1.    People are not always honest.
2.    Sometimes people do not have good intentions.
3.    When the praise is good, it is never good enough and when it is bad, it can be devastating—I have to give credit to Stan Wojewodski for this one.

And, most dangerous of all,

4.    You are reliant on other people for your sense of worth and success.

Number 4. is not a very empowering place to be. It’s not good for one’s self esteem. As a teacher, I try to instill in my students, a strong sense of having their own internal success monitor (not to be confused with self-judgment or criticism). They know how they have done and do not need to ask other people. This knowledge stems from working with goal setting and practice.

It is natural to want to hear peoples’ thoughts on how we are perceived…and it’s fun. But, the artist needs to have a core that shields him or herself from the winds of external opinion. I am a Texan and sometimes we live up to our stereotypes. In Texas, we have a sayin’. Here it is: “Opinions are like a**holes. Everyone’s got one”.So, take opinions with a grain of salt (whether positive or negative).

Now, this said,  your success in the market, which is guided by peoples’ purchasing, which is ultimately peoples’ opinions, determines one’s success and the market often has very different ideas about what is of value (when compared to peers).

Relying on other people for your sense of success in your work as an artist is poisonous thinking. It is not good for your self-esteem. Why? Because you are giving away your power.

It is far more empowering to be your own judge of how you are doing and here is a simple exercise to assist you in your process:

Goal Setting.

When approaching your respective “canvas”, have specific goals in mind (goals that are challenging, but realistic to achieve). “I want to accomplish these specific things today”… in my performance or painting…or whatever your medium.

After you complete your work, ask yourself the following:

“Did I accomplish my goals”?

If you did, awesome. Good for you. Go celebrate.

If you did not, ask yourself “Why”? Then ask “What will I do differently tomorrow” or next time?

This ritualistic self assessment of goal progress will keep you focused.

It enables you, as artist, to maintain your self-empowerment and maintain your own internal meter or monitor for success. It gives you a gauge, by which you can better yourself.

This little technique is profound, in that it enables you to become your own teacher. Become your own teacher and you will forever be in a state of learning.

Independence. Pass it on.

Jim Hart is the founder of The Hart Technique and The International Theatre Academy Norway.

People will criticize you for a whole host of reasons and rarely will you ever learn of the true nature or origin of the criticism. Admittedly, sometimes criticism comes out of societal duty–like if you have committed a crime or have acted in a manner that is harmful. They may criticize you, as you do something out of social bounds. Let’s recognize that for a moment. This said, sometimes criticism comes for other reasons. Might it stem from jealousy? Inferiority complex? Self-loathing? Bitterness? Does it come from a desire to more effectively compete, but the criticizer does not know of healthy ways to do so? Some people will even criticize you as a way of engaging you, of getting next to you, of hoping you will share secrets while defending yourself (think of the boy hitting the girl on the playground–as a way of flirting). As unenlightened and as nasty as such approaches can be, they happen. Whatever the nature of the criticism you receive, one thing is for sure—it will come.

Let’s not think of it as a bad thing. Criticism is necessary. I would rather have people saying nastiness, than saying nothing at all. In time, people forget the content of what was said, but the name may stick (hence, there is not such thing as bad press). Bad press is press and do you know how hard it is to generate press? Critics become your helpers. They disseminate your ideas and awareness of your existence. In so doing, they think they are acting against you in a harmful fashion, but are really doing you a good. So, if your ego can handle it, hang tight. Your criticism is likely a sign that you are on a good path.

During this inevitable early stage of development, I like to think about the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer’s Three Stages of Truth:

“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident”.

Arthur Schopenhauer

Basically, first they make fun of you and hold you up as a buffoon. You are the laughing stock of the party (at least in the critic’s mind).

Next, they attempt to bash you down and discredit your ideas. This is the practice of Jantes Law and Tall Poppy Syndrome, which I have written about in past blog posts. Here too, you can think of the medium fish and its desire to eat smaller fish. Those middle fish do not want to see you (the small fish) grow into a medium or big fish. Big fish eat medium fish and if you become a medium sized fish, you will threaten the food source for other medium sized fish. So, they must eat you first or compete with you on a later day for food–or they one day become your food source.

Finally, they accept your offerings (product or ideas), as though they or it had always existed. At such a point, the critics may even take credit for your work and list themselves as those who discovered you or “it” in the first place. Once you reach this stage, a new type of criticism comes, that of larger waters.

Criticism is good for the creator. It causes them to reflect on their work and ask, “Is such criticism true”? Such self-evaluation is vital for personal development. In this thinking, the criticizer actually becomes an ally.

Criticism let’s you know that you are on the map. Why would people even criticize you in the first place, if you were not viewed as a threat in some way? Why would they even bother?

Jim Hart is the founder of The Hart Technique www.harttechnique.com Jim Hart may be contacted at jim@harttechnique.com

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

by Marianne Williamson

One of the key benefits of having balance, is that we are able to use our energies to focus on things beyond our “lower” needs and can focus more on our “higher needs”.

If you have never heard of Maslow and his theory of the “Hierarchy of Needs”, allow me to wear my costume of Armchair Pshychologist. Hmmm (pointing stick in hand)…

Basically, as the pyramid depicts,  our very basic needs (most important) are on the bottom. This includes those primal needs like breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, excretion. As those needs are met, we are able to fulfill needs of the next tier–that of SECURITY–in way of family, work, health, etc…and up and up. Here is the trick: If one of your basic, bottom levels develops a void (or gets problematic), you may not progress forward with higher needs (or even stay on the same level). Instead, like so many children’s board games, you must slide down to the lower level and fill the more basic of needs (whatever is missing at that level), before continuing.

Makes sense, right? If you can’t breath, you can’t attend to your family needs like your daughter’s recital. In the same, if you are going through a divorce, it can be very difficult to maintain self-esteem, much being able to log some serious hours in creating your art. If you just got laid off, as so many have in our new economy, you may have felt like the floor just dropped out from under you and that a slide awaits your butt.

Now, what in the world does this have to do with entrepreneurship or the arts?

