Johathan Larson’s lyrics are poignant and continue to resonate today—because it challenges us to reflect on the most precious gift, we all share: Time.

When most people think about time, you may hear the familiar:

There aren’t enough hours in the day.

I must learn how to manage my time better.

But what if we thought about time not just as something that is not enough or to manage… but to accept time as our life’s first and true partner?

Before the gigs, the scripts, the dance floors, the art canvas, the clay, the installation or the camera—there was time.

Time is with us from the very first spark of inspiration. It’s honest. Constant. It never lies or waits. It simply is.

As entertainers, we don’t just pass time—we invest it. Every rehearsal, late-night writing session, audition prep, painting, or composition is a declaration of love to our craft. Each moment whispers:

“This is what matters to me.”

So, the question is no longer just: How do I manage time?
It becomes: How will I invest my most precious currency, time?

Photo by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress

The great thing about the arts is that you can only learn to do it by doing it. If a child gets that idea, early, that that’s how you learn things, by doing it, that may be the most important thing you can give them. You can’t learn to play the piano by reading a book about how to play the piano. You can’t learn to paint without painting. You have to do it. And in doing it, you suddenly begin to see, “By God I can do this!” And then after awhile “I can not only do this, I’m getting better.

I would like to add to this wonderful quote: You don’t learn to sing by reading about singing. You don’t master acting by imagining yourself on stage or any art. You do it. And in the doing, you grow.

Time invested in your craft isn’t wasted—even when there are no immediate rewards. In fact, your creation is the reward.

Oprah Winfrey named her network OWN, an acronym for the Oprah Winfrey Network, but if you think about everything she has ever shared about her life, the meaning of the word OWN has always been a part of her DNA.

At heart, nearly everyone—I say nearly, because there are always exceptions—who has dedicated their life to their art knows that as soon as they believed in what they wanted to create and took ownership, everyone around them either joined them on their journey, supported them, or are no longer in their life, and that is ok.

Taking ownership of your time is one of the most essential decisions an Entertainer can make.

When you OWN your time:

• • • • • • You prioritize.
          • You say no with confidence.
          • You create your own rhythm, not someone else’s.
          • You decide what deserves your energy—and what doesn’t.

Credit: INTX: The Internet & Television Expo – Wiki Commons

Creating harmony between your life and your chosen passion is one of the most complex works of art you’ll ever create.

There will be juggling—financial obligations, family pressures, emotional highs and lows. But through it all, many Entertainers find peace by building a daily vision, routine, or ritual.

Your daily rhythm doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It just has to make space for what matters most—your creativity and your well-being.

As an entertainer, you’re not just building a career—you’re being your true and honest self.

Time does not have to be overwhelming. It can be your ally, your friend, your silent partner.

So instead of asking:

“How do I manage time?”

Ask:

“How can I partner with time today?”
“How can I let it move with me, not against me?”

Because in the end, it’s not about having more time.
It’s about using the time you do have to live and be your true self.

Now that you’re joyfully connecting with your calendar, What’s Next …

I have had the joy of knowing Gioia De Cari, a multi-talented Entertainer, actress, singer, playwright, and in her own words a “recovering mathematician”, she is a graduate of MIT, for many years.

Credit: John Olson

So of course, I can state that when she recommends anything, it is special.  After a wonderful conversation, where I was getting her thoughts about Entertainers Life and the recommendations I wanted to include, she immediately suggested: Daily Rituals: Women at work by Mason Curry, which is just perfect for a conversation about time.

You can get this book in both print and audio from your public library or library app.  If you would like to purchase the book please click on the link below:

Gioia loves processes.  She loves the journey of creation.  She recognizes that some Entertainers may just want to reach the end result, but she adores the journey, and this book features the daily obstacles and rituals of extraordinary women Entertainers – composers, sculptors, filmmakers, and performers.  The book also includes scientists and other brilliant minds, delving into how they get to work, the choices they make, rebuffing a multitude of conventional challenges, finding time for partners, children, family, and life’s obligations, to be the person they wish to be, to create their creations.