Hey there,
Good morning and happy Sunday (where did November go?),

Last evening was the closing night of our 3^rd annual Sanford Meisner Film Festival and I’m so incredibly grateful to our students and alumni who participated. In spite of all the reasons and excuses not to do it, they made their film. Man, I am so proud and grateful for every single one of them.

What are you grateful for today?

There’s a saying I respect very much and that is this: “Success leaves clues.”

At this years film festival our guest of honor was Anthony Montes. He is an actor, writer, director, filmmaker, and teacher.

He is also one of my oldest, dearest, and most respected friends.

And for all you dreamers out there his journey has left a lot of successful clues. I’d like to share with you the most important one – he didn’t quit when everything (and everyone) said quit.

These days Tony’s career and dreams are in beautiful shape. He’s written, produced and starred in two films over the last year.

His reputation as a teacher is growing like crazy. Tony teaches at James Franco’s studio in Los Angeles and over the last six months he’s taught acting in Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Mexico and next heads to Dubai and South Africa.

No one I know deserves success more than Tony Montes.

But I’ve known Tony for twenty-five years now and I’ll be honest with you, it’s only been the last few years that he’s had this type of elevated success.

For most of the time I’ve known him he has struggled. And there have been times where he has reeeeeeealllllyyyyy struggled.

Trust me on this one – most people would have quit if they had endured the lows of his dream and career.
But he didn’t quit. “Success leaves clues.”  The successful clue of Tony’s story isn’t that he didn’t quit. It’s why he didn’t.  And the reason why he didn’t quit is because he’s doing exactly what he was put on this earth to do.

Period.

One of my favorite quotes from Vincent Van Gogh says it all:  “Your profession is not your job. Your profession is what you’re put on this earth to do with such passsion and intensity it becomes spiritual in calling.”

And there it is.

Are you doing what you were put on this earth to do? Do you love your job? Are you passionate about it?
And even if you’re not, are you at least devoting some time and effort towards your calling?

And if not why not? What excuses do you use to not live the life you want?

And if you are then you understand that even if it is a struggle, even if it’s really scary and overwhelming at times, you can’t quit. You just can’t. And Tony’s story is living proof of what happens when you don’t.
I’ll leave you with one more quote. This one from Sanford Meisner who so beautifully once said to us dreamers:  “Someday time will catch up with you and your dream and it will all come together. And you’ll look back on all this heartache and struggle and realize it was worth it. That’s if you can hang in there.”

How’s your dream doing today?

I love hearing your reactions so please take a moment if you’re inspired to do so and share yourself on our Artistic Family Facebook page.

And as always, please know how grateful I am for YOU!
My very best,
Jim