Many of our artists are stuck in the hand to mouth pattern of trying to survive (hence the cliche of the “starving artist”). That typical path, usually demands that the artists have a “survival job”–hence the cliche of the artists really being waiters or bartenders. Those sometimes necessary jobs, often and typically do not require too much in way of skill. In fact, the jobs are designed for a disposable workforce–one that can be replaced without too much effort or cost in training. Consequently, these “survival jobs” do not pay much. Artists seek such jobs, as they require something flexible or disposable. Ironically, as they are committing thier limited daily energy towards that disposable position, they are making themselves more and more so. Then…on occasion (for some it is more frequent than others), the dangling carrot swings close enough, that they are able to grab and eat it. They get an industry job! Whew hoo…for two to six months. Now the artist can leave their survival jobs for a while and do so with glee. When the artistic job ends, if there is not more artistic work immediately available, most return to “survival job mode”…or end up on unemployment as long as benefits allow or until new employment. Loop. Loop. Loop.

What a lifestyle. It is certainly not for the faint of heart. It is for the persistent dreamer, who is willing to sacrifice lifestyle potential for a chance at the golden ring. Passion.

But why such an absolute? I don’t like to call people artists. That is too vague and limiting (and most people think of painters). I like to say Creative Artists. Creative artists are, first and foremost, creators.

We, the educators, need to be teaching our creative artists how to have a wider directional perspective. What can they do with their skills, to make a living, to stand out, to compete?

We need to teach them how to create opportunity, as traditional ones are too sparse. It is about teaching them how to be self-leaders, more independent and more self-sufficient.

We need a new standard in American Arts Education. When artists receive techniques such as The Hart Technique and that which will be offered in way of curriculum at The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship, they receive a marriage of artistic and entrepreneurial/business skills. Consequently, they know how to make a living via their art.

Imagine the cultural implications.

Jim Hart is the founder of The Hart Technique  www.harttechnique.com  and The International Theatre Academy Norway.

I urge artists to consider going away from LA and NY. With modern technology being what it is, it is now possible for many types of artists to live where they would like to live—rather than where they feel they must. Artists can now, more easily, and live in environments that inspire them and, consequently, lead them towards more inspiration and creative work.

Go to places where the markets are not oversaturated. Build a brand. Carve out a niche, fill a gap, respond to a community need. That is the best way of increasing your chances of making a living—not by relying wholly on other people for your creative employment, but creating it yourself. Such a path, many find, is far more rewarding than putting all of ones eggs in the “hopefully one day I will be famous” basket.

Most artists I know want to be loved and appreciated by the masses—appreciated not just for the superficial aspects of the business, but also for their special inherent talents. They want to be loved as artists—by artists and by an adoring public. I have been party to this thinking. I used to dream of the time I would be living in fantastic fortune (or even with great wealth)—as a result of my gifts and hard work.

You know what? I do.  My wife and I have a glorious lifestyle and I feel that I have abundance, balance and create fulfillment in my life. Do I live in NY or LA? No. I live in Austin, TX. I am 5th generation TX and love living in a culture as cool, varied, and progressive as Austin. I have created enough opportunity for myself (profitable opportunity), that I am able to invest my energies towards other creative projects, in my process of carving out my own niche. I say this, to demonstrate my putting my money where my mouth is.

Did I create my lifestyle by working for scraps and playing the lottery in the big cities? No. I went to Asia for a year, Norway for four and now live in Austin. I got off of the path. In fact, I created my own. I urge you to do the same. There is more than one road to Rome.

The coolest thing about opportunities of your own making, is that they can be of your own choosing and structured, based on your own values and beliefs. More, when you are in a position of job-giver, the world is your oyster. Going from job-seeker to giver is incredibly empowering and you will find that doors open, which you did not know were previously there. Whatever you want to create, whatever vibe you want it to have, whatever profit structure you want to have in place…it is up to you.

Whether it succeeds or not…is up to the market and your smarts.

Independence. Pass it on.

There are a vast number of arts education schools in the states and the competition between schools is fierce. If schools desire to be well thought of as serious places of study in the field of arts, they must compete for the most talented and brightest students. As talent is rare, there are only so many students who possess the natural skills necessary to develop sustainable income via traditional paths of work in the arts.

Educational institutions want their graduates to appear in high profile scenarios, as it shines light on the institutions success as a school and the effectiveness of its faculty and curriculum. Every school wants to claim credit for the success of its graduates. After all, each school needs poster children. They need successful artists they can point to and say, “See. Our system works”.

However, for a number of our nations institutions, the graduates they tout are the exception and not the rule. Most graduates will not go on to develop “names of note”. Most will likely pursue careers in fields other than that in which they studied. Look at some of these lists and you’ll see that a lot of these schools are still touting alumni success that occurred thirty years ago. Do you know how much change occurs in a typical theatre school over thirty years? Any institution worth their salt is going to evolve as the market evolves and as new theories and standards of thinking emerge. How can such schools, in good conscience, still laud the success of decades past graduates, while advertising a program that is very different from the one such graduates attended?

Most disciplines in the arts have their standard offerings in way of what techniques they offer to students. In the case of theatre, the Stanislavski Technique reigns supreme. The extreme majority of training institutions in America teach this technique. This technique translates to mean realism. It is the style of most TV and film acting and is very popular in professional theatres.

But if you know your theatre history, you know that the Stanislavski Technique once did not exist. It only began popping up in America in the 1920’s. In terms of the vast span of theatre history, 80 to 90 years is not so long. That is only one human lifetime.

In my work with The Hart Technique, I call for a new standard in arts education. The standard I propose, is not to throw away our assets (the effective system of training we have developed in the Stanislavski technique), but to marry techniques of art training and entrepreneurial training.

Such a marriage of disciplines, creates artists who know how to make a living with their skills and work, as they are creating work for themselves. THAT is marketable information. THAT is something a school’s marketing department can tout as success.

Jim Hart is the founder of The Hart Technique  www.harttechnique.com and The International Theatre Academy Norway.

It is no surprise when I say that our country is obsessed with celebrity. Celebrity sells and celebrity images are pumped out to the point of exhaustion.

I think that most young artists, if honest with themselves, would admit to having celebrity lust. They, themselves, in fact, may be using their educational environments as a stepping stones towards what they believe will increase their odds towards achieving celebrity and the schools that cater to these dreamy eyed prospective students, do not always guide them differently.

But why do so many of us desire to be famous?

