We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Josh Galitsky. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Josh below.
Josh, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
How do I keep my creativity alive?
I keep my creativity alive in a formaldehyde jar, carefully stashed away in my laboratory between the brain specimens and the preserved moonshine.
I tease, of course. Creativity is a co-creation, a unique “Dancing with the Stars” tango between us and the Divine. It’s an unadorned invitation to the grand ball, a beckoning to get on the dance floor and embrace inspiration, to twirl around gleefully, even when the ego monkey screeches in the background, “All movement is hazardous to your health. Oooh oooh oooh!”
Personally, my ego is a hideous banshee shrieking warnings of great, impending (mostly imagined) doom seemingly just seconds around the bend. How about you?
So, what’s my super secret special hot sauce? I try to let the quiet, steady voice of my soul take the helm and steer this ship, held together with toothpicks and masking tape, ever forward on my voyage. This world is a wild, lovely, paradoxical, extremely stupid, magnificent place requiring immense passion and tremendously foolish bravery to chart its currents, riptides and colossal waves without ending up on Gilligan’s Island.
So, I attempt to go “all in” as often as possible, diving deeply into the wellspring of creativity, immersing myself in the balmy/icy/bubbly/bloody/muddy waters of fascinating things: intriguing people, captivating art, soul-stirring music, side-splitting comedy, the wonders of nature, novel experiences, quirky ideas and silly subjects. I also make sure to nurture my inner child, that eager little madman yearning to run, fly, soar, and burst into a million, multicolored sky sparkles. And what lights me up and tries to set the night on fire? Anything and everything that touches, tickles, or tantalizes that inner spirit, be it
profound, whimsical or just plain ridiculous.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a Los Angeles-based theater director who thrives on creating imaginative and immersive experiences. My mission is to offer a safe haven for actors, artists and performers of every level as they confront their fears and unleash their full potential. I bring a distinctive mix of compassion, humor, and unwavering integrity to my craft, guiding individuals to connect with their inner creativity and each other to bring forth their most captivating, authentic and dynamic performances.
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?
When I first hit Hollywoodland, 20+ years ago, I discovered quickly that the LA concept of “commitment” was as flexible as a contortionist teaching vinyasa yoga. During the stage run of my first directorial gig, theater commitments went up in a Cheech & Chong-like smoke at the mere mention of a TV or film offer. I was aghast as all of my previous drama experience back on the east coast had taught me that loyalty had no expiration date. I would soon learn that Los Angeles operated under a distinctly different set of rules. Something between Shakespeare and Mad Max. Legal opium and sheer dystopian.
Undeterred, I made a solemn oath. No matter how fatigued, penniless, or existentially misplaced I became in the maelstrom of the industry, my word would be gospel. My reputation, a more prized possession than a top Hollywood agent’s Celebrolodex or an A-lister’s secret stash of gluten-free, vegan donuts, only $24 each at Erewhon.
In a town where integrity often becomes the sacrificial lamb for a taste of stardom, I clung to my authenticity like a koala to eucalyptus. Juggling dreams and values requires courage, akin to tightrope-walking in flip-flops and a crop top while balancing a bowl of bone broth in your pearly whites. Yet, authenticity, I discovered, is the magic ingredient. It transformed me into the artist’s wingman, a slobbering Saint Bernard helping to guide performers out of the trenches towards the creative peak of their potential.
Surviving LA demands a secret weapon: humor. Life is chaotic! Life is baffling! Life is madness! You have to be able to laugh at yourself, at obstacles, at circumstances. Because when the dust settles, there are really only a handful of things that matter. As Scottish writer Alexander Chalmers put it, life’s essentials are simple: “Something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for.”
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
On my ongoing creative journey, a central hurdle that I’m grappling with revolves precisely around the topic I touched on earlier – commitment. It is critical to strive for a deep dedication to the creative process, the project at hand, and the initial pledge to stick around for the long haul. If I can do it, anybody can! I encourage individuals to wholeheartedly embrace the process and take personal responsibility for their loyalty and dedication. But it ain’t always easy to get others to buy in. The obstacles persist with each new venture, akin to the comical predicaments of the Coyote, who in attempting to halt the Roadrunner with a painted wall, finds himself flattened instead.
Nevertheless, collaboration is still where I find the most joy. I respect the uniqueness of each person I work with, embracing their narratives, experiences, talents and artistic expressions. This collaborative ethos broadens my horizons and sparks a communal fire of opportunities and creativity. I tend to “fall in love” with people I team up with; their kindness, generosity, talent, openness and energy. And it doesn’t hurt if they smell good either.
Managing this commitment challenge in the creative process entails me striving to establish a safe and joyful playground where artists can be their authentic selves, take creative risks and produce their most dynamic, genuine work. It’s an ongoing expedition, a venture into unexplored territories, that even on a bad hair day, confirms my belief that in the realm of Art, there are no mistakes, only lessons and unforeseen turns that can weave the most extraordinary patterns, possibilities and as Bob Ross would say, “Happy little accidents.”
I also take my cue from Irish novelist and dramatist Samuel Beckett, who wisely said, “Fail. Fail again. Fail better.” I’ve come to understand that failure isn’t a verdict on my worth; It’s just a stepping stone on the path to growth and transformation. We can eliminate the negative connotation of “failure” by flipping the script and seeing it as essential to our evolution. I try to impart to others, “If you’re going to fall flat on your face, do it with utter enthusiasm!” Just like me.
I think what often drives the inability to fully commit is mostly fear. Our fear often arises from comparisons, unreachable expectations, and elusive visions of success. We must let all that crap go! Creativity requires a certain reckless abandon and a definite sense of humor about all things neurotic. Inevitably, with great love and intention, we can shatter through the fear, deep dive into the abyss and go all in until the finale with sheer exuberance.
So, good folks, I think that confronting the challenge of fully owning our work and our lives is absolutely crucial. I strongly advocate taking care of oneself with meditation, exercise, healthy food, good sleep, prayer, by reconnecting with the enduring beauty and rhythms of nature and being around optimistic people, especially children. I continue to try to gaze upon the world with the eyes of a manchild; I dream, act, imagine, create, and never cease to learn. So to finish, my seasoned (and hopefully not too salty) advice to you is this: Don’t be afraid to be silly, ever curious, wide-eyed, filled with awe and outlandishness, because, in the end, we’re all just big kids playing in the sandbox of life, trying real hard not to puke onto the monkey bars.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thesacredactor.com
