and happen to be some of my favorite people in the world. (That’s the big secret about making stuff: It helps to work with your favorite people!!)
Meet the Composer
Kristoffer Bjarke
Location: NYC!
Favorite place to create:
In complete solitude in front of my piano, usually around 11pm at night, despite all my best efforts to be productive earlier in the day.
What’s one thing you’re excited about right now?
I just checked out 11 books from the New York Public Library today. I was paranoid they would shut down again soon…so now I have this huge eclectic stack to work through, and the excitement is real.
Meet the Actors
Susannah Jones
Brooklyn, NY
Instagram: @ohsusannahjones
Favorite place to create:
In the early(-ish) morning in my small home office with a steaming cup of a coffee, preferably with the view of a leafy tree out the window.
What’s one thing you’re excited about right now?
I recently got my first commission to write a mini holiday play for a theatre company (to quote May: “small, but it’s something!”). It wound up being more of a poem, and I was surprised at how satisfying I found the process—it was like solving a math problem with a soul!
Eric Cotti
Brooklyn, NY
Instagram: @Eric_Cotti
Favorite place to create:
Anywhere
What’s one thing you’re excited about right now?
Just had a film released. Check out the Las Vegas-set existential vampire drama, Blood from Stone, now on Amazon Prime. We're currently at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes!
Ezioma Asonye
Long Island, NY
Instagram: @_ezioma
Favorite place to create:
My living room with the sun shining through the windows
What’s one thing you’re excited about right now?
Self Tape Club! Two of my friends and I meet weekly to read a play or work on sides or just talk and it has been such a delight. We haven't been able to see each other in person since March but it has been great to keep up our routine and stay creatively connected.
Gina Cutruzzula
Berkshires, MA
Instagram: @giaferro
Favorite place to create:
I get creative ideas when on walks in the woods with my dog...
What’s one thing you’re excited about right now?
Although it's a challenging time in our country and the world, I'm hopeful for a COVID vaccine so we can get back to living life fully, which includes getting back to live theater performances...
Kade Morrill (they/them)
Napa, CA
Instagram: @kade_made_it
Favorite place to create:
In the outdoors is my favorite place to begin the creative process!
What’s one thing you’re excited about right now?
Gillian Anderson (always), my current voracious read: Underland by Robert MacFarlane and the fact that CBS, ABC, and NBC all have primetime shows with trans actors!
Meet the Masterful Editor
Ron Passaro
New York City
Instagram: @ronpassaro
Favorite place to create:
I'm mainly working on musical theater projects these days, so my favorite place to create is in the room with my collaborator (one of my favs being Kara!). [Editor's note: Aww.] Since we're in a pandemic, however, that isn't possible, so anything like a phone call/FT/Zoom where we can bounce ideas off each other and get excited about the song we're working on is great.
What’s one thing you’re excited about right now?
Thanksgiving Pie!
Aren’t they amazing?! LOVE THEM.
Check out our 10-minute musical Letters from May at 8pm ET tonight, November 20!
Hope to see you there!
Do you like these daily emails? Please share with a friend!
You can also support my work by checking out my new motivational journal, Do It For Yourself, designed to guide you through your creative and work projects.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara