Whatever you do, make sure you want to write more than you want to be a writer. Make sure you want to act more than you want to be an actor. That is what will sustain you.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes that passion for the craft should outweigh the desire for the title of the profession.
Bradley Whitford's quote encourages individuals to focus on the love for their work rather than the pursuit of recognition for being in that field. It suggests that genuine passion and dedication to writing or acting will provide the resilience and sustenance necessary to thrive in challenging artistic careers.
In practice
During a motivational speech at a creative writing workshop.
Infuse your life with action. Don't wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen... yourself, right now, right down here on Earth.
Less gossiping, more learning. Less complaining, more excelling. Less walls, more bridges. Less fear, more courage
When I was young, I never wanted to leave the court until I got things exactly correct. My dream was to become a pro.
Yesterday's home runs don't win today's games.
It was actually drumming that gave me the stamina to get into sports later. I started playing drums at 13, and when I got to the international touring level... I got interested in cross-country skiing, long-distance swimming, bicycling... things that require stamina, not finesse.
Take risks ... be willing to put your mind and your spirit, your time and your energy, your stomach and your emotions on the line. To search for a safe place, to search for an end to a rainbow, is to search for a place that you will hate once you find it. The soul must be nourished along with the bank account and the resume. The best nourishment for any soul is to create your own risks.
The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion. That's what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they'll go through the pain no matter what happens.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.