What is it about people who speak with "authority" that can be so inspirational? (Who does that make you think of?) Almost two years ago, I wrote a blog post about the metaphor of war as it related to prayer. Read it here. I questioned whether war was the best frame through which to …
Doing Right By The Work: Choosing This Day
The task in my writing today is nothing unusual; it is the mundane work of choosing the timing and pace by which the world I am creating in my play unfolds. When do the revelations come? What is the appropriate cost of the lies these people have told? What is the consequence of my major …
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The Spirit’s Arrival: The Wait is Over
What can an artist take from the story of what Christians call "The Day of Pentecost?" In Christian teaching, the day of Pentecost is the day on which the Holy Spirit of God first took up residence in the hearts of those who follow Jesus Christ. This same "Spirit of God" is the one who …
Mediated Mania: The Artist’s Energy
I'm riffing on a chapter in Eric Maisel's book Coaching the Artist Within, wondering what you think. I want to invite you to comment upfront on how you generate the energy and capacity to see a work through to its end. Do not read into this that I'm running out of energy for my current …
Improvisation, Freedom, and The Will to be Yourself
"In a self-protection mode, we are not truly free to teach, learn, create, improvise, or love." In going through some old papers the other day, I came across a remarkable little article by Dennis B. Plies, a professor of music at Warner Pacific College, in which Professor Plies addresses improvisation. The title of the article …
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JEFF BERRYMAN 