CLIENT CORNER: A Guest Blog Post from Alicia Hartz

Tim and I are thrilled to have a new series on the blog called CLIENT CORNER. In this series, we'll be featuring posts by guest artists- artists who are active parts of our growing IVS Community. If you'd like to contribute a piece of writing, please send it to hello@innovativevoicestudio.com! 

FINDING YOUR TRUE NORTH 

By Alicia Hartz

Did anyone else watch John Krasinski’s Some Good News? 

If you haven’t, it’s an online show he’s started with the pandemic where he shares nothing but  good news. My first reaction was, “How on-brand of him!” It’s upbeat, it’s positive, it’s funny; it  totally aligns with his body of work and the image of himself he presents to the world. In this  time of turmoil, I find him so inspiring because even though all of his upcoming projects have  been postponed or cancelled, he’s still driven to release on-brand content that serves his  mission. Though I haven’t spoken to him personally, I imagine his personal artistic mission  statement is something like: 

Provide people with an escape from the drama of their everyday life. 

Up until now, I’ve always made fun of individual artists with mission statements. Forgive me,  but I thought they were cheesy, holier-than-thou, and limited the kind of projects you could be  invited to participate in. But now that I am unable to fill my days working towards specific  career goals (like book enough acting work so I can quit at least one of my survival jobs), I find  myself noodling around on big picture ideas like what my mission is. 

So, despite my inner critic who is slightly mocking this task, I am coming up with a personal  artistic mission statement. I’m reflecting back and thinking, “Yes performing is the most fun  activity I can imagine doing with my life, but what made me want to make it a career? What  makes me keep coming back to it, no matter the heartbreak? Why does it not just entertain my  whimsy, why does it satisfy me as a human being? Why does it make me feel like I’m making a  difference in the world?” 

A mission should be something you can come back to, no matter your circumstance. It is your  compass to true north. There are so many things I can’t check off my to-do list but one thing I can always work on is my mission - just like John Krasinski is doing  with Some Good News. 

So here it is; my artistic mission: 

Build community through a shared experience. 

Ooo, maybe it’s:

Encourage inquiry into life’s most curious and challenging subjects. 

Wait, wait, I think it’s: 

Clearly, I’m still brainstorming, but here is IVS’s artistic mission for some inspiration. What’s yours?!