Is it the potential deification we give celebrities for a time?
Is it the money? * Duh. *
Is it the freedom that money brings?
The parties?
The flirtations with strangers?
The public eye being cast upon you?
Mass appreciation and praise to stroke your ego?
Mrs. O’Reilly from World History will finely see?
A feeling of success?
A feeling of having overcome others or having “won”?
Again, the parties? Come on. On a scale of 1 to 10…where do parties rate?

The celebrity game is like high school, but high school with money…and all that that brings. Do you desire to be in the circle of the “cool kids”? Is that what this is about? Does it really come down to the fact that you were a nerd and wanted to be a cool kid in junior high? Surely for some it is.

Are celebrity dreams what brought you into artist training or was it something else?

For a large number of artists, it’s the love you had/have for the work, ‘cuz it was fun and inspiring. Is it the joy and pride you feel while creating? Did it or does it give you a feeling of self-expression (an outlet with form) and even self-knowledge? Is your “art” (or the act of creating)? Is creating enough? Is that what it is about? Would it be enough to simply make a living with your craft or will the dreams of starlight haunt you, indefinitely?

Would it be enough for you to live a life, with a modest income (but one that is much more potentially sustainable), doing what you love? Would it be enough on your “happy meter” to make much less, potentially never have fame, but get to do that thing that gives you bliss?
What kind of artist do you want to be and where in the market? What city would you love to live in, if you could live anywhere in the U.S.?

Tricky thing about survival jobs…is that they take up all of your energy and time. If you are an artist who has waited tables (or some other non-desired, but necessary work) while trying to make a living, you know how you NEVER LEAVE a restaurant or survival job. In such catch 22 scenarios, it is very difficult, when engaging in the act of creating your art, to create anything of significant worth…as when you do get around to creating, you’ll often find you are very tired…from delivering meals for other people (and while not working as an artist).

If you surrender your driving ambition of fame and fortune, the field of opportunity expands. I call this a need for a “wider directional perspective”. Suddenly, we are potentially talking about local markets, which may be non-saturated markets (with less competition). Granted, many of these markets have fewer possibilities, due to their size. However, if you create a market, if you build what is necessary, if you command greater control over your creativity and output as an artist, suddenly, your chance of living wherever you might like to live (with some limitations, of course), becomes possible.

Now ask yourself…do you need to make a living in your small area of interest? Note: I say small in comparison to all of the roles possible to play in the field of artistry. Ex. Nearly everyone begins their career in theatre in an acting class. Many then shift and  go on to discover other interests and talents (like writing, directing, producing, designing, etc).

Or

Do you just need to make a living via your creativity?

I will rephrase.

Do you desire to:

A.    Simply make a living with your creativity

or do you need to:

B.     Reach glory in your one dreamed about role? Ex. A TV or movie star.

If you answered yes to A, the field of possibility and opportunity expands incredibly. There are simply more possibilities when you are active on a plane with more opportunity and possibility. As more opportunities arise, more possibilities follow.

Must celebrity continue to be the goal? If so, why? Beyond ego, what drives our desire for celebrity? Whatever your conclusion, is that what you want your motivating energies to be committed towards? If yes, God speed you. If you answer no, look, listen and dream. What community do you want to be a part of? Where does that community need you, your creative energies, your vision, your leadership capability, your many skills acquired through your artistic study?

Jim Hart is the founder of The Hart Technique and The International Theatre Academy Norway (TITAN Teaterskole). www.harttechnique.com

During your holiday ritual, allow yourself to drift back and think about the time of season that it is.

It is autumn and damn near to winter. Autumn is a time of dying, falling and decomposing, which is followed by winter. Winter is a prolonged period of seeming and literal death, of sleep, of dark. Few leaves are on the trees. Many summer animals are hiding. The winter wind hurts my cheeks. Sludge and more sludge. It’s dark and cold and the darkness just seems to linger—like a house guest who has overstayed their visit. Then…just as you begin to entertain the thought that “maybe this year, spring will not actually arrive”, that this year, perhaps the universe is out of kilter and spring shall be no more, it comes. Then, hallelujah! Newness. Birth. More light. Sweet flowers. Green returns (seemingly on one day). Spring. is mating season…Out of the lingering fall of autumn, through the death of winter, comes life anew in spring. Nature is poetic and beautiful, yes

You are nature. Unless you believe that you were beamed here by some mysterious cosmic spaceship, then you have come up, out of the earth, just as all other living matter has. And if you buy into this thought, then you must accept that you are nature. You are a part of it and are it. Everything you do is natural, as you are nature. How could it be otherwise? You are the voice of the earth. If not you, what?

If you roll with this idea–that you are nature, then so too are you bound to the inevitable and constant transformations of all nature. We know that the only constant in the universe is change. Change is happening all around us and to us…all of the time and will continue to do so every minute of every day, the rest of our lives. Cycles of birth and death and rebirth. There exists a wonderful example of this transformation in the form of our Thanksgiving dinner. Death (whatever plant matter grandma has baked and that turkey there…sustains your life. Plant matter or animal, life is feeding on death, to continue life.

If you are the typical American on this uniquely American of days—you might find yourself, as I do, sitting on the couch with the game drearily chattering in the background. Family members bump about in the blur of your wine and turkey stupor. Your pants beg you to let your belt loose. You do. Wow. That feels much better. Much better. Bloated to the gills, you are sleepy, sleepy, sleepy from too much turkey… Your mind wanders to all sorts of places. This after eating sit, as people are cleaning dishes, chatting at the dinner table, going to the bathroom and generally wandering before regrouping in some way, is my favorite. As the blood leaves my brain, to fiercely work at digesting all that I just put in my stomach, I dream. Foggy brain time.  If you find yourself in a “this year” comatose, allow yourself to mentally hacky sack with this:

How will you choose to change this year?

There will be a ton of changes you will be a part of, of which, you will have no control over, whatsoever. No doubt about that. Death may come into your life this year, sickness, promotion, chaos, love, peace. Who knows yet?. We have a forecast of certain change ahead.

Considering how much uncontrollable change is in our lives, what will you control? What change will you CHOOSE to make? What new-ness, of your own deciding and making, will come out of you, as we enter a new calendar year? What part of you might die, be cleared away and made room for something new?

