Beyond Judgement
An Interview with Lindsay Moss
Actor and founder of the kid’s performing arts academy StarTime Studios
Can you imagine a world beyond judgement? Perhaps a world that is filled with infinite possibilities rather than what is right or wrong, good or bad, pass or fail?
Can you imagine how wonderful your world might be if you were not always limited by a fear of judgement? Think what different decisions you may have made or might make in the future? Can you picture how creative, inventive and brave you might become? That is not to say that evaluating or judging does not have its place but it should not be the first tool we reach for and it should be concerned with the work (or the idea) rather than the person.
As an aside, for a beautiful book on this idea please read, The Art of Possibility, 2000, by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. In this book they compare and contrast the universe of possibility with one based on measurement.
If you can imagine even the possibility of this new world then you will enjoy the conversation I have just had with Lindsay Moss, an actor and founder of a kid’s performing arts academy called StarTime Studios (www.startimestudios.com.au).
‘If you can entertain kids you can entertain anyone’.
This is the underlying theme behind Lindsay’s business which teaches children skills in acting, dancing, singing and film-making and helps build confidence and self-esteem with holiday camps, after-school workshops and weekend workshops.
I asked Lindsay what was the basis of his ability to think on his feet when he was trying to keep a very demanding audience (i.e. kids) entertained for long periods of time. Some of his suggestions include:
- Get out of your head into your body.
By this I understand him to mean that when you are acting you need to bypass your judgemental mind that edits everything.
‘By doing so as an actor, you move from just reading lines to connecting with your instinct which make the performance more real and authentic.’
This idea of bypassing your judgemental mind is one of the core principles of Speed Thinking.
- Be Physically Active
This is another obvious idea on one level but a profound thought on another. Acting is an act—it is about action. As Lindsay notes ‘it is about accomplishment (i.e. what do I want to achieve in this scene) and by achieving or not achieving your want the emotion is a by-product’.
It is also about movement. Lindsay suggests that ‘it is hard to be creative when you are chained to a desk all day, you need to physically do something, to clear the connection between mind and body.’
Again this echoes my work on Speed Thinking in that there is no division between mind and body and that if you accelerate your physical reactions you can quicken your mind (and the reverse is also true).
- Use Tools
Sometimes even the best speed thinkers get stuck and Lindsay uses a number of tools to help him and the group he is working with. For example, someone suggests an improvisation or imaginary scene and the entire group responds with ‘Yes Let’s’….(yes let’s go on that boat ride that you have suggested). Whatever the suggestion, everyone commits to it. Undoubtedly, anything can work if everyone’s on board and committed to it.
Or ‘I Give myself permission to’ ……(not know the answer, to make a mistake, to say something stupid, to be silly for the next few minutes, to laugh etc).
By naming whatever you’re feeling, in the moment you give yourself permission. Once you do this you can move from a stuck position and free your mind, quickly.
Dr. Ken Hudson.