This really spoke to me because it put words to something a lot of people feel but do not always know how to say. I think what hit me most is the reminder that if you do this kind of work, your why has to be deeper than applause. Being seen feels good, being celebrated feels good, but if that is the only thing feeding you, then the quiet seasons will break you. Real devotion has to come from something deeper.
I also felt the part about New Orleans and Black artistry in a real way. So much of the most beautiful, soulful, and honest art has come from people who did not get the recognition they deserved, yet they still gave everything they had to the gift. That kind of commitment is powerful because it shows that the work is sacred whether the world claps for it or not.
What I take from this more than anything is that the work has to be personal, spiritual, and rooted in truth. Not in who notices, not in who posts it, not in who validates it, but in knowing deep down that this is what you were called to do. That kind of mindset keeps you grounded, keeps you humble, and keeps you creating from a real place.
“The artist life asks for something more durable than that. It asks for an interior anchor. It asks for a reason that can survive obscurity, delay, misunderstanding, and silence.” 🤎
Omgoodness.... you have said so much here.... so beautifully.... I am always deeply moved by the way you express things , especially when I can connect and I am certain that so many others can as well....
My mom won the Apollo singing with her trio... she was all of 14/15... three Black teenage girls from New Rochelle .... her parents did not want my mom to travel... and so ended her dream with the trio... I watched her for years ... performing when she could and truly loving every minute... musicals... bands....
I learned first hand that being a creative is something you are and something you do because it IS YOU....
Moving through this journey ... hearing people's voices speak my name as a young actress excitedly was amazing ... then the recognition was far less...
I continued on into another creative space ... as a musician... your soul connects to the music ...
Everyone may not connect to your genre.... but ... I say.... create on!!
I can go on ... but as a writer ... and creative... I create through what I am moved by..... whether it is mainstream or not... applause praise feels lovely.... but more importantly... being true to the measage... be it musical ... written ... visual....
I am a writer, and director from New Orleans who really needed to read this on today. Thank you for writing words that touched me in my spirit. I am uplifted in my soul, inspired to continue the work and grateful for another day to create stories.
Wow, every time I read you, my soul dances!! Your writing is always so deep, grounded, and generous. You have this precise, deeply accurate way of expressing what it means to be an artist. And it feels so good to read and take in, especially in a contemporary world that so often feeds on “surface-level noise.”
In the more uncomfortable moments along my acting journey, a journey I remain deeply grateful for, I like to remind myself and even say out loud to the kind people who support me and tell me they would have loved to see me more in certain projects: “I’m not here for myself, I’m here in service of a story, of a vision.”
I’m now stepping into directing because it’s been calling me for a long time, and phew… each of your words resonates deeply. I’ll carry them with me and cherish them throughout this new journey. I’m genuinely very happy I subscribed to your Director’s Notebook. I can’t wait to read more from you.
I have both so much and so little to say. Thank you for this! It met me at the right time. Please continue doing what you are doing!
I echo this comment!!! 🙏🏽
This really spoke to me because it put words to something a lot of people feel but do not always know how to say. I think what hit me most is the reminder that if you do this kind of work, your why has to be deeper than applause. Being seen feels good, being celebrated feels good, but if that is the only thing feeding you, then the quiet seasons will break you. Real devotion has to come from something deeper.
I also felt the part about New Orleans and Black artistry in a real way. So much of the most beautiful, soulful, and honest art has come from people who did not get the recognition they deserved, yet they still gave everything they had to the gift. That kind of commitment is powerful because it shows that the work is sacred whether the world claps for it or not.
What I take from this more than anything is that the work has to be personal, spiritual, and rooted in truth. Not in who notices, not in who posts it, not in who validates it, but in knowing deep down that this is what you were called to do. That kind of mindset keeps you grounded, keeps you humble, and keeps you creating from a real place.
“The artist life asks for something more durable than that. It asks for an interior anchor. It asks for a reason that can survive obscurity, delay, misunderstanding, and silence.” 🤎
Omgoodness.... you have said so much here.... so beautifully.... I am always deeply moved by the way you express things , especially when I can connect and I am certain that so many others can as well....
My mom won the Apollo singing with her trio... she was all of 14/15... three Black teenage girls from New Rochelle .... her parents did not want my mom to travel... and so ended her dream with the trio... I watched her for years ... performing when she could and truly loving every minute... musicals... bands....
I learned first hand that being a creative is something you are and something you do because it IS YOU....
Moving through this journey ... hearing people's voices speak my name as a young actress excitedly was amazing ... then the recognition was far less...
I continued on into another creative space ... as a musician... your soul connects to the music ...
Everyone may not connect to your genre.... but ... I say.... create on!!
I can go on ... but as a writer ... and creative... I create through what I am moved by..... whether it is mainstream or not... applause praise feels lovely.... but more importantly... being true to the measage... be it musical ... written ... visual....
That is my why...
Thank you as always for this Stacey !!!
I needed this!!!
I am a writer, and director from New Orleans who really needed to read this on today. Thank you for writing words that touched me in my spirit. I am uplifted in my soul, inspired to continue the work and grateful for another day to create stories.
Wow, every time I read you, my soul dances!! Your writing is always so deep, grounded, and generous. You have this precise, deeply accurate way of expressing what it means to be an artist. And it feels so good to read and take in, especially in a contemporary world that so often feeds on “surface-level noise.”
In the more uncomfortable moments along my acting journey, a journey I remain deeply grateful for, I like to remind myself and even say out loud to the kind people who support me and tell me they would have loved to see me more in certain projects: “I’m not here for myself, I’m here in service of a story, of a vision.”
I’m now stepping into directing because it’s been calling me for a long time, and phew… each of your words resonates deeply. I’ll carry them with me and cherish them throughout this new journey. I’m genuinely very happy I subscribed to your Director’s Notebook. I can’t wait to read more from you.
Thank you 🙏🏾✨