Meeting the Mentor: Upholding Values on "The Outstanding Artist"

I'm at dinner, sitting at a very long table with all 24 of us – contestants, film crew, and the team – all chewing on mountains of lamb, potatoes, and cheese pies. The food is heavenly and such a pure offering from this family, who grills the meat to perfection. Their garden lines the edges of their restaurant, offering the fragrance of dill, oregano, and rosemary to permeate our table.

The family patriarch is in the back, grilling and drinking the village wine from a copper cup. He comes out with shiny eyes and rosy cheeks to welcome us, urging us to eat more lamb.

The Dawn and Drama of Episode 3

Tomorrow, we start filming episode three of "The Outstanding Artist" bright and early. In this challenge, the contestants will split into two teams to collaborate. The losing team will have to vote off the least contributor. I'm sitting at the end of the table with the crew, and I ask the director, "Tell me again, how is the elimination going to work?"

"Oh, it's going to be great. It will add much-needed tension among the artists. Whichever team loses will have to vote off one of their teammates," he says.

"Hmm, so what role do the judges play then if the artists handle the elimination?" I ask.

"You guys are the mentors in this one, not the judges, because this episode is part of the journey that is 'meeting of the mentors,'" the director explains.

"Yeah, I like that. But in a team of five or six, what if there isn't a clear consensus on who should be eliminated?"

He leans over and says, "That's the beauty of it. There won't be a consensus. It will add tension. Some will choose who they think is weak and deserves to go, but others will target their biggest competition. It's going to be intense!"

I glance around and notice Brie and her husband, John, listening. I can tell by their faces that they aren't thrilled with what they're hearing either. We have a packed day ahead, and filming will start at daybreak. Thankfully, the weather has cooled down, allowing us to film at the hotel. I still have one more day to sort out the logistics for off-site filming.

Expressing Concerns Over Eliminations

John, Jake, Dimitra, and I get back to the apartment, and I get a pit in my stomach, and I don't like it. I tell Jake, "I'm not comfortable with tomorrow's episode. I don't like the idea of artists voting for elimination. We need to change it."

"We can't change it now. It's too late. They can't pivot at the last minute like this. The director will lose it," Jake responds.

"Okay, hear me out. I've run through the scenario in my head, and there is a chance that whatever team Tarana is on could lose. I know she is a fantastic artist, but she's been feeling insecure, and it's affecting her paintings. If her team loses, they might all vote her out, especially since the director has painted her as the 'villain' of the other artists. Tarana had a difficult childhood and was bullied in school. This could really trigger her and hurt her. I think she will feel bullied again. It's not nice. We can't do that to her or anyone else who gets voted off. I don't like it."

Jake responds, "I don't like it either. Let's have them do another mini-challenge to decide who's out, and the judges can decide the elimination again by scoring. It's fair and consistent. I'll write it out and send it to the director and the crew."

I felt so much better. A big sigh of relief! That uneasy feeling in my stomach left, and peace returned.

Tension Rises Behind-the-Scenes

The next day, the tension and coldness were palpable when I arrived on set. Nicolette quietly says, "I don't know what happened, but the director is seething. Everyone can feel his vibe." I saw all the artists waiting around to be interviewed, many of them talking about the tension between Jake and the director.

Then I see Brie, and she gives me big eyes and quickly nods her head to the right, signaling that we need to talk. We sneak away to a corner, and she quietly fills me in. "So, I'm in my room while they're doing interviews. John (her husband) comes to throw me the keys to the moped and yells, 'Catch!' Then I hear the director scream, 'Get that Fu@%#r off my set!' John says,' Who are you calling a Fu@%#r?' Then the director starts screaming at him to leave, or he won't film. So, I throw John the keys back, and he zips off on the moped! I'm like, 'What a jerk! Who acts that way?'"

"Geez! He must be mad about the changes we made in the episode," I say.

"Oh, you should talk to Jake when you can. They really had it out!" Brie tells me.

A Clash Between Director and Team

I walk towards the pool and see everyone gathered around the tables waiting for lunch. I catch Jake alone and ask him what happened.

"Everything's okay now, but it was pretty tense earlier. The director was not happy about the change and told me that the show had potential, but only if we let him actually do his job. He said we were ruining it by not allowing the dramas to unfold. I told him we didn't want some smutty reality show and we wanted the artists elevated. The hero's journey. He just laughed and told me all he would do then is push buttons and set cameras. He's been grumpy and had an attitude all day."

"Gosh! So unprofessional! It's our show. It's our money that pays for all of it. Plus, he had no right to scream at John."

Just then, I hear a moped pull up. John, Brie’s husband, walks in looking pretty sulky, his sunglasses on, carrying lunch. He plops it on the table and stands back with his arms folded. The director rushes in and points his finger at John, saying in front of everyone, "If you can't keep your mouth shut when we are filming, you'll have to leave."

John, having spent the last few years in the military, isn't the type to lay low. He throws his shoulders back, gets in the director's face, and says, "You are a snake in the grass; I can see it." The director pounds his fist into his hand and swings back just as Jake jumps between them. "Hey! If you hit my friend, YOU can leave. You're being really unprofessional right now, and you will not talk to anyone here like you have been today. You need to calm down and deal with your disappointments professionally."

The director backed off, grabbed his lunch, and walked abruptly to his room.

The Power of a United Team

This is when I realized how strong we were as a team, united by the same goal. We all wanted these artists to experience a transformation and become their best throughout these challenges. We wanted the role of an artist to be elevated in the eyes of the viewers.

Artists aren't backstabbing, insecure egotists ready to throw their friends under the bus to get ahead. These artists are courageous, powerfully deep, fiercely passionate about their cause, and selflessly risk judgment and scrutiny to put their work and themselves out there.

They left their children, families, and everyday lives to travel to this Greek island and share their hearts with the world. They allowed themselves to be filmed through the creative process, hoping to inspire those who would watch.

Upholding Our Values and Vision

No matter the challenge or how difficult the solution was at times, we had each other to share the responsibility. We trusted each other both in capability as well as integrity. I knew I could count on Jake, Dimitra, and John to do whatever it took to make the show a success while staying true to our vision and principles. I knew these artists could trust us to show the viewers who they really are, not some fabricated shallow caricature on a trashy reality show. I knew we had a unity of purpose that was unbreakable.

Have you ever faced a situation where you had to uphold your values in a challenging professional environment? How did you navigate it?

Share your experience in the comments below!