New York City Inspiration

The New York City skyline is one of the most iconic skylines in the world. This has always been curious to me because, compared to cities in the Middle East with their tall towers, or Europe with their gorgeous backdrops, NYC has always felt a little less than impressive — BLASPHEMY— I know. But I think what makes New York stand out is that it hasn’t really changed. Even when one building leaves, new buildings rise and add to the skyline seamlessly, despite their differing architectural style. Swiss Architect Le Corbusier says “A hundred times have I thought New York is a catastrophe, and fifty times : It is a beautiful catastrophe.” New York is always consistently inconsistent - a catastrophe. It’s a city full of differences that blend into a beautiful whole. And while that is thrilling, it’s also exhausting. 

The same is true about you and me. In an industry full of superstars it’s hard to feel like you stand out. Everywhere you look people are doing incredible things with incredible people and it can feel overwhelming trying to keep up with the pace of being a performer in NYC. But the reality is, there is no such thing as “keeping up”. If you choose to let go of one thing, like the skyscrapers of our iconic skyline, something new will crop up. Ironically, this fact almost never makes me feel better. The thought that taking something off my plate won’t necessarily relieve my stresses, but instead make room for something new can be a little intimidating. After all, don’t we want time on our hands to enjoy the amazing city we are a part of? The answer is yes. But then, I remember how NYC works. How, no matter what you are doing, you become a part of it, representing a community, a work force, a neighborhood, a facet of a city made up of hundreds of facets. Without you, part of the energy of the city would be lost; and yeah, it would go on without you, but it would never be what it is with you. And isn’t our industry the same? Actors, Singers, Dancers, Stage Managers, Lighting Designers, Costumers, Musicians, Directors, Casting Directors, Choreographers, the list goes on. Each of these titles represents its own community of people that make up a greater whole. What’s more is that each person in each of these communities is a summation of their own microcosms. 

The problem is, so often this world wants us to define what we are. Describe our “type”, check a box. Now, I’m not going to drone on and discuss how we don’t merely fit into one box -- many people have already revealed that truth and many more will continue to do so. But what I will say is this, we get so focused on our boxes (the individual skyscrapers, if you will)  that we never stop to take in the entirety of our skylines. If we did we would see the tower of love we built for our first crush, and the monument we built for our spouses, the museums of knowledge we curated as we furthered our educations, and the newer museums filled with information of our hobbies, the office buildings from every era filing away job histories, and the theatres whose marquees proclaim the stories of our family and friends. The skyline would have a mix of old and new, and would have gaps where some buildings had to be torn down, making room for what’s to come. So it would stand to reason that if you, like NYC, can embrace the fact that you are a whole person made up of many different things. You won’t have to worry about standing out or being remembered. You will be recognized. You will be timeless, just like the NYC skyline.