I'd applied to graduate school for playwriting, and I got rejected by every school. I felt that theatre was closed but that, when it came to film, the door was very slightly ajar. If I have any virtues, it's that I'm good at walking through doors that are slightly ajar.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes resilience and seizing opportunities, even when faced with rejection.
Greta Gerwig reflects on her experiences of rejection as she pursued her dreams in playwriting. Despite being turned away by graduate schools, she found an opening in the field of film, which symbolized hope and potential. Her ability to recognize and act on such slight opportunities highlights the importance of perseverance and adaptability in the face of adversity, suggesting that sometimes success comes from exploring alternatives rather than giving up.
In practice
In a motivational speech about overcoming obstacles in creative fields.
I love movies, but sometimes I think it's better for actresses not to be total cinephiles. You have to be able to do the work at some point; you can't be totally starstruck. 'I can't believe it's Woody Allen!' You have to get past that.
Acting was always the first love, but a lot of people want to be actors, and my goal was, 'Come hell or high water, I will be a part of this world, however I can.' So that just led me to throwing myself into every aspect of narrative storytelling I could.
For Mike Mills, I learned that having dance parties and crying with your cast does not make you a weak director, it makes you a strong director.
You seldom, if ever, get lucky sitting down.
My thing was play as hard as you can, don't be stupid, pay attention to details, and have enough guts in the clutch that you're not afraid to make a play. Some things I thought were important for a young man to know.
When a gifted team dedicates itself to unselfish trust and combines instinct with boldness and effort, its ready to climb.
When doing what we most love transforms us into the best possible version of ourselves and that version hints at even greater future possibilities, the urge to explore those possibilities becomes feverish compulsion. Intrinsic motivation goes through the roof. Thus flow becomes an alternative path to mastery, sans the misery.
Some people wait so long for their ship to come in, their pier collapses.
Sometimes when you are the closest to your breakthrough the pressure is the greatest. You have come too far to give up now!
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