We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful David Beatty. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with David below.
David , so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
The weird answer is, I keep re-arranging my furniture. It might sound crazy but it actually helps me see things from a new point of view and puts my brain in a zone of problem solving. It’s nearly meditative both mentally and physically. Not to mention it feels so good to wake up to a newly arranged house!
The more practical answer is I keep my creativity alive with my routine. For me, creativity is not a magical moment of inspiration that strikes out of the blue. Instead, it is hours of scheduled time set aside to do the work. For some people that might take the magic out of it. However, for me, having a set schedule, creating positive habits and surrounding myself with supportive people is the best way for me to nurture my work.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a multidisciplinary artist working in film, theater, ceramics, painting and photography.
Over the years, I have written and created dozens of original film and theater projects such as Surviving New Year’s, GET SPY, The Wasteland, Skeleton Love, The Human Project and Grocery Store Romance. My company, Double Yellow Line Films, is currently in production for our next feature film.
Most recently I directed the play Looped by Matthew Lombardo. The play stars Julie Phillips, Jacob Seidman and Ross John Gosla. Our upcoming performances are in Springfield Illinois, which is very exciting for us as we get to travel out of town to new and exciting places.
I have also taught acting classes, screenplay writing workshops and improvisation classes in Orange County and Los Angeles. My book, “An Actor’s Process”, explores a practical approach to acting. With over 30 years experience, the book helps readers discover their own personal artistic process because great work is the outcome of a healthy process.
My work in ceramics, painting and photography has been the backbone to my creative life. Especially ceramics which has been the longest and perhaps most rewarding art form. Maybe it has to do with the material of clay, coming from the Earth and the visceral work needed to create? Or perhaps the simple joy of sharing my work with others? Regardless, there is nothing quite like seeing your friends drink from a coffee mug that you made with your own bare hands! If you have never tried ceramics, I recommend it to all your readers.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
- Communication is the most important skill in life and it’s beyond necessary to think about how you best communicate with the rest of the world. To be a good communicator means you are capable of empathy, understand people and situations, help overcome diversities, build trust and respect others so you can achieve your goals. It’s that simple.
- Keep a Journal – Personally, I find that writing about my process and understanding how and why I create work is one of the most important parts of the creative journey.
- Be Kind – In a world of collaborative art forms, it’s a very good idea to remember to be kind to everyone you work with. Kindness shows confidence. When you are kind to others, especially in creative disagreements, you will put the needs of the project above your need to be right. It is the sign of a good creative artist who recognizes the benefit of kindness over the temporary satisfaction of winning an argument. So be kind when you create because kindness is love.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
As someone who has been called a ‘Jack of all trades’ many times over, I can’t help but identify with wanting to improve upon areas of my life that I’m not necessarily proficient. However, I think this is also because I’m interested in many different things. I’m curious about what life has to offer and have a compulsion to put myself in a position to learn new things. This is quite possibly why I fell in love with acting. It is an art form that gives me the opportunity to study a wide variety of characters with different interest.
This also makes me think about what it means to be a professional. A professional zeros in on one or two things and becomes an expert. Personally, I never really considered myself a professional, I’m more of an amateur. And I don’t mean that in a negative way. I like calling myself an amateur because the root of that word comes from the Latin word ‘lover’ meaning someone who is a lover of what they do. Someone who loves their work. A professional does something for money. And although I’m not opposed to getting paid to create art, for me it’s never a motivation.
Furthermore I think I’ve gravitated to the kinds of art that give me the opportunity to work in many different mediums. Filmmaking, for example, because it contains all these other forms within it. Music, writing, photography, composition, acting, carpentry, style and form. Not to mention, It relates to almost every other form of human expression. It has all those things in it, which is part of the reason that I ultimately gravitate towards it. Filmmakers need to have varied interests and because I have a passion for so many things, it is a great medium for me to express myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.davidbeatty.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_david_beatty_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beattycakes/
- Other: An Actor’s Process – Tips, tools & technique for performance and creating original work: https://a.co/d/dmacVXF