Again, change is inevitable. What change will you (at least try to) control?

Symbolically, the garden is a symbol of the soul. Doesn’t that make sense? Every time I read, hear or say that, I think, “Yea. That’s right”. My feelings might stem from my loving to garden. In the garden, you see a constant show of “Out of death, grows life”. If you look, if you pay attention, you will see new stuff “going on” every day. It is a living, evolving canvas. Any change you make to that garden is temporary, no matter how permanent your intentions.

What mangy growth do you spy in your garden? What plants have appeared, Have any invasive ones? Have you done battle with interlopers, who are determined to eat and decimate your roses, those beautiful flowers you give so much time to? What plants do you see that have potential, but need more attention? Do they need to be moved someplace else—perhaps one with less intense light and more water? When you look around that garden, what conditions and maintenance are necessary, in order to get all of your plants in your garden, to thrive? Make a list and follow through on it.

Time to clean out the waste, unless you want to still have that crap around, come spring time. We cut out the overgrowth, the seasonal plants that have expired, the parasites we find. We want to open planting space and prepare for the dramatic return of spring, in order to encourage new, desired growth. We need to clean out, to weed the unwanted or downright poisonous.

What stands in your way from realizing your higher self and your dreams? Let’s not play games. Here is the answer:  You…of course. Just you. It is a frame of mind.

Some find such a thought difficult to accept and own. But, the sooner you do own it, the faster you will begin to grow. Ever desire to be super man? Ever desire to fly? Well, until you accept that you can fly and will and will log the hours necessary to “figure it all out”, to learn to fly right (like not into buildings and whatnot), then you are grounded, indefinitely.

Get rid of all that is holding you back—whether unhealthy relationships, habits that led to poor health, poor financial structuring, lifestyle choices, etc. Whatever it is, whatever things those are…which are uniquely yours, cast them out. There is no room in the boat. With your greatest of gusto, cast them into the sea, just to feel how fast you can row your boat without them.

In the garden, remember that when weeding, unless you get them by the roots, they will come back. Streamline your life and promote only healthy growth in your garden, only life affirming elements. In doing so, you will find a greater peace, balance, health and stillness. Cultivate the positive, life-affirming relationships you have and let go of all that holds you back in any way. Once you let go of that damn heavy luggage attached to your waste (which you may not have even realized you were dragging all this year…at least), you are going to find that you can then run so fast…and skip…. and hop.

Happy Holidays.

Jim Hart

Jim Hart is the founder of The Hart Technique www.harttechnique.com and The International Theatre Academy Norway.

Money is a Symbol of Energy.

Paper money. Is it not just an agreed upon symbol?

I like to think of money as being a symbol of energy.

People exert energy (working) to earn money (a symbol of energy).

When one has money, they can exchange the paper for other peoples’ services (or their energy). One can also trade this paper for goods (which required energy on other peoples’ part, to construct).

The more money we have, the more energy we can put into action. The less money, the less energy we can put into action. To gain money, our exertion of energy must be of value to others. Is that not what entrepreneurship is partly about—providing value—while assuming risk for financial gain?

I think a lot of artists think of money as something that they either have or do not. This lack of money, often controls whether or not they will work at all. I find that to be a shame and lacking in imagination.

Altering one’s perspective on money can enable one to think of ways to develop value for others. What services or goods can you provide, which will cause others to want to give you their symbols of energy?

What value can you offer? What value might you offer?

Jim Hart is the founder of The Hart Technique and The International Theatre Academy Norway. For more on Hart, see   www.harttechnique.com

Brainstorming. What a great word. For me, it conjures up a storm in the mind. Electricity. One of my favorite acts to engage in, in the creative process, is collective brainstorming. It is an act that can generate phenomenal inspiration and can generate ideas that would not have been possible, without this contribution of multiple minds.

In building my first school, TITAN Teaterskole (in Oslo, Norway), I created a course that was exclusively dedicated to the act of collective brainstorming. I called it Studio Lab.

Here are are some foundation rules that we found especially strong in stimulating constructive brainstorming:

o   Egos must be checked at the door. Each individual in the group needs to sacrifice their personal motivations and desires, in order to act in the service of the larger group/project/idea. We must let go of emotional connection to ideas we come up with or get excited about. In the words of legendary choreographer Martha Graham, “We must kill our children”. I believe she means that we must sometimes sacrifice those ideas that our personal treasures. It is very easy to become married to an idea. Sometimes, in order to create our larger work and to make it as strong as possible, we must kill or sacrifice ideas that we love the most.

o    There is no “right”. There is no “wrong”. There is only what we create. What we create today will be different from what we create tomorrow. Why put value on it so early in the process? One thing for sure…collaboration is a process of evolution. It is a process of change. Sometimes our creations are built upon seemingly non-connected ideas. Sometimes our best impulses are sitting on a foundation of others’ ideas. Ideas are born upon one another.

o    Don’t censor yourself. As long as we are judging and censoring our ideas, they will not see the light of day. Sometimes, we come up with an idea that we are reluctant to share. In such an environment, why would we be reluctant? Typically, it is because we fear the judgment of others. Here is one of my favorite Martha Graham Quotes:

There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique.
And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable it is nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.
You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you.
Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive.

~Martha Graham to Agnes  de Mille

Jim Hart is the founder of The International Theatre Academy Norway and The Hart Technique.  www.harttechnique.com

To learn more about IAE check out our website. Applications for early enrollment are now being accepted.

Baaahhhh!

In Australia, it is called “Tall Poppy Syndrome” (the tallest poppies get cut). In Scandinavia, it is called Jante Loven (or Jante’s Law). Many countries weave a societal pressure into their cultural fabric, teaching youth to not stand out, to fit in, and to tow the community party line. The goal of such behavior is to promote a sense of “equality”, cultural identity and a feeling that everyone is equal.

However, what these phenomenon’s spell out to me, is a social goal of mediocrity. Shoot for the middle. If you are in the middle, you might feel that that you are gaining a sense of security.

Such social pressures are not only present down under and in the far north. It is found in many countries of the world, including America. Any public high school student can tell you about the social pressures they face in school—to not be different, to not stand out. One may argue, “Well, that is in high school—not adult life”. To such thinking, I would point out that our adult personality and believes stand on the shoulders of our experience as youth. Then I would point out the popularity of homeowners’ associations.

