I've got recruits that will text and call and do everything in the middle of the night. And I'm thinking, 'I'm with my family.' But you've got to dedicate time to that, or you can't do it.
This is how many people become artists, musicians, writers, computer programmers, record-holding athletes, scientists... by spending time alone practicing what they love.
I've never had a huge circle of friends. I can't spread myself that thin and go 100 million miles an hour all the time. I choose to give truly of myself, entirely of myself, to the people I choose to do that with, and I can't do that with everyone.
Every morning between 9 and 12 I go to my room and sit before a piece of paper. Many times, I just sit for three hours with no ideas coming to me. But I know one thing. If an idea does come between 9 and 12 I am there ready for it.
Be ruthless about protecting writing days....althoug h writing has been my actual job for several years now, I still seem to have to fight for time in which to do it.
With my work schedule, it's difficult for me to spend quality time with my dogs. But whenever I'm home, I make it a point to spend as much time as possible with my dogs.
I'm a full-time believer in writing habits...You may be able to do without them if you have genius but most of us only have talent and this is simply something that has to be assisted all the time by physical and mental habits or it dries up and blows awayOf course you have to make your habits in this conform to what you can do. I write only about two hours every day because that's all the energy I have, but I don't let anything interfere with those two hours, at the same time and the same place.
An exercise outfit helps because it sets this time apart from the rest of your day and makes it matter more.
An album is a thing you take time out and go work on.
Personally, I know the lifestyle I lead is really busy. If I want to watch an entire series of something, it usually has to be in one weekend. I'll dedicate two days to it because it's not the kind of thing I can come back to, every night. I think this is a really smart format.
I want to carve out a serious period of time to focus on the next opera without any distractions. And to do that you need money.
More than anything else, if you can spend a great deal of dedicated time observing people without judgment, that can be a great way of learning.
