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Fueling Artistic Perseverance…  

As actors…

We have to be OK…

With allowing our instrument to experience discomfort…

We cannot shy away from it…

For it is that very discomfort…

That is the exact ingredient…

To fulfilling the most complex realities…

Of the most complicated of life’s circumstances…

Our discomfort is pregnant with the substance…

Needed to be utilized in our work…

It is through our instrument…

That we become the vessel…

To living the most complex…

The most complicated…

And even the most inexplicable…

Private essence of the human condition…

In a very public way…

And in order to do that…

We have to strive to make our history…

And our inner life/world…

Within those circumstances…

So vast…

So full…

So specific…

And so delicious…

That it/they stimulate…

And maintain…

All of our attention…

To take the risk…

To uninhibitedly go after our needs…

Moment to unknown moment…

With the true nature of action

That exists…

And necessary…

Within the world of the text…

And to help us along that journey…

We may need to utilize specific tools…

That allow that inner world to fill…

And experience those circumstances…

So we can actively live those circumstances…

With a truthful raw…

Authentic…

Unpredictably moment to unknown moment…

Honest life force…

It is through specific tools…

Using our own personal experiential vocabulary + imagination…

And the marriage of the two…

And our willingness and courage…

That we stimulate our inner world…

To actually experience…

And believe/have faith in

The most complex circumstances…

So we can then actively live those circumstances…

In service of, to and for our work…

But we must continue to exercise our work!…

Even during these unprecedented time…

We must not get discouraged…

And we must not give up…

The obstacles we face…

And the stakes that they heighten…

Must fuel the energy…

And the intention…

We put forth…

When it comes to our active pursuit…

In achieving our Life’s objectives…

If we spend all of our energy…

Allowing our obstacles…

To be the excuses of why ‘we can’t’

We simply do not give the energy…

To our Life’s objectives…

That they need and deserve…

Let not fear…

Doubt…

Or uncertainty…

Rob you of the very thing you love…

Let it fuel the flames of your passion…

To adapt…

Adjust…

Find a way…

And overcome!…

Allow the passion in your heart…

And the fire in your belly…

To be the fuel…

That keeps you persevering forward…

Despite everything ‘out there’…

That may attempt to keep you from persevering forward…

You are more powerful than you have been led to believe, dear Artists….

You are essential…

The only way to lose sight of the dream…

Is by giving up on it….

So don’t give up!

Continue to invest the necessary sweat equity…

Into what you want to make happen for yourself…

We must remember…

We get what we put into the dream…

And the Universe…

Undeniably meets us where we are…

And responds accordingly….

So persevere, dear Artists…

Stay safe…

Stay mindful…

Stay creative…

Stay on purpose…

Stay on the path of the dream!

Much Love,

Mario Campanaro


If Not You, The Who?

Dear Actor,

Life will always be throwing curve balls at us…

But we have a choice to make in those pregnant moments…

Do we allow those circumstances to be the thing that destroys us…

And causes us to crumble?…

Or do we allow those circumstances to awaken us…

To not give up…

To not give in…

But to bring a perseverance in us that we did not know we had?…

To open the door to a determination…

To better who we are…

And then use that growth…

And awareness…

Towards helping the collective in one form or another…

Let’s be honest…

Much of Life has taught all of us…

At one time or another…

That our most profound growth happens…

When there is usually some unmentionable unexpected stimulus…

That initiates the inevitable dive…

Into the discovery of truth within oneSelf…

This usually and unfortunately knocks on our Life’s door…

As some type of immense strife or intense obstacle…

This can be a long painful journey…

But without fail…

These growing pains strengthen our inner constitution…

And begin to put the puzzle pieces of our own connection…

To the continuous learning of truth in who we are…

And where we come from…

Yes, it hurts at times…

It hurts so bad at times…

But it’s good…

I hate to say it…

But it is true…

The more difficult the journey…

The stronger we become…

So when those dark hours sneak in…

It is worthy to greet them with gentle gratitude…

Those circumstances are holding our hand…

And walking us straight to our very own awakening…

Our own glorious metamorphosis…

And our inspiration for creation…

You see…

As artists…

What we are usually not taught…

Is that we are indeed light workers…

We are able to see things that many do not want to see…

We are able to feel things that many are not willing to feel…

And we are able to bring an awareness to people…

Through our glorious art form…

That greatly helps shift the consciousness towards a better tomorrow…

And that is a wonderful gift to bring to the world…

But we have to persevere…

Even when it may make sense not to…

We cannot be scared or shy away from the discomfort…

We cannot hang back from the responsibility… 

We have to find comfort in the discomfort…

And use that love and passion that lives within all of us…

As the gasoline to keep going…

You, dear actor, have to KNOW that you, your talents and your experience are worthy of being witnessed through your work…

You have to continue to be brave enough…

Despite all that may be going on around you…

To trust yourself enough to let go…

And keep going…

Allow yourself to have your feelings…

Experience authentic experiences…

And take it moment by unknown moment…

And continue on in the work…

Most want to wait…

But you can’t wait as an actor….

It’s all in the now…

It is needed and necessary right here and right now…

You are crucial and required in the pregnant life of this very complex moment…

It’s our job to live that most profound private essence of the human condition publicly…

As it relates to all of the world’s most complex stories…

You will find the way…

Trust that it is all there in you…

You are more than enough…

Married with your imagination…

And unwavering faith in the world you are responsible for living…

That others turn to as some form of unspoken medicine…

Through our work…

We have obligations to hold the light in the darkest of storms…

We have a duty to be strong in times of weakness…

We have to use our voices…

To be the thing that echoes loud enough…

To hold the torch…

Connecting one another…

And share all the universal stories and truths of the human condition…

Never leaving anyone out…

We are more than we are told…

And we are more important than we get credit…

We have to start believing in our most profound truth…

And the incredible influence that our gifts have…

That truly make a difference in our world…

We must start fully trusting ourselves…

We have to rise to the bigness of our calling…

We have to rise to the occasion…

And we have to continue to care…

Even in those moments when caring feels too much…

We have to continue to care…

We have to use the enormous energy that lives within us…

That transforms time and space…

To do good…

To do our work…

To help…

And let it reach those it is meant to reach…

We have to be the truth tellers(livers) of humanity…

If not you, dear actor, then who?

Much Love,

Mario Campanaro
Founder & Master Teacher
MC² Actors Studio  
Los Angeles | New York City | London