Colin Egglesfield - Agile Artist

It was a relatively normal nothing Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles when I got a phone call from a producer friend of mine named Alex.

Yo, whats up?! I answered.

Hey, are you around in the next week?

Uh, yeah, I think so, why?

I was calling to see if you wanted to work with Sylvester Stallone.

It took me a second to register this and gauge if he was bullshitting or not.

Uh...yeah, I responded, half thinking his next response was going to be Ha, gotcha, fucker!

The next thing out of his mouth, however, was, Okay, great. The only thing is youre going to have to leave on Saturday to fly to Savannah, Georgia because we start shooting on Monday. Holy shit. This was real.

Hold on a sec, let me check my calendar, I said back, half testing him.

Okay, just let me know ASAP so we can book your flight and let your reps know.

It took me all of a half second to say, Im kidding! Yeah man, are you serious? Sylvester Stallone? Im there!

Four days later, I was on set in Savannah, working with my boyhood idol. Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone has transcended industry norms and remains the epitome of what it means to be an Agile Artist.

For more than twenty years, my career has taken me to Hollywood and beyond. Ive often found myself in many of these surreal situations. I wonder how the hell they happened, and yet, half intuitively understand that I have consciously manifested them from the inner depths of my dreams.

Whether its been Giorgio Armani personally fitting me with his latest runway show creation, dining with Elton John and Donatella Versace in Lake Como, or working with Academy Awardwinning actors on a movie set, I realize I have truly lived a blessed life, despite having to overcome some life altering events.

We all dream and aspire to do great things. As life sets in, however, sometimes these goals get diluted. Even worse, they may diminish to the brink of disappearing. My hope is that by sharing some of my stories, you will be inspired to dream again, perhaps bigger than you ever imagined, and to create the life you have always hoped to realize.

Life can bring us all to our knees and kick us while were down. It kicks some of us harder than others, but we all experience valleys at some point in our lives. When we fall, it can feel like theres no hope, no how, and no one who can help. Having lived through some pretty harrowing experiences that include 9/11, twice overcoming cancer, and making it from Small Farm Town, USA to the biggest stages in Hollywood, I hope I can share some wisdom Ive developed along the way. The obstacles I encountered not only helped me to realize my dreams, they gave me the strength to always pick myself back up and keep putting one foot in front of the other. I have been humbled throughout, but as a result, have been blessed with the opportunity to work with and learn from some of the most talented, well-respected people in the world.

One of the most important lessons I have learned is that I wouldnt have been able to survive without the encouragement, love and faith of so many amazing people in my life. They have pushed me when I needed to grow, leveled with me when I needed some truth, and believed in me even before I did. They lent me a shoulder when I was broken, and offered a hand up, not a hand out, when appropriate. Because of their tremendous support, I am able to dedicate this to each and every one of you dealing with any adversity you might be facing in life. Know this: you are not alone.

To travel this path, the inspired path of the Agile Artist , means tapping into the innate resourcefulness that all of us possess. Its not only necessary, its required to effectively move through these challenges with ease, purpose and fulfillment. Im not a therapist. Im not a psychologist and Im certainly no self-help guru. But from my own experiences, I have become more nimble and efficient not only with recognizing, but also manifesting new opportunities and connections. Its these inspired paradigm shifts that have made all the difference in my life.

This is not to say that this path is going to be easy. Pursuing anything worthwhile almost never is. As high as the highs can be, we all eventually meet disappointment that can be absolutely devastating especially when what were pursuing is motivated from the depths of who we are. The key is to be able to deal with challenges and disappointments and not be stopped by them.

To live as an Agile Artist is to rise above the noise, the disappointments, and the negativity, every single day, as you wait for special people and opportunities to present themselves. Its these inspired intersections that can make all the difference.

Call it paying it forward or repaying the generosity of all the people who have helped me along the way. Whatever its called, Ive been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to share what Ive learned along the way. Now, with this book, Im excited about pulling back the curtain once again. This time Ive organized the insights and wisdom that have helped me identify what I wanted out of life. Ive taken time to reflect on how I overcame the fears and obstacles in my life to make my dreams happen.

In writing this book, Im not only sharing the secrets of an Agile Artist. Im also inviting you to join the Agile Artist community so we may help each other manifest the inspired lives that we want to wake up to each and every morning. We are all artists in one way or another. Art doesnt, by definition, limit itself to painting, writing, or creating new works. Art and artists are those people who authentically support, motivate and give who they are with each other. When we support the creative process, be it networking, supporting, encouraging, or promoting each other, we not only have the opportunity to make our own lives better, but we also have the opportunity to make the world a better place.

One of my favorite quotes is from Charles Bukowski, a poet, novelist, and short story writer. It reads, Find what you love and let it kill you. To me, this is the perfect metaphor for how we should live our lives. Do what you love until the day you die. What I love to do is to create and to make a difference.

I understand and appreciate that everyone has their own unique situations. And Im not here to compare experiences about who has had it better or worse than anyone else or attempt to elicit pity. Im simply mentioning my experiences and what I have learned from them in hopes that they may be of value to you. If what I say here resonates, great. If not, then by all means, throw it way. Either way, I look forward to hearing about what you gain from this book and invite you to continue the discussion of bringing more creativity and fulfillment, every day, living the life of the Agile Artist.