Image source: http://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/116812184060334621/
Good day;
are we lying to ourselves? That’s a questions I have been asking myself over the past week, at least since my last post.
I think the questions is in itself the answer, if you answering “no” is that in itself a lie? if you say “Yes” (which I probably would.) is that too a lie?
For me (and I can only speak from my own experience.) objectively it isn’t as easy as that to say yes/no. We need to evaluate our goals; our finish line and remember that we are running a marathon not competing in a sprint.
For example, as you would know (if this isn’t the first blog of mine you have read.) I am an actor/writer and I have been known to damage ear drums with my poor attempt at singing.
My end goal is to form a career within the entertainment industry, I commenced formal education (Advanced Diploma arts (acting).) back in 2015, graduating in 2017. Since graduation, I have performed in two stage productions, one short film, Written numerous blog posts, recorded two voice overs, am currently in rehearsals for a new stage show and am trying to to launch my own theatre company.
Despite all this, I still feel I haven’t done enough; I still feel as though my reputation in the Sydney market is non existent (surprisingly enough I have a lot of people following my profiles from the Philippines.) the opportunities that come through my agent are sparse (and I love him dearly for the opportunities.) the jobs I have successfully worked have all come from my own persistence, the constant networking, not eating so I can attend shows and giving up on any sense of sleep to be productive in my day job. Despite all of this the feature film is yet to be on the table, to even audition for.
A very dear friend of mine (who is possibly the next big thing to come out of the Australian acting community.) just started a premier role in a feature length film, left me thinking What am I doing wrong?
Naturally I found myself becoming incredibly defeatist, blaming the world for my failures and worst of all I have let this affect other areas of my life.
so am I lying to myself? Absolutely! I am not a well known actor (and the odds are against me becoming one.) The film scene in Sydney doesn’t know me, and this is because I have yet to reach out and establish any meaningful relationships. The truth of the matter is that I have been working because I have been able to build connections and I have worked hard to maintain them.
at the moment I am at the bottom of a new life, living alone, working full time again and trying to form a career in this beautiful industry. But I need to keep in mind that I can not move from being an unknown performer to being world renowned over night. I am currently 18 months into the ten years it takes to be an overnight success, and I have been working more then I ever expected. I need to take that into consideration before letting my self doubt take over.
So, I have a question for you. After my rambling and surprisingly short post what can you do to go to the next level? Are you an aspiring writer, do you wish to create film, tell stories or just succeed in your 9-5?
If so (and I’ll be surprised if you don’t answer yes to that haha!) I have added a step by step that I need to follow to remind myself where I am up too. This can be easily modified to assist you in your goal.
The Growth Formula
Decision: What do you wish to do with your life?
Why: What motivation do you have for such a move?
What do you need to do to get there: What are the steps involved in getting there?
– Education (do you need to study the field of interest?)
– Networking (Get to know others within the field, reach out and support your piers.)
– Create work (Don’t be afraid to step out and create something too, the size doesn’t matter, the drive to complete a project is the most important thing.)
What is the next progression? After you achieve this above, what can you do to ensure momentum doesn’t pass by.
What can you do to lift others around you up? You are not the centre of the universe, others need you as much as you need them. Assist your piers growth, don’t expect a reward but the more you care and assist others the stronger your network will become.
How can you support the wider community? How can you help people outside of your pier network? For me, I engage the local business sector and discuss ways we can mutually benefit from my production being in town.
When you think you have made it, the work has only just begun. Even the most famous/successful people don’t believe that they are successful. The job of building doesn’t stop, but achieving certain things does get easier over time.
Do not be afraid to fail: Failure is only a step towards finding what works, you can not expect to grow unless you are prepared to fail. I have failed a lot, and I continue to fail daily; but that’s no reason to stop trying.
Everyone’s journey is unique, I tried to keep this as generic as possible, but obviously it’s not always that easy.
I encourage you to comment, share with me your experience and let me know your successes and failures; share what you have learned, hopefully we can help someone who feels lost in this process.
As always, it’s amazing to share this with you.
Till next time.
Rick.
Twitter @TonkinRichard
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