I first met Susanna Burney almost 20 years ago when we both performed in the booming fringe theater community in Seattle – primarily at Annex Theater. I was impressed by her intelligence, her easy manner and her ability to juggle so many different facets of her career.

Over the years, she’s been a dedicated and busy theater professional wearing multiple hats from actress to teacher to director to artistic director/co-founder of Our American Theater Company and now to marketing director of ArtsWest. Additionally, her major role in John Carpenter’s latest movie “The Ward” and her notable voice-over work have brought her national recognition. I’ve always found her to be a motivating spirit in my friendship, so I was curious to talk to her about how she motivates herself and about the highlights in her career.

AP: You work simultaneously as an actress, a director, an instructor, an artistic director, and now marketing director. What are the rewards of these different career paths? What do you get out of pursuing so many creative outlets?

SB: To me it comes down to a life in the theater. I’ve been doing this since I was 14 – first working back stage, then training as an actress, and eventually getting more involved with directing and the producing end of things. (I come from a long line of salesmen – immigrants from Eastern Europe and Ireland, who would do anything to make a buck.)

When I started directing, it was partly because I was feeling the powerlessness of being a mere actress, always at the whim of others to let me work – and then tell me how to do it. Directing gave me an independence and ownership that opened my mind up about the whole process. I got into teaching artist work first as an intern fresh out of college, and later, as another way to make a living.

I had been enjoying some success doing voice over work, but right when I started building my house, the economy tanked (this was the post-dot-com, post-9/11 tank), and I realized I needed to figure something out or I wouldn’t be able to pay my mortgage. And that’s when I fully grasped the concept of diversification. The more skills you have, the more ways you can use your skills, the more potential income streams you have.

AP: What keeps you focused and motivated?

SB: Paying my mortgage, no doubt. But also, my undying passion for the work. I love acting, directing, doing voice overs, seeing a project through, collaborating with others, sharing theater with new audiences.

It’s all about kneeling at the alter of the art of acting, and how the power of theater can change lives. It can get a little schitzoid some times – this lifestyle [is] not for everybody – but I enjoy the challenge of keeping all the balls in the air. And I do yoga every morning; meditation if I can make the time.

AP: You have a major role in “The Ward”, directed by John Carpenter. How does this project compare with other major acting roles you’ve had in the past?

SB: I was so honored to be selected to play this major role working with a legend like John Carpenter. It’s funny, though, about success, it feels surreal when it’s happening. I would think, “I’m going to spend five weeks on the set of a feature film, directed by someone I’ve admired all my adult life, and getting paid a nice chunk of money to do it.” But it all seemed intellectual to me – like it couldn’t really be happening. It’s like traveling: you don’t really get what the journey was till much later.

While we were filming, I really felt grateful for the skills I’d developed over the years. I knew how to prepare, I knew how to direct myself. In movies, the major direction comes in the casting – they cast you because they see you can do the role. After that, it’s mostly up to you. There may be some rehearsal, but “rehearsal” on the set is really rehearsal for the camera. It’s blocking, not character discussion.

I knew how to stay calm and focused. It’s a lot of pressure, to be in your trailer for hours sometimes, until finally they come and call you to the set, and then you walk into a world that the crew and director and d.p. [director of photography] have spent hours lighting and preparing. They need you to do your job – know your lines, hit your marks, etc., because all that film in the can and everyone’s time is money money money.

AP: What are some of the differences between working on a feature film and performing in the theater?

SB: Adjusting to camera, is much smaller and subtler than stage; a different technique in many ways. You’re still working your character’s truth, you’re still playing intentions and all that. But you’re doing it with your eyes – with your internal monologue – you can never “show” like you might on stage with a gesture. And it’s very quiet. The camera is like a microscope and it picks up everything, magnifying it to 20 feet – when a scene is being shot, you can barely hear what the actors are saying. Even a big action scene is contained and kept within strict boundaries for the camera. It’s really like performing an elaborate magic trick.

AP: How do you prepare yourself for the level of exposure a film like this might bring you?

SB: Well, nothing’s happened yet. The film wasn’t pushed very aggressively, and sadly, it hasn’t seemed to make much of an impression. Which is unfortunate, because it’s a pretty good movie and deserves as much attention as anything else out there. There are a lot worse films that are getting way more attention than they deserve. That said, I try not to give fantasies of fame and fortune too much focus – in the end I think that’s pretty much a mind-fuck.