As individuals, at some point, each of us must ask the question of ourselves, “Will I commit the ‘the system’ and tow the party line or will I create my own path, follow my own instincts, be the individual I am”?

Will I fit into the flock and be a sheep or will I go a different way and be a wolf?

Mediocrity stifles creative opportunity and prohibits innovation. After all, in order to innovate, we must step outside of “the typical”, outside of our societal and cultural norms.

One of the things I love about the burgeoning discipline of Entrepreneurial Arts Training is that it is a system that pushes people to strive for their personal best, to overcome obstacles, to obtain their dreams, to compete in the market and to innovate, to fill cultural gaps, to serve something more than ourselves, and to promote change as we go.

Certainly, the goal for entrepreneurs is, at times, to overcome the competition (after all, they must vie for the limited audience and resources that may be out there). But what I love is that the discipline demands that the entrepreneur strive for excellence. There is just too much competition out there to do anything less than one’s personal best. Entrepreneurial Arts Training pushes artists to push themselves, to realize vision. Realizing vision demands a commitment to adventure and adventure has a way of pushing people beyond their understood limitations and comfort zones.

Be honest with yourself. Are you operating at your personal best, your highest sense of self? If yes, I applaud you. Many don’t. If you answered, “No”, ask yourself,  “Why Not”? What steps can you take, today, to alter your course, to put yourself into motion towards realizing your highest potential?

Here is a tip on discovering what that is:  Listen to that voice within—not the one that judges (the watcher at the gates of the mind), but the one that instinctively knows right from wrong. That voice will tell you. It knows your potential. Get into a dialog with that voice and listen, listen, listen.

But, here is a tricky thing about that voice… Sometimes it tells us things that we do not want to hear. It sometimes has a way of demanding change—change of action and change of self. That voice can push us very hard and knows if we did our best or if we settled for mediocrity.

Are you willing to listen to that voice and push down the judgmental one, “the watcher”? Are you willing to step outside of a possible herd mentality? Are you willing to accept uncertainty and a need for change and operate from your own values, desires and interests?

If you said, “Yes” to all of these things, you may have the makings of an entrepreneur.

Jim Hart is the founder of The Hart Technique, The International Theatre Academy Norway, and Sleeping Hero Productions, LLC.    www.harttechnique.com and   sleepinghero.com

What is your risk tolerance?

Let me ask you a few questions.

Are you doing what you love for a living? If you aren’t already, would you like to?

What would you be willing to do to have the happiness that can come from doing what you love for a living?

Almost all businesses require money to begin. Thus begins our relationship with risk.

How much would you be willing to pay to potentially achieve your dream? How important are dreams to you?

Would you spend $1,000? How about $10,000?

Can you place a value on your career happiness and your feeling of work fulfillment?

How about $50,000? If you could make that investment, which would engage you in a process that may lead you to career fulfillment, would it not be worth $50,000? Is it worth more?

Many of us are forced into “survival jobs”, to do work that is not creatively fulfilling and is work we would not do in the first place, if we had another viable income.

If you were in such a place, what would it be worth to you to be able to leave that world behind and make a living from your creativity?

Would you be willing to risk your lifestyle?

If you like to eat out, would you be willing to sacrifice that part of your life? Would you be willing to eat in for almost all of your meals?

Would you be willing to eat less expensive food, if it might lead to your dreams?

Would you be willing to simplify almost all aspects of your life, to decrease your risk in pursuing your dream? Simple adjustments can have profound effects.

Almost all people feel a drive and need to work, to create, and do something productive. A lot of people feel very empowered and…dare I say…*happy* when they are doing the work they love. Then work is less work and more a joy.

If you had to sacrifice your lifestyle and finances for three years or longer, in order to achieve potential long term financial and career success, would you be willing to do that?

Here is the real crux…What if you invest all of that time, money and energy and do not succeed as you desire? What if you don’t fulfill your dream? That is a risk, too.

But what if you do?

Risking and sacrificing are, in some ways, like quitting smoking. For those who have smoked, you will know what I am talking about.

Those addicted to smoking, when they quit, will likely experience the following:

•    Your mind will play tricks on you, convincing you of why you REALLY NEED to smoke, why it is actually good for you.

•    You will profusely sweat and loose significant sleep

•    Your mind will fixate on cigarettes for nearly every thought of your day. One thought after another…hour after hour.

•    But, what one often finds too, is a feeling of empowerment.

These experiences are trying, exhausting and difficult to navigate.

For many ex smokers, 2 weeks was the magical point of gaining strength. If one can make it to the 2-week mark, without succumbing to withdrawal and all the temptation and mind games, they have a good chance of quitting successfully.

Engaged effort over a span of time, can give us a great sense momentum, of accomplishment and of purpose. Over time, we begin to see the fruit of our labors…or at least that the tree is in bloom and may fruit.

At this state, we gain perspective. We realize we would not have made it to even this point, had we not made the investments that were necessary. We are then that much closer to achieving our goal. The beginning risks, at this point, start to seem smaller and smaller, less and less significant.

Effort decreases entrepreneurial risk.

You can’t win the game, unless you play.

For greater happiness and creative fulfillment, what are you willing to risk?

Beginning a new endeavor, one, inevitably, has to sacrifice, has to risk. But, with time and continued effort, the enormity of the task, seems a little smaller.

For more information on Jim Hart and The Hart Technique, see www.harttechnique.com

Vision Seeking. What a romantic coupling of words. For me, it brings to my mind the mythic vision quest, where a hero strikes out with the express intent to have adventure, to experience new stimuli and to find inspiration.

Not all of us are blessed with a regular muse. Sometimes, we must make a conscious, concerted effort to hunt down the often elusive Inspirado.

For many artists, inspiration is a seductive, but fleeting lover. We bask in this lover’s affection and reap the reward of their presence. But, this lover is rarely around long enough and leaves you longing for another encounter.

Inspiration can come in many forms and ways. Sometimes, I feel that I am holding a very fine silk thread and am gently following it, hand over hand, hoping it does not break. At other times, I feel that I have been hit by lightning and vision unrolls before my like a long Persian rug.

