Goodbye 2014. HELLO 2015!
I don’t remember the last time I was this excited about the new year. I attribute most of it to a newfound sense of clarity, the kind that comes with therapy and age. One day I hope to build a kick-ass entertainment company, but for right now I’m celebrating where I am at and nurturing my own evolution so that when I’m ready to take on that big vision, I’ll be able to do so with gumption.
I am a creative entrepreneur who channels her mojo into other areas. I’ve done castings, producing, location scouting – you name it. I’ve done the indie filmmaker bit and I’ve produced live performances.
As a creative entrepreneur, these not-so-random experiences give us a unique perspective on life + business. These are some of the lessons that I’ve learned over the years:
1) Actors are special.
The snarky side in me wants to rant more on this but the more spiritual attuned and nicer side says don’t. Yes actors are a special breed and here’s why that’s a great thing. They are able to do something that others cannot – be present in themselves.
It took me a while to really understand this but as I started to learn more about owning who you are and embracing your authentic self, I realized that actors are able to connect with their emotional self in a way that most of us don’t. There’s a beauty in being able to do that. As a producer I wore the left brain hat. I didn’t have the emotional intelligence to comprehend statements about integrity.
My job was to deliver a final product at any costs. Now as I embrace my right side, I totally get it.
2) Get everything in writing.
This is not so much about cautionary tales of having an unusable indie short film because you forget to get a release form signed by one of the lead actresses who suddenly doesn’t like how she looks in it.
This is all about managing expectations and establishing boundaries. With contracts, there are no surprises. With paperwork, there’s clear roles and defined responsibilities about who’s accountable for what.
This lessons transcends the entertainment industry. Getting things in writing works out well in life too. Ever need to reference back to an email about dinner plans or vacation details? Exactly…
3) The story is all that matters.
I was a pretty crappy screenwriter. I wrote a few scripts in my days. None I’d be willing to share because they are that bad. This was during a time where I was tuned out of my right brain. Now I’ve learned that the narrative is the only thing that matters.
What is the human interest connection?
How are you tapping into the emotional triggers of the people you want to reach?
The best stories make you feel something and I’m learning how to apply this concept not just with writing, but with everything I do. Your story is the only thing that matters and at every given moment we’re writing chapters with our actions.
4) It’s all about the journey.
I’m all in on the idea of an entrepreneurial journey. Literary has the hero’s journey which is the core for most, if not all, stories. When you’re an entrepreneur, you embark on your own journey as well.
Regardless of what career trajectory you take, the quicker you realize that you’re Alice in Wonderland, the better you are for it. This is your journey and along the way there are characters who will test your patience, expertise and passion for what you’re doing.
There are road blocks and detours that you will need to redefine as plot twists. There are also breakthroughs disguised as breakdowns. Whatever obstacles show up for you, just remember to keep swimming.
The new year is going to be awesome, and not in the “every new year starts off awesome” but more like clarity + focus = awesome kind of way. Passion is one of the most overused words but it bares nothing that as creative entrepreneurs we need to honest about our passions.
Are we really aligning our passion with our brand + biz or do we just like what we do because we’re good at it?