AP: In a climate where many theater organizations are struggling to keep operating, what motivated you to organize Our American Theater Company? What sets O.A.T. apart from other theater companies you’ve been involved with in the past?

SB: I created Our American Theater Company back in 2005, because I got very excited about the concept of a theater dedicated to American scripts, as thousands of Shakespeare companies around the country are dedicated to 400 year old plays written in England. Why not celebrate OUR tradition? OUR genius? And the huge influence American theater has had on acting and staging styles around the world, especially since the mid-20th Century.

And, yeah, the economy has been a challenge. That and just the rigors of working on a shoestring and doing most of it myself. I do enjoy producing and watching a project coming together, seeing an audiences respond. But ultimately, being that committed, day and night, with little to show for it financially, made me rethink my commitment to do it.

Now that I’ve taken on the role of Marketing Director at ArtsWest, a more established company with a lovely facility just a quarter mile from my house, I feel like it’s the right level of commitment – still very satisfying, but it’s an actual paying job.

AP: Working as hard as you do in the arts and juggling so many roles, there must be times when you have difficult choices to make. How do you deal with big career decisions?

SB: About 15 years ago, after I quit my last day job as a word-processor to work as a full-time freelance actress and voice over artist, I realized that the key was to say “yes” to everything, and let the details unfold. I still think that is generally true. You do have to be careful not to over commit, and that’s where the struggle comes in.

I just came up against that when I took this Marketing position at ArtsWest. It’s part-time for now, but there’s an ongoing commitment to getting the work done pretty much on a daily basis. Seattle Shakespeare Company had just invited me to come back and do their spring educational tour again, which would mean performing Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet from February to May, all around the state. It’s a great gig, and I had a blast doing it last spring, but I had to make the grown up decision, that while I could probably juggle both about 80 percent of the time, there would be some moments where I would be apologizing to everybody and making people adjust their expectations around my scheduling needs. In the end it felt like I was handing off a delicious piece of cake to some other deserving person, so I could enjoy the pie and ice cream I already had in front of me.

Finally, if you’re in this business for any length of time, you begin to realize the cosmic order of things can work out in ways you never could have imagined. I can’t tell you how many times “a door closes so a window can open” has come to mind over the years. So I try not to sweat it too much.

AP: Aside from the performing arts, what inspires you? What charges you up when you’re exhausted? What sparks you during lulls in your career?

SB: I love nature. I love going to the ocean, and walking in beautiful places, like the Arboretum or Discovery Park. I love to garden; wish I had more time to devote to it. I never read as much as I’d like just for fun, but when I do, I’m always grateful for great literature. I also love to cook.

And it’s funny how I’ll finish a huge project and wonder how I’ll survive not doing that show anymore, or playing that role, and the next day I’ll find myself in the kitchen, cooking up a storm – baking bread, making pies, soups, trying new recipes. And I’ll catch myself and go, huh, I guess this is my post-partum therapy.

Check out Susanna’s IMDB page and visit Our American Theater Company and ArtsWest for more…

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Have you ever suffered the loss of someone close to you? On Mother’s Day 2011, my own mother passed away at the much too young age of 63, another victim of cancer. Overnight, I aged 20 years. I’ve felt sick ever since, almost like a mild but constant hangover. I’ve had my sessions of self-pity, guilt, anger and all the other emotions stirred up by this blow to the very foundation of my being. But I have also found inspiration and motivation in unexpected ways.

My mother’s passing gave me a sense of urgency I didn’t have before. It’s a harsh reminder that time is short, and we all better make the most of it while we can. She did, in her own way. She had a small store where she sold odd things from old handbags and vintage toys to Buddha statues. She traveled a lot and loved culture, spirituality and people. She had four children and a good life. Her death made me look at my own life, not just the individual accomplishments and failures, but the bigger picture.

I’ve seen it before in others who have lost and in the end grown from the experience. Maybe it’s part of the process, like the change in priorities that happen when parents have their first child. I felt motivated to dive into textbooks, to learn and grow and do things I had always wanted to do but were afraid to. Like make movies. Not just as an escape from the grief, though I’m sure that plays in too, but also to honor my mother. After all, she brought me into this world and the least I can do is not waste that gift.

I am a firm believer in looking for the good in every experience, and if possible taking that thing to heart and letting it inspire you. It’s not an easy process. I’m still partially in shock, finding it hard to focus for longer periods of time, needing to shut off completely – a lot – and just be. Several times a day, I drift off into a mental no man’s land. But when present and thinking clearly, I spend most of my time studying. The grieving process is not over, but ever so slowly life goes on.

