💡 Coaching Insights: What drives you to create, even when the process feels lonely?

What drives you to create, even when the process feels lonely? This revealing coaching session features a candid conversation with a playwright who struggles with the isolation of writing while simultaneously craving the connection he feels in rehearsal rooms.

The session begins with a powerful exploration of purpose as we dive into the question that many creators lose sight of: Why do you do what you do? For this playwright, the answer emerges unexpectedly – he's compelled by a fundamental desire for connection. While he thrives in collaborative environments with actors, directors, and audiences, the solitary writing process often leaves him feeling disconnected from the world.

Through our conversation, a transformative realization takes shape. What if those lonely writing hours aren't disconnection at all, but rather the very foundation of the connection he seeks? By reframing his understanding of the creative process, he discovers that his writing serves as a conduit for connection – even when no one is reading it yet. The audience is already connecting with the idea of his work before seeing a single word.

This episode offers a profound lesson for anyone engaged in creative pursuits: understanding your core values and motivations can transform even the most challenging aspects of your craft. When you recognize why you create, you find purpose in every part of the journey. If you've ever struggled with the solitary aspects of your creative work, this coaching session might just change how you approach your craft tomorrow. What core value drives your creative life?

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Playwright's Loneliness
• 1:12 Discovering Your Why
• 1:52 Connection as Core Value
• 3:08 Reframing Solitary Writing as Connection
• 4:23 Playwright's Realization

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:23

Hey, there, in today's excerpt from a coaching session, you're going to hear me talking to a playwright who talks about the loneliness of writing. We dig deep into the question of why he does what he does and he makes some really interesting connections to his why and his values that really help him stay connected even when he's alone. I think you're going to really enjoy this one. Let's dive in. I think often what happens what I see a lot is that we forget or maybe never even knew what our why was or what it is. And I think when we connect back to why we do, what we do is, and I think when we connect back to why we do what we do, that reconnect with that, because it's there. You do know that.

Speaker 2: 1:13

I mean, I do believe that you have the answers If I were to say to you why do you do what you do? What would you say yeah, hmm, that's an interesting question. I, yeah, I guess I do it because, first of all, on some level, I'm compelled to do it. Um, it's I, it is when I feel happiest we were talking about happiness again when I'm working, when I'm in a room with actors. There's I guess you know now that I say it out loud it's it sort of has comes back to that that idea of connection, because in, in that room, I'm connecting deeply with, with the performance, with with my director, with my co-writers, you know, with the designers.

Speaker 2: 1:59

I feel like I'm connected, um, whereas most of the time I don't feel that way when I'm home, working alone, writing. I mean, that's a very you really feel disconnected from the world when you're doing that. So maybe that's why I do it, because I have this desire to connect with people. I never really thought of it that way. That's probably what it is and, by extension, connect with an audience. And, you know, and by extension, connect with an audience when you can communicate your particular worldview through a show and see an audience react to that, that's a great feeling too.

Speaker 1: 2:36

Yeah, is that a reasonable answer, valid?

Speaker 1: 2:49

And you know what you're saying loud and clear is that one of your highest values is connection. What stood out to me is when you mentioned that, yeah, I guess that's why I really like to do that. Like you, love being in the room, you love being with people, you love seeing the reactions, but it's lonely when I'm writing. So, yeah, I work with writers a lot and that's a common thing, but it's interesting because A well, that's where the work is done, that's the seed of it. But if you can think of that as connection when you're writing, as opposed to God, can I just this is so lonely, can I get this done so I get to rehearsal? But if you can somehow embody the feeling of the connection and realize that that's the conduit, it's not the only way you can get there, just as the classes that your mom put you in was not the only way that you could overcome your shyness, but it's something.

Speaker 1: 3:39

Now that you know, people feel connected to you. So imagine what the world is thinking when someone says Bob Martin's writing the sequel to Drowsy Chaperone is thinking. When someone says Bob Martin's writing the sequel to Drowsy Chaperone, when you're in your room, people are going to be going. You can imagine, right People. They don't know you're in your room, but they know it's not on stage yet, so maybe that would help fuel you to go. Wow, no, no, I'm connecting by writing.

Speaker 2: 4:00

I'm connecting even though no one's reading it yet. That's really, that's great. Yeah, I feel like I'm getting a free session, but no, but that's absolutely true. If I could, if I could apply that same feeling of, okay, I am connecting and we, you know.