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Articles from Sarah Koestner | Selfgrowth.com
- Watering the Plant of Intimate Relationships - by Submitted on Jan 22, 2019 from Sarah KoestnerToday I want to talk about connection. It's something we all want more of and something that in today's culture, many of us are lacking. We lack real connection with friends, family members and even the people who are closest to us: our partners. Our society doesn't set us up for making ...
Views: 810 - The Best Way to "Learn All Those Lines" - by Submitted on Oct 13, 2016 from Sarah Koestner"Spontaneity is being present in the present." Wei Wu Wei In my classes, I ask that my students learn their lines by "rote." This means without emphasis or inflection. It is a mechanical way to learn your lines, where you don't attach any emotions or objectives to the words. This process was ...
Views: 1697 - Five Ways to Get Creatively Un-Stuck - by Submitted on Oct 03, 2016 from Sarah KoestnerI'm currently teaching a scene study class in Manhattan and a lot of my students speak to me about feeling "stuck." They feel unable to make progress in their acting career and find themselves spending lots of time in unfulfilling jobs that pay the rent but leave them little time to fill their ...
Views: 1476 - 5 Simple Rituals to Start Your Day Mindfully - by Submitted on Jul 06, 2016 from Sarah Koestner"Make each day your masterpiece." John Wooden I used to begin my day by pressing the snooze button about four times, scrolling through Instagram and email for a few minutes, dragging myself to the shower, smearing some makeup on my face and running out the door without breakfast. While it ...
Views: 1212 - How Poor Diction Can Hurt a Performance - by Submitted on Jun 03, 2016 from Sarah KoestnerRecently I had the pleasure of seeing the Tony-nominated production of The Crucible. I am a huge fan of director Ivo Van Hove's work and loved his powerful production of A View From the Bridge earlier this season. Needless to say I was really looking forward to this evening at the theater. ...
Views: 1877 - 5 Ways to Stay on Track With Your Creative Goals - by Submitted on Feb 09, 2016 from Sarah Koestner"Do not underestimate the thrill of trying." ~ Julia Cameron A few days ago, I got an idea for a book. I sat down at the computer and an outline flew out of me. It felt like this was the book I was born to write. In the process of writing the outline I entered that "flow state" where I felt ...
Views: 1547 - 4 Benefits of a Daily Meditation Practice - by Submitted on Feb 04, 2016 from Sarah Koestner"Quiet the mind and the soul will speak." ~Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati A couple of months ago I gave myself a challenge. I committed to meditating every morning for at least ten minutes a day for the next thirty days. I created a small altar on the coffee table in our living room, consisting of a ...
Views: 1360 - 6 Tips For Calming Your Nerves Before Public Speaking - by Submitted on Jan 13, 2016 from Sarah KoestnerHere are some strategies that I employ to help make public speaking a more joyful and less nerve-wracking experience: Prepare: The more prepared you are, the less nervous you will be. Do your homework on whatever the topic is that you’re speaking about. Practice: Before you go into a ...
Views: 2066 - 5 Essential Physical Warm-ups - by Submitted on Jan 13, 2016 from Sarah KoestnerAs performers we want to be present and "in the moment." That phrase is thrown around a lot, but what I mean by "in the moment" is taking in the information that is currently happening. One way we can encourage this is by opening up our bodies before we get on stage. All performers should do a ...
Views: 1926 - 30 Day Meditation Challenge - by Submitted on Jan 13, 2016 from Sarah KoestnerHello friends! Previously I talked about meditation as a tool to bring more presence into our lives. I've decided I want to make meditation a more regular part of my current routine. Practice what you preach, right? I've been an avid meditator during many periods of my life, but lately my ...
Views: 1326 - Don't Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Good - by Submitted on Jan 13, 2016 from Sarah KoestnerYesterday, while taking a drop-in art class I had an experience that I don't always have when I'm engaging in something creative: I was fully "in the zone." My instructor even commented: "You're on fire today." Painting after painting was flying out of me. I felt free and almost reckless - a ...
Views: 1305 - 5 Ways to Meet Your Fear With Compassion - by Submitted on Dec 01, 2015 from Sarah Koestner"Everything you want is on the other side of fear." ~Jack Canfield With all the violence (and threats of violence) that have been in the headlines these past few weeks, the emotion of fear has been living very prominently in my mind. Fear is the most primal of all human emotions; there are no ...
Views: 1630 - How to Cultivate Beginner's Mind - by Submitted on Nov 16, 2015 from Sarah Koestner"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's there are few. ~Suzuki If you're a perfectionist like me, learning and creating while practicing "beginner's mind" is something you might find challenging. What is "beginner's mind" you ask? Beginner's mind is a concept ...
Views: 1276 - The Birth of Creative Work - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2015 from Sarah KoestnerAs those of you who have been following this blog know, a few weeks ago I started taking a weekly art class. It's been great for me to connect to my creativity in a structured way. I have learned so much about my creative process and I've only been in the class for 3 weeks! I can't wait to see ...
Views: 2522 - Feeling Alive - by Submitted on Nov 02, 2015 from Sarah KoestnerLast night I was fortunate enough to participate in a monthly meet-up with fellow Miller Voice Method teachers-in-training. The meet-up was overseen by Scott Miller, head teacher of the Miller Voice Method. Another teacher and I led the exercises for the evening. It was truly inspiring to be in ...
Views: 1422 - Growing Our Tolerance for the Unknown - by Submitted on Nov 02, 2015 from Sarah Koestner“Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.” -Agnes DeMille I was listening to a New-Agey podcast the other day-- ...
Views: 1693 - The Inner Critic - by Submitted on Nov 02, 2015 from Sarah KoestnerBeing an actor seems like the most fun job in the world. You ostensibly get to "play pretend" for a living. But sometimes for myself, and perhaps for you, it isn't fun. When my inner critic gets involved, it can suck all of the joy out of the process. I spent a few years solely teaching and ...
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