Many of you will be seeing friends and family members that you haven’t seen for some time. Inevitably they’ll be asking…“So, how’s the career going?”
Do you know what you’re going to say? If you’re like many creative professionals…you’ll skirt around the topic and probably give some sort of answer that has nothing to do with what you’ve actually been doing this year. Sound familiar?
What if this year you try to set yourself up with a different response? Take stock of everything you’ve worked on during the year and instead of beating yourself up for not finishing a project, or not booking that ‘special’ part, or not getting what you wanted in your career this year…take a look at what you have done.
It’s important to learn how to celebrate your successes if you’re hoping that others will start celebrating you, too. How is a reporter supposed to find your work interesting if you don’t even recognize it yourself? So, I’d like to challenge you to come up with at least one thing positive to say about your career and your achievements in 2017.
Rather than saying, “Well…I did a small role in this weird indie film that will probably only screen at a local festival”…try this: “Well…I did a cameo in an artistic indie film working with a new director who is hoping to get it into a few festivals this next year.” Basically, it’s the same thing…only one sounds like you hate your life and the other sounds like you’re creating the career you want.
This is known as ‘spin’…and there’s an entire industry devoted to it: Public Relations. Now, I’m not suggesting you lie…in fact that is absolutely the opposite of what I’m suggesting. You simply need to learn how to share your experiences in a positive way, even if you don’t think of them that way. If a role is not as big as you wanted…still realize you landed an acting gig. If your film’s final cut didn’t turn out exactly the way you wanted…still grasp that you actually finished a film. If your stage production didn’t sell-out…still appreciate that you entertained a live audience.
My wish for all of you this holiday season is that you learn to appreciate all that you have accomplished this year. I believe this is the smartest, fastest and best way to gain more attention for your work in 2018 and beyond.
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