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Artist Motivation with Ira Cross

Insight, motivation, and just general hypeness from my point of view as an actor and artist. iraterrycross.substack.com

society & culture personal journals

All Episodes

1:39

“Quitting happens once.”

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2026/02/11

Quitting is easy. You just decide, “I don’t want to do this anymore”. Then you don’t. What’s even harder for me is living with the fact that I quit.I will admit that quitting while you’re ahead in some things is not the same as quitting. If you are in a difficult relationship (difficult because everything you’ve tried isn’t working), that’s different than just quitting a relationship because things got hard. Quitting something because you realize the effort you’re putting in is not being valued

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2:03

Never Let It Drive

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2026/02/04

“Fear can be a passenger, but never let it drive.”I’ve been focused on some other things, but I’m back to motivation! It’s been a good start to my year, not a perfect one, but overall good. I hope the same for everyone else. My hope is that you have stayed true to your goals.Back to our quote!Fear is important.Rational thinking is more important.Fear is a response to potential danger, but should never drive your decisions. Fear is important because it warns us that something new or different is

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2:17

Happy New Year! 2026

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2026/01/07

“Motivation is great, consistency is better.”Happy New Year! It’s that time of the year when everyone is making resolutions they know they’re going to break. It’s that time of year when people write and talk about how you can make sure you don’t. This is the time when so many people are motivated! Make sure you keep going as it gets harder to stay motivated. Don’t stop until you get there.I have to be honest with you, I despise New Year’s resolutions. I’m firmly against them. However, I love setting

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2:54

Enthusism

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/12/31

“All it takes for something extraordinary to happen is one person with enthusiasm.” – Richard CoraineEnthusiasm is often dismissed or even discouraged. People are afraid to take risks. People are afraid of embarrassment. Being embarrassed or wanting to be celebrated is focusing on things outside of your control and ultimately a fruitless venture.We live in a society where passion and enthusiasm sometimes come across to people as “cringe”. I sincerely believe this is because people are afraid to take

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2:28

What I didn't Understand

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/12/24

“You can only believe in what you don’t know.”The following is my first essay written about the quote from last week. I understood it as “you don’t know what you don’t know”. I’m never one to waste much intentionally, so I felt like it was a great idea to keep the following and share it!Expand your understanding of the world. Expand your understanding of the environment you are in. Expand your understanding of your relationships. Expand your understanding of yourself.All of this takes time and

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3:32

Belief or Delusion

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/12/17

“You can only believe in what you don’t know.”I’m sure you read that wrong the first time the same way I did. Or maybe it was just me.I first read that quote understanding it as “you can only believe in what you know”. Therefore thinking you have to know something in order to believe it. Therefore, you have to go forth and learn.After reading it again (and after writing a whole essay on it that I’ll release next week) I realize it is addressing the difference between belief and knowledge.If I

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1:32

You Already Got It!

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/12/10

“Act like you already have the part for an audition, and you’re just there for a rehearsal.”My mom has told me my entire life, “If you want it, claim it.” When I would go out for sports, she would say this. When I would have anxiety about a test, she would say this. When I was applying to colleges, she would say this. This mantra is one of the many reasons I have confidence in myself.As actors, we have to audition. Many actors view auditions as a source of stress. They forget that when they

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1:34

Action Creates Momentum

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/12/03

“Action creates momentum.”Move.Create.Make something!A blank canvas or a blank document screen is only scary because you don’t see the potential in it yet. When I was still teaching elementary school there was an art teacher that told students to just put a mark on their paper. Get started. If you feel like the line is a mistake, you can get a new sheet of paper and start again with your new idea.But did you catch that?The students already had an idea of how to start with the new paper! That’s the

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1:49

A Way of Operating

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/11/19

“Creativity is not a talent, it’s a way of operating.” – John CleeseMost things in this world that can be learned and/or practiced. Creativity is one of those things. People often have the misconception that being creative is inherent. The truth is, some people come to it easily, but everyone has the ability to harness it.In my own life, I make time daily to sit and work on something creative. This substack and podcast are one of those things. I may not write or record every day, but I spend time

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2:43

The Intro

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/11/12

Stop skipping the intro.What’s a show you’re watching right now? Not right this very second, but a show you’re actively engaged with before you go to sleep for the night. Whatever it is, I’m sure it has your attention for one reason or another. If it’s a seriously engaging show, I’m sure you can’t get enough and binge as many episodes as you can. I bet when one episode ends, you can’t click that next episode button fast enough. Then when the “skip intro” button pops up, you’re already hovering your

