“Change is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is an absurd one.”
— Voltaire
I tell people that before rehearsals even begin, I already have a vision of the show in my head.
And I do. Quite a vivid one, actually.
But I’ve also learnt that some of the best moments in theatre come from allowing that vision to be challenged. A scene that worked beautifully yesterday suddenly doesn‘t. Something I thought was essential gets taken out. An unexpected moment in rehearsal changes how I see the entire story.
And at times, the hardest thing isn’t finding a better idea. It‘s letting go of the one I was so sure about.
I think there’s something very human here.
How easily we become attached to our own understanding of ourselves. Who we are. What we‘re capable of. What we believe will make us happy.
And how unsettling it can be when life challenges that understanding.
I wonder how much of our anxiety comes not from uncertainty itself, but from our insistence that things must be certain.
In theatre, we call it a work in progress.
Perhaps we could afford to see ourselves that way too.
✦
做导演，我习惯心中有个清晰的方向，却也学会了改变想法。
人生何尝不是如此？
有时候，困住我们的不是未知，而是太相信自己已经知道答案。
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Warmly,
George Chan
This Is How We Heal
George Chan, MCOU, is a Counsellor, Grief Educator and Breathwork Coach who specialises in helping individuals navigate grief and loss through his private practice, This Is How We Heal. With a rich background in theatre and entertainment, George brings creativity and empathy to his work. When he's not in the therapy room, you might find him performing, choreographing, or working on a new production—or spending time with Luna, his Jack Russell Terrier, who doubles as his unofficial co-therapist and production critic.