I have a nephew graduating from high school in 2026 and I've always loved the graduation addresses that sometimes go viral around this time of year. Favourites from the past have included: The Commencement Speech at the University of the Arts in 2012 given by Neil Gaiman and best remembered for the key message of 'make good art' and the Class Day Address at Columbia's School of the Arts given by David Sedaris in 2023. There are plenty more and occasionally I'm inspired to venture down that rabbit hole again for a little inspiration.
Tim Minchin is an Australian musician, comedian and actor and was awarded the Order of Australia in 2020 for his contributions to the performing arts. He's given an address to graduates on three separate occasions and in this book, You Don't Have to Have a Dream - Advice for the Incrementally Ambitious by Tim Minchin you can read them. In basic terms, there's one about being human, one about being a musician and one about being an actor.
Illustrated by Andrew Rae, each speech is accompanied by an introduction and the content surrounding the essays tie it all together. The speeches are as follows:
- Nine Life Lessons delivered to University of Western Australia, 2013
- The Trick delivered to The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, 2019
- You've Always Wanted to be an Actor delivered to Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, London 2015
I've just had a look and these speeches are all available to watch on YouTube for those so inclined and they each contain a few pearls of wisdom like this one:
"A famous bon mot asserts that opinions are like arseholes, in that everyone has one. There is great wisdom in this... But I would add that opinions differ significantly from arseholes, in that yours should be constantly and thoroughly examined." Page 38In his address You've Always Wanted to be an Actor, Tim tells his audience unapologetically that if they want to make a career as a musician or an actor they need to spend all their time, energy and money getting good at it. They also need to figure out what it is that they're good at. Amusingly, Minchin gives an example by sharing his own strengths:
"The thing I am best in the world at is being a science-obsessed uber-rhymey polemicist pianist singer-satirist wanker." Page 82Classic! Ultimately however, the language and messages the book contains are clearly aimed at university graduates and understandably best suited to those in the arts industry. This means it won't make an appropriate graduation gift for the recipient I had in mind but was an enjoyable read none the less.
Carpe Librum!