Waiting for inspiration to arrive is a waste of time and creative energy. Why? Because waiting for inspiration is another form of giving away one’s power and most entrepreneurs and independent artists crave autonomy. It is marvelous to have inspiration. But, when it is not present, we must find other ways of moving forward.

Here are some tools I have found useful in luring Inspirado. I hope some of these may help you.

1. Give yourself time. Dedicate time to actively look. Books, for me, often inspire. My wife and I have a large collection of books that focus on various painters´ works. Also, my wife, having been a professional dancer, has many books on choreographers, companies and dancers. I pour through these pages, seeking stimulation. Inevitably, it comes.

2. Gardening. In myth, it is a symbol of the soul. For me, gardening is a constantly evolving, living canvas. Structuring a garden is always a temporary act. Nature takes it back so fast. Being in nature and engaging in creation, stimulates me greatly.

3. Brainstorm. I love this word. A storm of the mind. Chat with a good brainstorming friend (someone with intelligence and their ego under some control). One idea can give birth to another (and often does). In this process, listen a lot, see the ideas in your mind and follow whatever impulse arises (without first judging it). You think it? Go with it. It does not matter whether you think it is a worthy impulse or not. Throw it out, as it may stimulate another person you are working with and may be a better idea than you initially thought. No self-censorship.

4. Change your routine. We are all creatures of habit. Many of us have a structure to our lives that causes us to not see things around us. We take the typical for granted. Such eyesight can lead to a lack of “seeing”. Meditation can help. Bump up against stimuli you might not otherwise encounter. Walk around the block and go a way you do not normally go. Be open to conversations with others you do not typically communicate with. Go to the magazine rack and pick up a magazine that has nothing to do with your typical interests. Look for text that pops off of pages for you.

5. Engage in dialog about what interests you with people of like interest. Such talk can serve to stimulate, inspire collaborations and cultivate energy.

6. Be rested. An exhausted mind and body, often, do not yield inspiring results.

7. Begin to make something. Create. Develop a sense of momentum. Doing so will help you to begin moving forward. Think of your own energy like that of rolling a stone down a hill. While the stone is fixed in space, it can be difficult to move it. But once it begins to roll, it develops more and more speed as it rolls down the hill.

8. Find a sense of balance within your life. I have found that if I am not attending to all of my basic needs as a person, that inspiration is less likely to find me. Lack of attention to my needs, for me, creates a feeling of gap or lacking. I will then feel unsettled and unhealthy habits might begin. Such a feeling can slow my momentum and lead towards inertia. Sometimes, we are not able to fully attend to all of our needs. In such a case, try to find a “sense of balance”. Schedule time to commit some small energy towards the filling of your need gaps. In doing so, a greater sense of “wholeness” can arise and, consequently, happiness and better use of ones´ energy and mind.

9. Go down a rabbit hole. My favorite rabbit hole is YouTube. I like to watch videos of something that fascinates me and then keep following the links.

10. Play. Engaging in a playful state of mind will, invariably, get our imaginations firing. When I say, “play”, I truly mean just that. Engage in a ridiculous scenario or activity and play with as you did when you were a child. Don’t judge. Engage. Commit to your sense of play with wholly, with abandon and joy.

11. Play with your imagination. Ask, “What if”? What if you had a million dollars? What if you were elected President. What would your first day of office look like? The more you use your imagination, the stronger it, as a muscle, becomes. The more you use it, the more you are able to use it. The imagination is one of the partners of the dance.

12. Cultivate your emotional intelligence. Inspiration comes from the imagination (and emotions). When one is inspired, they are emotionally engaged. Emotional intelligence is one of the artists´ keystone tools. If you do not already have a good degree of sensitivity to your emotions, what you are regularly feeling, start. They are often not as scary as we believed they might be. Ride the wave of what you feel. Pay some attention to it. Name it. “I am feeling…excited or giddy”, for example. Name it to understand it. If you feel you are already too engaged with your emotions, try to channel them into activities or creations. Make something and let your emotion be the gasoline in the tank. Let your expression come out of that.

13. Meditate. Willfully still your mind. Letting the constant clutter of our thoughts subside for a while, gives space to our imaginations. Present consciousness can enable us to see our world through a clearer lens.

Then…follow the silk thread, impulse after impulse. Keep following. Keep doing.

To learn more about author Jim Hart or The Hart Technique, see   www.harttechnique.com

I have found that imbalance can lead to depression and burnout. Both states can be extremely difficult to work through or can cause some to surrender their pursuit and investment of time, energy and money.

Many entrepreneurs’ families struggle with this feeling of imbalance, as the new pursuit may demand priority over other aspects of life.

The thing driving most entrepreneurs forward, in spite of the inherent difficulties, is passion for the subject matter. Passion can alter the feeling of “work”, to be experienced as play and can enable one to potentially weather the storm of loosing money in the early development of the business.

But how do we find balance?

Each individual is, of course, unique and each person in their process of seeking balance, will choose techniques they feel work for them.

The beginning years of building a business are often the hardest. I like to compare the process of starting a business to putting a boulder into motion (once it is in motion, ideally, there is some momentum to help carry it forward).

True balance in one’s life is something many people (entrepreneur or not) struggle to find. Sometimes, we must settle for a sense of balance. To find a sense of balance, we must tend to our common human needs. For most, this includes dedicating time towards work, social life, spiritual expression or insight, family, and personal time.

Often, I speak about the need for discipline—like that of a marathon runner. I urge you to weave some of these steps into your own discipline or process.

