Beyond Structure: Creating What Can’t Be Taken Away

This intimate conversation explores the balance between craving stability and embracing uncertainty in artistic pursuits.

Our guest, an established actor, shares their strategy for navigating the feast-or-famine nature of the entertainment industry. Rather than remaining “at the beck and call of some force that might grant me a job,” they’ve discovered the power of self-created projects—work that generates passion, purpose, and forward momentum regardless of outside validation.

The discussion takes a fascinating turn when examining the language we use to describe our needs. What begins as a desire for “structure” transforms into something deeper: self-actualization and creative autonomy. Through gentle questioning, we uncover what truly lies beneath—a yearning to create something enduring in a profession defined by temporary roles.

For anyone in a creative field struggling with uncertainty, this episode offers a fresh perspective on building a sustainable creative life. It’s about honoring what you create that won’t vanish when external projects end, cultivating balance that isn’t disrupted by professional ups and downs, and finding fulfillment through self-directed work aligned with your deepest values.

🎧 Listen now to discover how you can build a creative foundation that remains steady—even in uncertain times.

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Chapters

• 0:46 Rethinking Structure in Creative Life
• 1:38 Yearning for Self-Created Stability
• 3:28 Finding What Won't Go Away

Transcript

guest: 0:23

you know, giving myself a structure that, so that it's not just the audition or the the acting, you know.

Lisa Hopkins: 0:35

It's interesting the word sorry, I harp on the words with my clients. I'm like structure. That's an interesting word choice, especially for someone who's lived such a structured life, structured by everything else. So if you were to to maybe I don't know reframe that word as something that really worked for you, about what you really what would that be.

guest: 0:59

I mean right, yes, I think honestly like giving myself projects, things that I'm passionate about, things that I can look forward to working on every day, so that I'm not at the beck and call of some force that might grant me a job. But you know it's like so I think it's more about yeah, if, if structure is not the word, then it would be like I don't know Self actualization in my then. It would be like I don't know self-actualization in my days, like you know, something that I set out to do that I don't need anyone to sign off on, you know.

Lisa Hopkins: 1:45

Yeah.

guest: 1:50

It's interesting, because what?

Lisa Hopkins: 1:53

I'm hearing underneath what you're saying is is balance that won't be disrupted. So so I understand what you mean, Like it would make sense, knowing you and knowing just even what you've just told me, that you're used to structure. You're used to the structure of an eight week show or of an agent, or you know your whole life has been structured.

guest: 2:07

Yeah.

Lisa Hopkins: 2:09

And I and I understand that you don't want to be at the back and call. However, you also acknowledge that that is the life of an actor. Yeah, yeah, so, but but when you say structure and your brain knows all that data you are, you're a natural. Like the words you use were like work that I want to be passionate about. You could have been talking about what you do.

guest: 2:33

Right, right.

Lisa Hopkins: 2:34

Yeah, you said projects. You said work. Yeah, passion, that's exactly what you do. Yeah, you work on projects you're passionate about, and right, and, and what I'm hearing you say is because you know you've grown vertically, let's say, right, you've grown. You've definitely risen, as they say in your field, and will continue to. There's no doubt. If you want to keep doing that, you will, and that's just about a series of choices and opportunities and a lot of things you can't control.

Lisa Hopkins: 3:04

I know that if you want to do it, you will control your vessel and you will take care of your body. I know you will. So I don't. I don't worry about that, but what I'm hearing and you tell me if you think this is true, cause I could be totally wrong but what I'm hearing is that you're you're yearning for something that you create that won't go away. When right that? Honor it's like something you honor and value. That doesn't go away when you get drawn that way.

guest: 3:35

Yeah, totally that's it, that's it.