We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tom Provost. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tom below.
Tom, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
I grew up in a home with open doors.
While our family, like any family, had our share of drama (oh my!), my parents were incredible models of giving and care to others. There was always ‘room at the Inn” for anyone in need. More often than not, someone who needed a place to stay was sleeping in the guest room for as long as needed, with nothing required for the room: no rent, no service, no expectations other than joining in and being part of the family while in the house. There was always a place at the dinner table for anyone in town or without a place to go. We never locked the doors to our house, so friends and neighbors could come in anytime, whether to borrow a book, grab a drink from the fridge or hang out and wait for one of us to return. My father made a very good living, as a lawyer, yet when he died at the age of 54 (sudden heart attack) there was very little money in the bank, as he gave everything away he wasn’t spending on the family month to month. Mom operated in the same way, giving of her time and heart to all those around her. It wasn’t something discussed or taught. It was simply how my parents lived life, and in doing so were incredible models for me of how to live generously.
I operate the same way. When I was able to buy a home in 1999, I never considered it ‘my house’ but everyone’s house. Like the house I grew up in, the house on the hill, as my friends call it, is open to everyone. I’ve worked hard to make the house a respite for anyone who needs a break, a meal, a place to stay as they regain their footing, or to have much needed solitude. I don’t think about it as something I need to do, or as something commanded, though I do believe God calls us to be giving and loving to those around us. Living a generous life was what was modeled to me and it Just Is. When I do stop and think about it – when someone close to me points it out or when asked a question like the one above – I realize I do it because of my parents. Their standard became mine, by their example and love.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Tom Provost, I’m a storyteller. I write and direct movies and TV shows, as well as teach screenwriting and directing. I consider teaching storytelling as well. I also run a non-profit called Bags And Grace (BAG – www.bagsandgrace.com) providing immediate, tangible relief to people living on the streets of Southern California, where I live.
My earliest memory as a child is sitting in a movie theatre. I knew, sitting there, watching in awe and joy, “THAT is what I want to do.” Like many people in the film and TV business, my own life has been impacted in huge and magnificent ways by stories – in novels, movies and television series, as well as through incredible teachers I was blessed to have – and I’ve always known I wanted to do the same. Because of some experiences and teaching in my late 20’s, I was able to hone and define my purpose, which is to help people see the world around them with a sense of wonder. I feel called to impart that sense of wonder though stories, hospitality and food (hence, one of my websites: www.onfoodandfilm.com) You can also find my work at my teaching website, Cinema Language: www.cinemalanguage.org.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1) Find your passion. What stimulates you? What does or could cause you to bound out of bed in the morning with excitement for the day? This may not be discoverable overnight (though for some of us, it is apparent early on) but find what moves you and pursue it.
2) Be open to change. I’v changed my career focus a number of times and what I initially set out to become, a world class actor, did not happen. But that desire and attempt led, over a number of years, to work I find just as satisfying. There is nothing wrong with pursuing your dreams… in fact, I encourage it. There’s nothing wrong with intense focus on certain goals (though this caused me a lot of stress until I let it go.) But be open to change or a different calling that you might initially think is your purpose.
3) Be yourself. I spent many years inwardly apologizing for who I am and what I am. It’s a waste of time and quite detrimental. If there are people around you who don’t or won’t accept who you are and your passions, move on. Find those who understand or are willing to accept.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
I don’t see these two as mutually exclusive. I believe you can indeed go all in on your strengths yet at the same time be aware of areas of improvement and work on those, which will better your strengths. It’s similar to what I wrote earlier… know your passion, follow your passion but be open to something else you might not yet know is your true calling. Your current passions might be your true calling or they may be a preface for something else you will discover.
Contact Info:
- Website: onfoodandfilm.com
- Instagram: provostom
- Facebook: provostom
- Other: cinemalanguage.org ; bagsandgrace.com
