Put Your Bum in a Seat: How Getting Yourself to the Theatre Will Transform Your Work.

I often hear theatre artists say that they hate theatre. They don’t feel like going. They’re sick of it. They don’t like anything they see.

Full disclosure: I have 110% been there and said those things. And I still struggle with those feelings.

Sometimes when you’re hard at it, grinding it out, going to the theatre is a royal pain in the ass.

That being said, I believe firmly that regularly getting yourself to the theatre will transform your artistic practice and your business savvy for the better.

An Argument For Embracing Hobbies

Do you have a hobby? I didn’t have any until a couple years ago. It can be difficult to have a hobby when your work is your passion, or obsession.

A hobby can appear frivolous -- a misuse of your precious time and money that should be funnelled back into your CAREER. That’s how I thought anyway.

creative processHaley McGee13 October 2020HOBBY, THEATRE ARTIST, SELF-CARE, STRESS RELIEF, CAREER

The Creative Power Triad

Since I started teaching artists in my Solo Show Lab about 2 years ago, I've been meditating on what is essential in order for artists to be able to make headway with their work in a way that feels good.

I’ve been working on a theory: The Creative Power Triad. I believe that there are three symbiotic elements necessary for artists to have a healthy and productive creative practice.

Falling out of love ... with a project

What to do when the blush is off the rose & you no longer care for the thing you’re creating?

Today I want to discuss that moment in our creative lives when we fall out of love with a project. I think of creative projects as entities unto themselves, and as a result, we are in relationships with them.

when you can't get in the front door ... BUILD YOUR OWN HOUSE

Have you ever felt the maddening frustration of banging at a door and not being let in?

Maybe it’s the door of an agent, a sector of your industry, particular company you want to work with, a festival where you want to present your work or an artist you wish would bring you onto their team, etc…

creative processHaley McGee1 September 2020createyourownart, artist, theatre, creative practice, creative process, creative

5 Hot Tips for Editing your Writing

Based on what I learned working on my book, I’m offering you 5 hot tips for editing your writing.

Maybe you've just completed my 14-Day Creative Quarantine Challenge and you want to begin shaping your raw material? Maybe you’re about to start a second pass on a script or a story?

Or maybe you’ve got to write a funding application? Or you’re refreshing all the copy on your website?

These tips can be applied to creative or professional writing.

creative processHaley McGee18 August 2020editing, theatre, theatre artist, writing tips, plays, drama

Why Go Solo

Over the last decade I have toured my various solo shows to 36 venues in 11 countries around the world. My solos have led to international collaborations, new opportunities as an actor and writer, including a book deal (!!), and expanded my artistic practice exponentially.

Although making a one-person show can be a lonely process, involving quite a lot of admin and self-producing work, there are some awesome payoffs that can make all that worth it.

I could wax on and on about their virtues of solos, but today I offer you 3 reasons to embark on your own thrilling solo show journey.

My Solo Show Origin Story

why & how I became a solo show creator & performer

In the autumn of 2007, I returned to Toronto from my first ever professional acting job (outdoor theatre on the farm theatre). I’d landed an agent but I was not having a good time. I was frustrated by my lack of creative control:

• I was bombing my auditions to play high school students in poorly written TV series or to sell toothpaste in commercials.

In Praise of Classes and Workshops

When I relocated to London in 2016 I found myself in a new city, facing big changes in my career.

In Toronto I’d been gigging as a theatre actor, 6 days a week, for several years (read an interview I did about burnout and this transition here).

creative processHaley McGee11 August 2020THEATRE ARTIST, EDUCATION, SELF CARE, CREATIVE RESOURCES, INSPIRATION

ME ME ME: Tips For Making Autobiographical Work!

Autobiographical work is on my mind these days. I’m in the middle of writing a book based on my autobiographical solo show, The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale.

I’ve also taught many artists through my Solo Show Creation Lab who were creating their own autobiographical work. These artists often express fear that their autobiographical work is self-indulgent — That it’s not worthy of a platform. They worry that it’s therapy not art, or a diary rather than a show and therefore won’t have relevance or value.*

creative processHaley McGee4 August 2020AUTOBIOGRAPHY, WRITING, THEATRE ARTIST, INNER CRITIC

A Field Guide to Dealing with Mistakes

As a recovering self-critical perfectionist — also a Virgo Ox — I work hard, I pride myself on my attention to detail and I find making mistakes really embarrassing.

While I was chastising myself about a mistake I’d made with my mailing list, I realised this might be a useful thing to talk about.

How do we acknowledge our mistakes, take responsibility and move on?

Smashing the Inner-Critic

Tips for combating self-doubt, fear & unworthiness ... so you can get down to your ART

The inner-critic is that voice in your head, telling you what you're creating is garbage, that it'll never be good enough, that no one cares about what you have to say and/or you should give up before you start.

The voice of the inner-critic comes in may be loud, nagging and persistent. But it appears in many different tones, volumes and frequencies.

However it pops up, this voice can wreak havoc on your creative work.

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