1.    Thoroughly schedule your time and, as best you can, stick to your schedule. How much time can you dedicate to family? As mechanical as this sounds, it can be a great tool to make sure you are actively giving your family or lover time. Then follow through.
2.    Give yourself personal time. There are only so many hours in a day and we only have so much gas in our tanks. We all need time for ourselves now and then. If you find yourself longing for such time, schedule it in and if you absolutely need it, try to not let anything interfere.
3.    Create a space dedicated to stillness. Having a room dedicated is a luxury many cannot afford. You can have something as simple as a particular chair to sit in. Rest and silence are the goals. You needn’t sit for a long period of time. Fifteen minutes can help.
4.    Establish boundaries with individuals who might try to monopolize your time. Be assertive regarding boundaries.
5.    Let go of the vampires in your life. Be mindful of who is poisonous. Do you have friends who sabotage your interests, do not support you or drag your energy down? Get rid of those relationships and nurture those that are positive.
6.    Delegate. Few do quality work when they carry the entire weight of a business on their shoulders. Do too many things simultaneously and all of your efforts can slip to mediocrity. Learn to ask for help and to trust when sharing responsibility.
7.    Work efficiently. Try operating via the least effort principle—expend only the amount of energy necessary to get the job done. In doing so, you will have more energy to put towards other areas and can curb exhaustion.
8.    Have reasonable goals that you believe are achievable and can be done in the time you give yourself. Accomplishing goals builds confidence.
9.    Know when to stop. Tomorrow is another day. Cultivate the ability to set things down. When one is passionately engaged with a conflict, it is easy to perpetually ruminate on the problem. Sometimes thinking too much only adds gas to the flames. By letting your mind rest, your subconscious has the opportunity to do some computing.
10.    Take time to celebrate. Personal recognition of accomplishment is important. It will keep your spirit up.
11.    When you are with your family (or friends) be with them and allow the thoughts of work to subside.
12.    Engage in activity that gives you a sense of play, carefree-ness and joy– every week.
13.    Eat, Sleep, and Move. We all know that eating well, getting sleep and exercise help us stay fit; improve our mood, keep up our health and energy.
14.    Know your audience or whom you serve. Find your manner of service. You don’t have to be working in an orphanage to be serving others—nor does your audience have to be big. There are all levels and sizes of contribution and service. Finding your method will enable you to see past some of the difficulties you encounter, as you will be “fighting the good fight”.
15.    Synthesize your interests. If you are engaging in a process that utilizes many of your talents, interests and abilities, you will feel a greater feeling of wholeness.

Jim Hart is the founder of The Hart Technique  www.harttechnique.com

Most great works of art are simple. Sometimes, we as artists, attempt to say too much at once. Consequently, we muddle our work. Simplicity allows for depth. Here are a few examples that come to my mind:

The Beatles Yesterday
Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh
The Story of a Mother by H.C. Andersen
Any of the Brothers Grimm tales
The work of Ansel Adams
The Far Side comics by Gary Larson
Norman Rockwell’s paintings

I could go on and on, medium after medium.

Each of these works, it is interesting to note, has or will likely stand the test of time.

Keeping our created form simple allows for us focus on depth of expression. Advice for the day? Keep it simple, stupid.

Press Play on the audio play button to hear this podcast.

The Iceberg Theory w/ Hart's Diagram.

I want to discuss a phenomenon, which is one of the keys to artistic freedom and greatness. Though I give examples from theatre, it is a phenomenon that can be experienced in dance, in painting, writing or any other art form.

• The Japanese call it Mushin.
• Joseph Campbell refers to our brains being a secondary organ.
• The Balinese Topeng dancer transcends present consciousness, becoming a conduit for the Gods.
• Actors refer to this as “going up”.

This all points towards this phenomenon.

This state of mind, what the Japanese call “Mushin”, is where the gems of the creative process occur. What happens in this state is that our conscious mind ceases to attempt to control the creative process and “something else” takes over. We commit to risk. We free-fall, trusting that we will be safe, that there is a net, trusting that the words will come, that our bodies will kick in and that all of the rehearsing we have done, what the French call répétition (repeat) will enable us to let go and release.

We must learn our varied techniques to the degree that they become second nature. We must develop these skills to the point that we do not have to think about the mechanics of our technique. Ex. A master woodcarver does not think about how they are holding the chisel and hammer. They do so naturally, as a result of much practice. It is ingrained within them and no longer needs to be at the conscious level. If one is thinking about their technique, they will not be free and ultimately, their performance or creation will have a stifled quality and not be as dynamic as it can be.

Each of us understands what an impulse is and what it feels like. I like to refer to impulses as being the lighting-quick voice in our heads that says, “Do this. Do this”. In the words of my college theatre professor at SMU, Dale Moffitt, typically, there is a second voice that arises, which he calls, “The watcher at the gates of the mind”. This voice tells us, “Don’t do that. You aren’t doing that right. Everyone is judging you. You aren’t good enough”, etc. It is our job to push this voice down and listen to the constant stream of creative impulses—and here is the trick—to do so without first judging them or being fearful of them.

Often, when creating, we are “mind-full” of external and internal matters, which restricts our ability to create in a fluid, dynamic fashion. To arrive at this state of creating from a place of unconscious thought, we must focus deeply, in an outward fashion and allow ourselves to turn our “minds” off. Using theatre as an example, we cease to be mindful of the audience, of our lines, what action we are sending, the agent or casting director in the audience, etc. Instead, we focus so completely, that all of that fades out of consciousness and we begin to create from “another place”.

Typically, an actor who has “gone up”, only realizes that they have entered this state of consciousness, once they fall out of it. Typically too, one is not entirely aware of the minute choices they made within the moment of this state, as they are no longer observing and controlling, but have released and become a conduit.

It has been my personal experience that when a performer enters this state, the audience cannot help but be sucked in. People, after the show, will often talk about “that moment”, as being amazing. It is during this state, that one expresses “truth”–or so much as can be expressed in the creation of illusion.

The great irony is that if one tries to get to this state of consciousness, they are guaranteed to not get there. Why? Because they are controlling the process. This place is achieved when we free-fall, when we get out of the way of ourselves. We get there by trusting that all of our technique is there, that we are going to be safe, by accepting the inherent risks (which typically translate to mean potential embarrassment). The greatest way to get there is to invest completely in play. We must play as children do.

Surely each of us has engaged in some creation, where we are so engrossed in the process that we lose track of time and find that hours have flown. This is the land of Mushin.

Play is the reason we do what we do, as artists, yes? We can convince ourselves, and others, about all of the higher ideals and purposes we have, being the real reasons we create (social change, to enable others to have catharsis, etc), but the real reason, at its base level, is because it is fun. It gives us bliss. That is why we artists do what we do.

We have fun playing King Lear and tearing at the heavens. We have fun playing Hamlet and experiencing a range of emotion in a few hours that few people experience in a year.

Play, bliss, joy is the way. Controlling, intellectualizing, playing technique, being too mindful is the problem.

