We were lucky to catch up with Lester Mayers recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lester , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I get my resilience from my internal pulse that throbs knowing there’s something more for me. There’s more out there beyond what I can see in the moment.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a storyteller who does not create from a distance or travel to places I’ve yet to garner peace in. My he-(art) ranges from playwriting, directing, choreographing, poeting, acting, coaching, and design elements. Yearly I produce (both solo and in collaboration with others) a live musical poetry experience. It’s my chance to review where I’ve been emotionally and spiritually. My shows dive into sex, religion, the fight, and the need to stay alive. I spent six months with my vocalist and band curating a show that meets me and everyone who experiences it on a shared meeting ground. I am grateful that our performances have been well-supported and sold out. I have directed several stage readings and productions and coached actors in the theater field. Aside from my creation, I am also a professor at several universities.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The most impactful skills that are continuously paramount in my career are:
Patience: Things will work out perfectly if I let it. In order to let what will be, be, I must release my timeline and trust my gift to know when the time has come.
Enjoy Joy: Life is not predictable. Sadness becomes nature; Love always seems to be fleeting. But joy, it comes, and when it does, enjoy it! Being alive qualifies you to do so.
Finally,
It is for the weak : For years, I have heard people say, “This world, this life, this business is not built for the weak.” I beg to differ; we all have moments one might perceive as weak; I instead believe this world, life, and business is not built for the unsure. Because being sure is half the battle; the other half is the cycle of strength, weakness, and bitterness that slides in between. You have a right to be weak. You have a right to Patience. You have the right joy. Above all this, you have a right to change your mind about what you define as essential steps to stay alive.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
One of the challenges I am facing right now is finding a space that’s welcoming and willing to give my gift a chance to showcase itself. Be it a venue, representation, or festival. It seems I am not fully welcomed into the storytelling industry unless I knock a door down. Don’t get me wrong, I get opportunities, but it only welcomes a section of me. That may be okay. A challenge now, a lesson later.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Lestermayers.com
- Instagram: @MayersLester_
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Zfp-iHiEYQpAYJKWLr_bA
- Other: All of my published plays, poetry, and anthologies can be purchased here. https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lester-Eugene-Mayers/author/B08159KGLK?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Image Credits
Max Evanega All Photos.