About the photo: I had no picture of my mother appropriate for these words, so I chose a snapshot of the train station in Denmark I would get off at, whenever I went to visit her. It’s a suburb to Copenhagen called Friheden which translates into “The Freedom”. I shot this on my last trip to see her.

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We’ve all been there. What was once an exciting new project has turned into a grind. What was once a head stuffed full of ideas, is now a whole lot of empty space. You’re out of steam and overworked, almost ready to give up the whole thing and seek greener pastures, doing something else.

The Wall hits everyone at some point. It can be a most dangerous enemy, destroying everything from enthusiasm to relationships. It can smash your dreams and send you hurtling towards a dark place if you let it. The Wall is the Dark Side. The trick to surviving this destructive force is to recognize it for what it is and deny it the influence it seeks.

The Wall is a State of Mind

There is no physical wall blocking you from achieving your goals and taking enjoyment in your work. It’s all in your own head. This means, that to break down the wall, you have to first make up your mind to do so. Decide once and for all, that you mean to emerge on the other side or die trying.

Realize that The Wall is essentially bound to your own mood and approach to problem solving. The Wall exists because you feel exhausted and uninspired, not the other way around. If you can change your outlook, it will be much easier to overcome the Wall.

The Wall is Stress

I hit the Wall when I have been too busy for too long, or when something worries me deeply. Invariably in these situations, I begin losing traction and focus, until I suddenly can’t stand the idea of working on something seemingly unrelated to what is bothering me in the first place. It took me a while to recognize that there is an emotional spill-over.

For instance, worrying about a sick family member can severely affect my interest in writing. Even though I love both. Recognizing this has helped me keep my everyday worries separate from work – most of the time, anyway.

As someone who works from home, it’s very easy to “take my work home with me” or simply be at work a little bit all the time. I am certainly guilty of that, even though I know it’s bad. Taking time off to go do something fun and totally unrelated or get a solid three days of rest helps short term, but the true trick is to avoid getting to the point where stress breaks you. Good friends, meditation, coaching, therapy, exercise and good sleep patterns all help.

The Wall is Expectations

Expectations are dangerously close to Assumptions, and we all know what they are the mother of. When you expect too much of yourself or others, you will end up disappointed and discouraged. I’m not saying don’t have any expectations ever, just to keep them under control and again, recognize them for what they are. By recognizing them, it becomes easier to let go of them and adapt to reality.

I hit the Wall hard a couple of years ago, when my old publisher turned down the second novel I sent them. I had had zero expectations when I sent them my first one back in 2000 — and to my amazement they picked it up and published it. Second time around, I pretty much expected the same deal. When they said no, it left me not wanting to write anything at all for a couple of months. In retrospect it was silly at best, punishing myself for not living up to my own expectations.

The Wall is Fear of Failure

This ties in with the example above, but is just a little different in my mind. Fear of Failure sets in after you’ve had the first little taste of success. It’s triggered by doubts in your own ability, fearing that this (whatever this is) is going to be as good as it gets. That you got lucky this time. So you get stuck and lose enthusiasm; you hit the Wall.

When my first novel came out in 2001, the reviews were all over the place. One reviewer speculated that a more established author was writing under an assumed name. He loved it. Another reviewer hated the thin characters, the cookie-cutter plot and the general tone of the book. From that, I learned not to care about reviews. No matter what you’re creating, there will be those who’ll love it and those who will hate it. You can’t change that, so just do your thing regardless.

I don’t think there is any way of avoiding the Wall altogether, but I have seen talented people give up on good ideas because of it and that is unnecessary. Just like the only way for the marathon runner is to keep putting one foot in front of the other, no matter how much pain she is in, so must we all power through and overcome the Wall. The alternative is to admit defeat.

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Steven Pressfield wanted to write a book for people suffering from writer’s block but ended up with a guide to being a happy creative in the more general sense. In short, Pressfield begins by identifying the enemy of getting your creative work done as ‘Resistance’. Then he goes on to talk about battling this enemy and finally, he talks about muses and adds some fluff to his otherwise pragmatic approach.

Pressfield’s view is unique. He has a military background and a couple of bestseller novels under his belt (The Legend of Bagger Vance; Gates of Fire). His approach is that of the soldier going to war. For many artists, this will definitely be a new way of looking at creative productivity. It comes off as very matter of fact and practical. I like that a lot.