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2:39

The Flame

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/11/05

“Don’t let anyone or anything extinguish your enthusiasm.”The flame of your enthusiasm is absolutely necessary. Anyone that acts as an extinguisher to that enthusiasm is toxic. Remove them from your life if they don’t take the correction that you feel is necessary. People will show you who they are in a number of ways. People will show you who they are based on how they treat you. People will show you who they are based on how they support you. People will also show you who they are based on the

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2:35

Laser and Flashlight

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/10/29

“Laser not a flashlight.” - Mark KerrI had the chance to see the movie The Smashing Machine with Dwayne The Rock Johnson. Within the first 10 minutes of the movie this quote came about. I was sitting in the movie theater, literally by myself so I pulled my phone out and I wrote down this quote.For those who don’t know what the movie is about. It is highlighting a three year span of the life of Mark Kerr, a pioneer MMA fighter. At this point in the movie and in his life, Marc had not lost an MMA

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1:13

Empower Others

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/10/22

“If you’re doing anything creative, empower other people in that creative process.”Sometimes all that is needed to empower others is to exist completely and unapologetically as yourself. Having a conversation with somebody that needs verbal validation is wonderful. However, sometimes you just need to be you and do your thing and people will notice.There are so many people in this world that serve as a positive example and don’t realize all of the people they are inspiring. When a little Black girl

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2:07

I am what I am

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/10/15

“I am what I am and that’s all I am.” – PopeyePopeye is a character of grit, determination, and clean eating, even if it’s from a can. For those that may not know, Popeye is a cartoon sailor and the hero of his show. Popeye is always getting into fights, usually in defense of his love Olive Oyl. He often starts out getting beat up at the beginning of those fights. That is, until he gets out of a can of spinach and consumes it ultimately gaining superpowers. He is able to do inhuman things that only

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1:46

Where You Are

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/10/08

“You’re not going to get anywhere you didn’t work to be.”Stop doubting yourself. Stop doubting your abilities. Stop doubting your potential. Start.Start realizing you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. That may mean that you still have a long journey, that’s alright. However, you need to stop telling yourself that you’re not where you’re supposed to be in a negative way. Lift yourself up. Look at the words that I’m saying as encouragement that comes from within you.I can’t convince you, no one

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2:30

Bring the Future to the Present

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/10/01

“Artists are the people that tune into the future and bring it into the present.”I originally saw this quote and thought about so many bright and wonderful things! So many things that have been created that have brought joy to so many. I pictured in my mind the paintings from Archibald Motley. His works constantly show the motion and vibrancy of the Black community. I heard the swinging style of Duke Ellington. The poetic excellence of Langston Hughes. All of these artists and so many more come to

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1:36

With Practice

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/09/24

“Easier said than done. But only done with practice.” When I hear someone say “easier said than done", it frustrates me and annoys me because they feel that whatever that thing is, it is not possible or it is very difficult to the point of their own frustration. It makes me want to prove them wrong and frankly to stop talking to them.Someone saying easier said than done means that they see the limits of a task versus the accomplishment of the task.Of course, there are ways to hear this in a

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3:16

2%

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/09/17

2% is not a majority but still gets its say. I had a great conversation with my dad about 2%. My partner also was able to chime in, and it’s always great to have her influence on the things I write and share. 2% feels and seems like such a small amount. In retrospect, it is.But 2% is still part of 100%.In the conversation that I had with my dad and my partner, we were talking about how we are all very positive people, but negative thoughts do come to mind from time to time. We talked about how those

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2:40

The Boat

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/09/10

“Will it make the boat go faster?”I need to admit something right out of the gate. I’m not an expert on boats. This is not advice on how to be better at boating. I’m speaking directly from a basic understanding of science and connecting that to everyday life in this analogy. That said, there are a few factors that affect a boat's speed. The boat engine, hull shape, and the weight of the boat. The more streamline the hull or body shape of the boat, the faster it has the ability to be. The heavier the

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1:30

Alien

Artist Motivation with Ira Cross ·

2025/09/03

"I am human, and nothing that is human is alien to me.”When we look at the wonders of the world, we often contemplate how humans could make such things with such simple tools. When we see athletes, elite athletes, competing at the highest level we are amazed at how they’re able to accomplish such amazing feats. When we see an artist's work that leaves us wondering how they could capture our imagination without ever meeting us, we are astonished. When we watch an actor, give performance and connect

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