Art isn't Easy

"Order. Design. Composition. Tone. Form. Symmetry. Balance." - George Seurat reminds himself of all the elements that are needed for a painting in the Sondheim musical Sunday in the Park with George. He specifically, and rightfully so, concludes with balance. All of those elements are necessary for a "well" formulated painting, but more necessary that they are balanced. Without balance what is anything really? A saturation of anything, whether it be laughter, rain or seclusion, will eventually become something of weight and intolerance. But when you balance laughter with tears, rain with heat and seclusion with friendship those things develop a higher meaning and an importance in our lives. In many ways our lives are similar to a painting. We start, young, with a blank canvas and with some simple, yet broad brush strokes, that will indefinitely have a lasting impact on what the painting will become. As we grow older those brush strokes become more detailed and defined. The thing with a paint brush is there is no eraser on the other end. We must be very careful about where and how these strokes are made. We must keep order, our own personalities will decide the design, our priorities are our composition, the way we approach life and how treat others is our tone, the path we choose in our career and home will establish form, being happy and proud of who you are is your symmetry and balance is an ever evolving struggle.

Pursuing a career in the arts is multifaceted x 10, and even that is an understatement. Someone explained to me once that its the only career that someone can walk out of their home, without education or experience and say, " I'm an artist." A doctor couldn't do that. An accountant couldn't either. Not even a teacher in this day in age. Granted I don't know how great that artist would be but nonetheless it put into perspective how non-regulated artistry is and how large of a scope it covers. So being that I am an artist with no office, no boss, no time clock, it is up to me to establish my work environment, my brand, my business. I am the CEO of Michael-Anthony Souza. But I'm also the employee, the payroll and HR. And when we serve as all this different titles, that is when we have to remember balance. Art isn't a typical business because its all about self expression, creativity and entertainment. Unfortunately, for us to make a living from our art, it had to give in to capitalism. It is now just as much about how to make the buck, as it is about how to make influential art. So as CEO of someone who is already balancing singing, acting and dancing, I have to also take into consideration finances and budgeting the income, or lack there of. I have to create a schedule that is conducive to being able to work and audition and more importantly live. I am a huge stickler on working to live, not living to work. And as struggling artists who are trying to make it in this brutal business, while trying to feed themselves and pay their rent, we often forget that as artists we are trying to depict and influence human life. If all we do is work and consume ourselves with trying to "make it", we begin to lose our humanity and without humanity art doesn't serve a purpose. The phrase is often, "feed your art," but it should instead be, "feed your humanity." So have other interests, go to a movie, walk through park, look at old pictures, call an old friend. Art is a byproduct of your life, don't make it be the other way around.

Being an actor or an artist is a privilage. There are many who would love to tackle such a career but their circumstances, whether it be money or family or insecurity, don't allow them to. So these people become doctors, or teachers, or mothers and they do selfless things in this world that move mountains. I'm not saying that art isn't impactful, but let's face it, we do it because we love it and it feels good. Not everyone's job gets an applause or an audience for that matter. We get praise and credit for our work, others only get a paycheck and are expected to do what they do, because "it's their job." Do you bring roses to a teacher who has just put hundreds of students through graduation?  Is there a review in the newspaper about a doctor who just saved a young boys life? It is even said in Sunday in the Park,"Work is what you do for others, art is what you do for yourself." Being an artist is selfish and thus another aspect of balancing my life is remembering to give back, someway, somehow. This month I became a teaching artist at the Nitestar Program with St. Luke's Hospital. It is a program that uses the performing arts to help young people to make informed decisions about sex and drugs; providing options for changing attitudes and prejudices. That is one small way in which I'm using my talent and my passion to give back to a community and there are others like reading for the blind or delivering food to those in need. It may at first seem like a phony chore but it induces pride and a sense of responsibility for the privileged life you are able to lead.

The other day at 7:00 AM, I was Skyping with my girlfriend Lauren, and I realized that I hadn't spoken to my best friend, my mom, my grandmother, my brother, my sister, or my roommate in days, close to weeks for some. I have been so consumed in working and becoming this product of an actor that I forgot about these important people in my life. So as I now begin to balance my life with my career, with my family and friends, with my job and my long-term goals I look back at the idea of a painting. I met this girl, Krystal, at my job the other day and she too expressed the anguish and overwhelming weight of her busy life. She gave me her remedy. A vision board. In her room sits a board with magazine clippings, drawings, words, pictures, colors, anything that she wants, that symbolizes or represents things that she desires in her life. Not things like a flat screen TV or a new phone, but maybe a trip to europe, or a weekend with the family, or dare I say it, a Tony Award. By having those things on a board to greet you when you awaken, or to admire before you rest, subconsciously puts into perspective why you have such a busy life and where you want that life to go. It allows you to look at the board and remember, "Oh that's right, THAT's why i'm doing this." So this board will be my painting and this board will help me find the balance I need to lead a happy and successful path.


"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos." - Stephen Sondheim


- Michael-Anthony 


P.S. Being a CEO is exhausting.