We recently connected with Martha Carter and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Martha, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.
I am creatively blocked all the time, or rather I procrastinate all the time on making creative choices for fear I’ll make the wrong one. I used to think this was a block, but I’ve come to find that this is me letting the ideas sit because they’re not quite ready for publication or the really good idea is behind the bad ideas that happen to be at the front of the cue. As a lighting designer for theatre and entertainment, I am constantly working towards a deadline, be it a 5-minute deadline to create lighting looks for a moment on stage or a six-month deadline to choose what lights will work best for production. During those times of deadlines, I have to push myself to stay open to failure. I’ve learned that if I am too afraid to try something for fear it might be the wrong idea, wrong thing, wrong solution, or wrong creative choice, I will live in a paralyzed state of unmoving. Pushing past these fear blocks or I could say pushing past the bad idea or the typical choice, is to push past fear. JUST TRY IT. When it comes to choices that are expensive and could cost a production a pretty penny if I did, in fact, make a wrong choice, I then conduct tests and surround myself with creatives. An example of this is the show I am currently working where there is a substantial lighting budget to rent equipment to elevate the production. If I chose the wrong lights or lights that were less than effective for the style of the production, the production would suffer, and I would probably not get hired again. I could have chosen the “bad idea,” the “blocked idea,” or the first choices and selected lights that I knew would work, OR I could have pushed myself creatively to try something NEW and expand creatively. This is when I leaned on other creatives and asked for their support; what I find, more often than not, is that other creatives…just want to be creative. These people don’t necessarily have to be experts in the field; they could be someone adjacent to the creative project or someone who knows nothing about it, but they can form a creative option, and once I explain the design concept to them, they always hop on board and want to talk about my next step or choice. The bouncing idea phase is critical in overcoming fear for me. When it came to the show at the playhouse I went to the lighting director of the playhouse and he set up a meeting with a local rental company to look at some new lights. I shared my design ideas with the lighting director and also with the rental company; from there, we were able to begin to play and explore. Sometimes, one has to put aside one’s ego and talk about the ideas openly, pushing past the fear of ownership in one’s design and allowing for others’ experiences and thoughts to influence one’s own. This led to new equipment, a larger rental budget, and the lighting director and team on my side who wanted my success as much as I did. Pushing past the fear of failure, past the fear of others thinking that I don’t have all the answers, setting aside my ego, and allowing the ideas to build is how I never allow creative blocks to form. I also do research and immerse myself in the world I’m building with light, but…that’s a typical response. Duh, research. But being open and fearless…ok ok, pushing past the fear, it’s still there but the more I push past it, the stronger my designs become.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Martha, a Los Angeles-based lighting designer, obtained her MFA in Design from the University of California at Irvine and is the Head of Design and Assistant Professor at California State University Long Beach. She extends her creative reach nationally and internationally, with her portfolio spanning diverse performances—opera, dance, theater, and live events—fostering positive community impact through collaborative ventures. Notably, Martha assumes principal design roles with ReBorn Dance Interactive and Kirros Dance Company, alongside regular collaborations with the Long Beach Ballet. Recent highlights include premieres at prestigious venues like The Public Theatre’s Under the Radar Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Other recent works include “She Loves Me,” “Candide,” and “A Little Night Music” at Madison Opera, “Cindy and The Disco Ball” at the Garry Marshall, Voyager One at Perseverance Theatre, and Mamma Mia at Teatro Anayansi in Panama City, Panama. www.marthacarterdesigns.com
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Perseverance and a dedication to excellence. There are many many people in entertainment who want to succeed but few have the drive and the willingness to fail over and over again to actually accomplish what the say they desire. Always being open and wanting to learn something new. The world in constantly changing, one has to change and continue to grow and learn to stay relevant and to continue to develop a career. Without this, ones career will become stagnant.
People want to hire kind, cool, awesome people. More often than not, they will hire the person they want to have a drink with. We spend too much time at work creating art to work with people who aren’t nice, cool and awesome. Be nice, cool and awesome.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
The Untethered Soul has been the best book I’ve read. It’s the book I recommend to anyone who want to get rid of that critical little voice in their head that holds them back from being coming the confident person they know they want to be.
also:
I’m always looking for collaborators and people to make are with. I love working with choreographers, dancers, other designers, etc. [email protected]
Contact Info:
- Website: www.marthacarterdesigns.com
- Instagram: marthacarterdesigns