Let yourself free-fall. Believe me—there is a net. Once you experience Mushin, if you have not already, you might, as I have, make this state of consciousness, freedom of expression and release the goal and the measure to which you strive in all creative processes.

Jim Hart is the founder of The Hart Technique, TITAN Teaterskole . To reach Hart,  email    jim@harttechnique.com

www.harttechnique.com

Artists can play many roles in our society and have, throughout history, been thought to exist somewhere between high priest and prostitute.

When we look to cultures past, attempting to understand their values, their thinking, often we look at their art for insight.

(c) James Hart. Balinese Ritualistic Dance

Artists, unequivocally, play an valuable function in society, one that often achieves the test of time and promotes change and cultural identity.

Some artists don’t give a second thought as to what specific role they are playing or what impact their work might be having. Many do not know, specifically, who the audience is that they are trying to reach, to speak to and serve.

Here are some questions I encourage you to ask of yourself:

What role are you playing?

•    Are you serving to aide your audience to experience escapism? Do you help them to forget their troubles and be transported to fantasyland, to the realm of the imagination?

•    Do you serve as an agitator, to cause people to think, to stir up preconceptions?
•    Are you politically oriented, attempting to promote change?
•    Do you serve as educator?
•    Are you a conscience to your society, serving as a mirror, holding up what you see and reflecting it back to your audience?

There is a wide range of options.

In fact, one can play many roles, simultaneously.

In Bali, Indonesia, a culture I have had the privilege to spend a good amount of time in, the Topeng dancer serves as a literal conduit for the gods. The Balinese believe this dancer serves as a channel, through which, spiritual forces enter and exit, blessing the community in the process (this is a theatre of necessity). But these village rituals are not just spiritual ceremonies, but are entertainment as well. Like Shakespeare would craftily do, they speak to many audiences, simultaneously—from the educated higher castes to the peasant lower cast. These dances can, in the course of one evening, go from trance-induced performance of ancient ritual to bawdy genital humor. It serves a spiritual function AND as escapism. These ancient dances, repeated for literally thousands of years, give a sense of cultural identity to youth. It teaches them about who they are as a people and gives them a sense of communal pride and interconnectivity.

If you are not already doing so, I encourage you to be specific about what role or roles you would like to play. You do not have to wear the same hat each and every time you create. You can wear a different hat for each collaboration that you take part in.

Here are some more questions:

How might you like to be remembered, should your work stand the test of time?

What impact on your audience, culture, society, nation, and world would you like to have?

Do you have any interest in your work standing the test of time? Though that is something that we can never personally control, here is a clue in how to increase the likelihood of your work lasting some time: Speak via universal themes. Open your message to humanity. Speak to the human condition. Appeal to that which is universal to the human animal.

Do you have a message?

Do you have a voice?

What role will you play?

Jim Hart  is the founder of The Hart Technique, Austin Conservatory of Professional Arts and The International Theatre Academy Norway. For more information on these endeavors and Hart, see www.harttechnique.com

Develop discipline like a marathon runner.

opportunity. He argues that those who are exposed to more and greater opportunities have a greater likelihood of being successful. Makes sense, right? We are each products of our experience and if we receive rich opportunities (schooling, exposure to influential people and elements, etc), we have a greater likelihood of accomplishing goals that are above the ordinary.

I believe we are not destined towards a certain tier of accomplishment because of our childhood backgrounds, necessarily, but that we each have the potential to gain greater opportunity, by exposing ourselves to environments that are rife with possibility and opportunity.

The richer the environment, the more focused our effort, the more we may yield.

If we place ourselves in environments that are dynamic, we have the potential to gain in a dynamic way.

Gladwell also argues that mastery is largely due to logging the hours—10,000, to be precise. Again, makes sense, right?

If you log 10,000 hours, doing any sort of development training, your skills are likely going to reach a masterful level. If one does not reach mastery after 10,000 hours, one needs to choose another discipline (if, in fact, mastery was the goal).

Artists have, forever, used the technique of purposeful isolation to reach a near super-human level of skill. When one focuses very deeply, consistently putting a high degree of concentration, thought and effort into an endeavor (not succumbing to distraction, hesitation or sloth) and do so with consistent effort over time, they are likely to develop and improve quickly and in profound ways. I refer to this type of focus as a “laser point focus”.

The Hart Technique and entrepreneurial training for the arts develops individuals who have a phenomenal degree of discipline. One needs discipline, in order to log the 10,000 hours. I like to refer to this type of discipline as that of a marathon runner. The marathon runner does not have the luxury to take a significant break from their training or they lose endurance, stamina and strength. They must, more or less, be running consistently. That takes fierce discipline.

Another reason that we must be consistent in our efforts is that our techniques (or our talents and skills), will dull and rust over time, if not used. If an artist stays in constant form, their technique will be sharp and they will be able to best express themselves. If they do not stay in proper shape with their technique, when opportunity arises and they call upon their technique, they will likely be self-conscious and not be able to express themselves as well as they desire. Their form can return, but they will likely have to log considerable effort with their technique to get to the place they were before.

Here is an example: When I was young, I was very active in martial arts. One summer, I was training for a national tournament and trained, literally, all day and night–some 10 or 12 hours a day—6 days a week for the entire summer. I was, then, in the best physical shape of my life. Following the tournament, I took a break from training for three months. When I returned to the studio, I found that my endurance, flexibility, strength, speed and stamina had all suffered. When I would spar others then, I would lose to those I consistently won against, when I was in such good shape.

At Austin Conservatory of Professional Arts, we provide a dynamic environment, which enables students to focus deeply, to develop discipline and to utilize their skills—constantly, so as to make significant headway towards acquiring their 10,000 hours of effort. We expose these students to the highest quality of teachers possible and place them in the market, while still in school, so that they interact with professionals, expanding their networks in the process.

This combination of influence, opportunity and student effort, yields, for many, a phenomenal return on their educational investment and increases their likelihood of success.

Students gain a sense of empowerment, first hand experience of how to create opportunities themselves, and a high degree of technique; enabling them to manifest and realize whatever impulse they feel.

Jim Hart is the founder of The Hart Technique, TITAN Teaterskole and  ACPA (Austin Conservatory of Professional Arts). ACPA will open doors in August of 2010. To reach Hart,  email    jim@harttechnique.com

www.harttechnique.com