Okay, I’ll own it – I love CBS Sunday Morning. Our kids pretty much know that unless we have other plans or make a trip to our favorite bagel place, Hubs and I will be sipping coffee in our pajamas watching “our show” for that hour and a half every week. They also know they’ll be  forced to decamp to other parts of the house if they talk too loudly over Mo Rocca.

A couple of weeks ago I did a guest post about what writers can learn from acting classes. In fact, I think all creative people have something to learn from artists of other crafts as well as our colleagues. This morning, as I watched Lee Cowan’s interview with Oscar-nominated Matthew McConaughey, it was clear that the Texas heart throb is taking on challenging roles of late, because he wants to be more than just a cute accent and a set of six-pack abs. (Aside: when I lived in Austin I happened to get a glimpse of those abs in person on the running trail, and I can tell you it’s no small feat for Mr. McConaughey to try to get us to stop drooling and pay attention to his actual acting. Bow-chicka-wow-wow). (Another aside: I’ve always thought Matthew – can I call him Matthew? – would make an excellent Doug, so maybe if he decides to go back to the world of romantic comedies he’ll consider the movie version of The Marriage Pact).

Asides aside, it is really nice to see a new dimension of someone who’s traditionally done lighter roles. I haven’t seen Dallas Buyer’s Club yet, but as I try to cram in a few Academy Award nominations before the Oscars, I hope I’ll be able to work that one in. His portrayal of Ron Woodruff intrigues me on many levels, not the least of which is the opportunity to watch an artist recreate himself. I love romantic comedies – reading, writing, and watching – but sometimes I wonder if I have what it takes to try out a new role in a new genre. It’s nice to know that such changes are not only possible, but can be a path to releasing your true talent. And unlike Mr. McConaughey, I won’t have to drop 47 pounds to do it (though in my case it couldn’t hurt).

I’ll leave you with my favorite quote from the interview this morning, in which McConaughey talks about why he’s been choosing less mainstream roles without concern for the box office returns. I think this quote is applicable, not just to acting or writing, but to all aspects of life – everything from running a business to raising children.

He says, “I’ve been choosing the experience a lot. I’ve been loving the experience of it. And I’ve noticed that if I stick to the process and love the process with what I’m doing… but not thinking about results.  I really haven’t been thinking about results for some time. And it’s really interesting because now more results are coming my way.”

Funny how that works, isn’t it?

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I’m M.J. (Manda) Pullen, an author, mom and former psychotherapist in the Atlanta, Georgia area. I blog with honesty and humor about writing, parenthood, psychology, life in general and the many lessons I’ve learned the hard way. If you enjoy reading this blog, please consider sharing it,  sign up for the RSS or monthly email updates  (and be entered in the monthly giveaway).
Comments are welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for reading!

MJ Pullen

M.J. Pullen is a distracted writer and the mom of two boys in Roswell, Georgia, where she is absolutely late for something important right now. Her books include quirky romantic comedies and playful women's fiction. She blogs erratically with writing advice, random observations, and reflections on raising very loud kids and dogs. Join her Distracted Readers newsletter list for updates, free content, giveaways and more.