A letter to the undergraduate community:
Dear Fellow Practitioners,
It is quite understandable that at this point in your career there is much uncertainty and doubt. I found that when I was a
younger student, it was much easier to project my fears about the likelihood of
success on others as opposed to searching inside myself for the answers that
would make me a better artist. I know that there are some very easy “copouts”
so to speak when it comes to placing the blame of our own insecurities on
others. My advice to you is to avoid this tactic of false confidence at all
costs. I am positive that you will find that this not healthy to yourself or to
your peers. To be more specific, there are certain behaviors that are simply
not appropriate for a learning environment such as the one you are currently
involved in. I use the words Learning Environment very precisely in this
instance. We are meant to treat this institution as a place where we can
develop our craft and experiment with our own creative instincts in a safe and
encouraging environment. However, the safety of these walls, which contain our
overabundance of creative energy, is only as strong as the student body that
encourages such endeavors. To be more frank, our department cannot be a safe
place for anyone to develop as artists if we are too afraid to show each other
just how creative we can be. Lately I have seen that there are plenty of
students who are quick to focus on the negative aspects of any creative risk
that might be taken by a peer. I have reluctantly heard whispers of the lack of
integrity that our shows currently have, the poor performances that have taken
place both on stage and in front of the camera, and the inability of our own
professors to give us accurate information. For me personally (and I know that
I am not the only one) this kind of gossip does nothing to make our school a
safe place for anyone who might want to take some sort of risk in regards to
the sort of content that they believe they need to try. We as students have an
obligation to act as the net that will catch anyone who might fall, and when we
do catch them, we are not expected to tear them limb from limb, but instead to
throw them back up onto their feet so that they might try once more with the
momentum needed to succeed. As of late, we as the student body have failed to
uphold this necessary task. How can anyone expect to develop if they do not
feel safe amongst their peers to take any sort of risk? Therefore, I encourage
you to attempt a new strategy. I encourage you to focus on the positives
instead of the negatives. I encourage that when someone asks you about the show
you just saw, a show that was produced by your very own family, you tell them
the things you liked about it as opposed to the things you didn’t. I encourage
you that when you tell your friend they did a good job in the show, you don’t
then talk bad about him behind his back. I encourage you to allow for an
environment that is more likely to enjoy the work being done as opposed to looking
at it with scrutiny. After all, we are a department built for artists, not
critics. There will be plenty of time for us whisper behind each other’s backs
once we reach the professional level, but right now it is necessary that we
focus on the positives and encourage those around us, so that all of us can
feel like it is possible to succeed. I understand that this desire to bring
others down to our level comes from a place of fear, but this fear and the
reaction we give because of it is unjust. We are all just as capable of making
each other feel like they have a place where they belong, and I can assure you,
if we allow for a place that encourages all of us to take creative risks, the
quality of our work as a collective will be exceptional. Let us once again make
these walls a hidden fortress that thrives with the artistic ability possessed by
all of us.
With Love and Understanding,
Q
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