Meet Meg Buzza

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Meg Buzza. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Meg below.

Meg, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Confidence and self-esteem come from taking action, as we are, where we are. I’m excited to share the Buddhist philosophy behind this concept and its practical application with you all today!

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
In a dialogue about Jazz and Buddhism held between Buddhist Philosopher Daisaku Ikeda and Jazz legends Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, Ikeda stresses the importance of an artist’s “heart”:

“Ability, skill, knowledge, and strategy are naturally important for everyone in every field, not to mention working harder than others. But it is the heart that determines, fundamentally, whether we are happy. It is our heart that moves and motivates others at the deepest level.” (Daisaku Ikeda, “Reaching Beyond”, pg. 50).

As an artist and career coach practicing Nichiren Buddhism with the grass roots peace organization The Soka Gakkai International, or “Value Creation Society”, it is my mission to foster a culture of humanism (people first) in the entertainment industry.

In our competitive field, it is easy to lose the “heart” of why we create, produce, perform, etc. After 15+ years working in both NYC and Hollywood as a dancer, musical comedian, filmmaker, writer, producer…(insert classic multi-hyphenates here), I’ve noticed clear patterns in the obstacles artists face. The key to a breakthrough lies in our mental fortitude and attitude, or “heart” – something I will elaborate on later in this interview.

Pulling on my many difficult experiences of overcoming an eating disorder, losing my home in the CA wildfires, living with severe chronic illness, etc, combined with my 10+ years of deep Buddhist study, I have developed a humanistic approach to coaching artists and industry professionals to help them break through their limitations and build a truly authentic and happy career!

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?
“Consider this story shared by Russian author Leo Tolstoy, in which an emperor wonders about three questions: When is the best time to start a task, to know the right time for every action, so that I have no regrets? What kind of person do I need most and to whom should I pay attention to? What affairs or tasks are the most important?” (SGI Living Buddhism Magazine, August 2023, Page 18.)

In my experience there is a lot of confusion for artists: what classes should I be in, who should I be making connections with, what festival should I enter, etc. The above parable has helped me to navigate these questions in my own career and feel a sense of presence and certainty with each step. It continues:

“The emperor makes it known throughout the land that he will richly reward anyone who can tell him the right answers to these questions. In the end, the emperor gains the answers from a sage who lives among the people…
This wise man replies that the most important time is now, this very moment; the most important person is the one in front of you right now; and the most important task is doing good to others, caring about others’ happiness.

This moment, this instant, is important, not some unknown time in the future. Today, the most important person is the one in front of you right now; and the most important task is doing good to others, caring about others’ happiness. This very day is what matters. We must put our entire beings into the present—for future victory is contained in this moment.

Likewise, we do not need to look for special people in some far-off place. People are not made important simply by virtue of their power, learning, fame or riches. The most important people are those in our immediate environment right now.”
(SGI Living Buddhism Magazine, August 2023, Page 18.)

I think this mindset is crucial. It liberates us from making decisions based on fear, sucking up to industry-deemed “powerful people”, or becoming paralyzed by indecision. I enthusiastically coach my clients to simply TAKE ACTION, NOW, and open the way forward, as they are! Instead of waiting for the right conditions, we can create our own momentum and unlock opportunities right where we are!

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
Buddhism exists for each individual to reveal their truest self – to awaken to the fact that “I am enough, just as I am”, and reminds us that we all have unlimited ability for growth and development.

As a young artist I was often devastated by a lack of validation. But once I began to study the writings of Daisaku Ikeda – where he stresses that “the heart to encourage another is the starting point”, my gaze shifted from self to others and, like magic, my insecurities dissolved.

Now, whether I have to be on camera, give a speech, or simply connect with someone at a party, I battle my anxiety by focusing on how to encourage and connect with the person in front of me.

Again, in the Buddhism & Jazz dialogue “Reaching Beyond”, Herbie Hancock shares, through his personal experience of playing in Miles Davis’ band, the most powerful heart/attitude for an artist:

“Playing just for applause is a cowardly approach. When you have the strength of your own convictions, you already have a support system coming from inside. This is the training I got from Miles Davis’ band. To develop confidence in what you are doing is the correct approach, but what Miles wanted most was honesty and sincerity.” (Herbie Hancock, “Reaching Beyond”, pg. 50).

Daisaku Ikeda responds:
“You have identified the essence of both life and art. The challenge to take the road less traveled courageously and fearlessly is the key to achieving greatness in anything.” (Daisaku Ikeda, “Reaching Beyond”, pg. 68).

I am passionate about serving and empowering artists to take bigger risks, believe in themselves fiercely, and go all-out. When we attach our individual goals to the greater good of peoples’ happiness – having full confidence that our work as artists is noble and necessary in society – then we will not be swayed by the inevitable obstacles that arise on our journeys! Whenever I start to feel anxiety and fear, or notice that I’ve slipped into comparing myself to others, I return to the above guidance. Our legacy lies in our character as human beings, and how we made people feel. “The heart is most important”. Thank you so much for allowing me to share!

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Lotta Photography

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