Resistance is identified as the force within that gives us excuses for not doing what we want to do. It’s what makes us reconsider our choices, when someone tells us to get a real job. It makes us spend all day reading blogs like this one, instead of getting the work done. It’s procrastination and self doubt personified. The way to overcome this, according to Pressfield, is to become a Professional.

He compares the amateur to the pro using easy to understand examples. The athlete might be in pain, but he finishes the race anyway. The soldier might be scared, but she goes into battle anyway. You get the idea. Of course, Pressfield goes into more detail and offers suggestions on how to approach and overcome Resistance. The writing flows nicely, the chapters are short and sweet, and the book is at times hard to put down.

Reading the first two parts of the book was a rush to me. Much like what I imagine sportsfans experience when watching their favorite team play. My team is Creativity and the arch-rival is Resistance. At times, I almost found myself cheering at the book. Death to Resistance! From this moment on, I will never let that bastard win again.

Then, in the final third of the book, Pressfield almost completely lost me. This is where he gets esoteric and tries to go deeper into the nature of inspiration. This is where he gets religious. I literally had to put the book away for a couple of days at a time every few chapters. I wanted to finish it so badly, because the first two parts were so good. Luckily, Pressfield mixes in just enough references to other mythology that I was able to see past my own resistance, and not feel like I was reading religious propaganda. The first two parts took me two days to read, pacing myself so as not to read it all in one go. The last part took a week.

I have to settle on a rating of 8/10. Begrudgingly. I wanted to love it unconditionally, but unfortunately that did not happen. Don’t get me wrong though, it really is a very good and highly motivational read no matter what your personal philosophy might be. The approach of thinking like a professional is very effective and there are some nuggets of pure gold to be found in “The War of Art”.

“The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield, 192 pages, Grand Central Publishing (Amazon affiliate link)

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Inspiration is a strange and wonderful thing. As creatives, we need a constant stream of it to come up with fresh material. Whether it comes easily or not, the work still has to get done. Simply sitting around and waiting for inspiration to strike is not the way to go about it. Random inspiration is amazing, but is much too unreliable if you need it to make a living off of it.

The standard answer from most creative types when asked about inspiration, is to say that it ‘comes from everyday life’. True as that may be, it also sounds kind of vague. So to be more specific, here are 5 things I do, to help everyday life in its efforts to inspire me.

Walking

My number one inspirational tool is going on walks. As simple as it sounds, I highly recommend it. Plug in your iPod, pack a camera, a notebook and put on your most comfortable shoes. Walking gets the blood pumping in a non-strenuous way, just enough to get the body working, including the brain. I often don’t use the camera or stop to write anything down, but I like having the tools just in case. Other than that, I just let the music mix with the ambient sounds of the world and let it all play out around me. Sooner or later, thoughts start flowing together into ideas.

See Other People

I don’t mean romantically. I mean people whose lives are different from yours. If you work in an office all day, and all your friends work in other offices (or even worse: the same as you), your world will slowly shrink down to fit in a cubicle. If you work in a garage all day, and all your friends do too, the problem is the same. One of the things I am most grateful for in life is that I know or have known all sorts of people, from hardcore junkies to posh millionaires. It adds perspective to the world and teaches you about the things we all have in common.

Be a Dabbler

Working in one medium all the time is limiting, in much same way as only hanging out with people like yourself. You risk burning out, getting jaded or both. I’ve found that dabbling in areas where I am not necessarily very good, can be a way to reset my way of thinking. I often return to my main work (photography and writing) with a fresh approach. The overlap between different creative disciplines becomes clearer and something you can tap into later.

Read Fiction

Ever heard this one? “I only read work related books, because I don’t have time for fiction.” Often followed up by a wish for more ‘free time’. Like with everything else taking longer than half an hour, you have to prioritize reading. Textbooks, magazines and e-mails just can’t compete with a good novel. When reading, your imagination is constantly working to fill in the gaps, conjuring up images, sounds and even emotion to go with the words. And it carries you away to a place removed from your daily stress. In other words, you are relaxing and exercising your imagination at the same time.

Scare Yourself

Do one thing which scares you every day. Even if only in some small way. We all have a million little worries and fears, and by confronting just one of those consciously and with effort, you move forward as a person. It can be as trivial as trying a new hairstyle or giving a presentation — whatever makes you a little nervous. Jumping out of airplanes, climbing mountains and white water rafting are all cool, but we can’t all do those things every single day. So think small. I have found that if I push myself to confront one scary thing, I get a rush of energy that drives me to keep going.