Happy new year to all my colleagues, friends, page buddies, and fellow creators who continue to strive to make art even when
*it’s a struggle
*it doesn’t pay the bills
*the odds seem overwhelming
*the odds are against us
*we’re dealing with emotional stress
*we have anxiety
*we have depression
*we have responsibilities
*we have jobs that pay
*we have children
*we have lives
*we’ve gone too long without an acceptance
*we’ve gone too long without a rejection because
*we’ve fallen off on submitting because
*we’ve fallen off on writing
*we’ve fallen off the face of the earth because
*we don’t know what to write about
*we don’t know what the next scene is
*we don’t know how to go on
*we feel like the other playwright is always better
*because once again we didn’t make the cut from semi to finalist, finalist to the show
*nobody understands our plays
*we don’t understand our plays
*we don’t understand life
*we’re sick of the same old arguments
*we’re sick of discovering over and over there is no holy grail
*we’re sick of not knowing the answers
*or the secrets
*we’re sick of trying
*we’re sick of asking people if they can even name a living playwright
*we’re sick of Zoom plays
*we’re just sick
*we don’t know how to network
*we don’t really want to network
*nobody’s leaving a recommendation
*nobody’s reading
*nobody’s asking
*nobody seems to care
*our friends and family wonder why we’re not writing for TV like all the other playwrights
*our friends and family wonder why we’re not famous yet
*we wonder why we’re not famous yet
*we’re pretty sure we’ll never be famous
*we think we’ve given up only to discover we can’t
*it always feel like starting over
It’s OVERWHELMING. It’s HARD. Nobody knows as much as we do how hard it is. But we keep doing it. We’re in this together.
You’re all awesome. You all deserve all the medals and kudos and triumphs and successes. 2021 has been a bear, but you’re still here. I hope 2022 is kinder and easier in every way, and that it brings you joy in your playwriting career, whatever that means to you.
Happy new year!
(Click on the home page to read about my plays!)
–Please follow me on Twitter @donnahoke or like me on Facebook at Donna Hoke, Playwright.
–Read my plays and recommendations on the New Play Exchange!
–Playwrights, remember to explore the Real Inspiration For Playwrights Project, a 52-post series of wonderful advice from Literary Managers and Artistic Directors on getting your plays produced. Click RIPP at the upper right.
–To read #PLONY (Playwrights Living Outside New York) interviews, click here or #PLONY in the category listing at upper right.
–To read the #365gratefulplaywright series, click here or the category listing at upper right.
–For more #AHAinTheater posts, click here or the category listing at upper right.
(Click on the home page to read about my plays!)
–Please follow me on Twitter @donnahoke or like me on Facebook at Donna Hoke, Playwright.
–Read my plays and recommendations on the New Play Exchange!
–Playwrights, remember to explore the Real Inspiration For Playwrights Project, a 52-post series of wonderful advice from Literary Managers and Artistic Directors on getting your plays produced. Click RIPP at the upper right.
–To read #PLONY (Playwrights Living Outside New York) interviews, click here or #PLONY in the category listing at upper right.
–To read the #365gratefulplaywright series, click here or the category listing at upper right.
–For more #AHAinTheater posts, click here or the category listing at upper right.
From Kurt Vonnegut: “Practice any art…no matter how well or badly, not to get money or fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow.”
Love this so much. Thank you, Donna. Yup Yup Yup! And I like Hank’s comment as well.
Thank you as always!
So many of the above! Thanks Donna – great post. Nice to be reminded that we all suffer many of the same frustrations and that there is fellowship.
Thank you; happy new year!