5 Questions Creatives Should Get Used To

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If you work at NASA you’d better get used to lame rocket scientist jokes. If you are a creative these are the questions you will get. Get used to it. People are aware of the end product whether it’s an album, a book or a movie, but they don’t have much of an idea what the day to day is like. Why should they?

People are nice and interested in you! It’s not their fault 50 other people already asked you these questions this month. So smile and answer them as best you can.

  1. When is your thing coming out?

If that thing is a baby everyone has a pretty good idea of the general timeline. If that thing is a movie, or a board game or a series of sculptures they have no idea. The astronomical timelines in developing a creative product are ridiculous. The book is done but your publisher isn’t releasing it for a year and a half? You have to wait up to 18 months for a top-notch film festival to maybe accept you? You have to write a whole new computer program to make the app work? These “how the sausage is made reasons” are very inside baseball and you’re going to have to explain them a thousand times, probably at every step of your process. Only worry when they don’t ask.

  1. How can I get where you are but better? 

Lots of people you meet are in your same field or want to be. It’s called networking, or making friends. If you find these kinds of questions annoying you have a short memory. You’ve probably asked them yourself and you’re probably still asking them. People want to know how you did it so they can do it too. It can only help you to help other people. They might be in a position to hire you in a year. Also, it’s nice.

  1. Why don’t you just jump right to the top of your field?

“You should get on that New York Times Bestseller list.” Obviously this is good advice. You should get on that New York Times Bestseller list. People want to help. If they only know a little bit about your field their help isn’t going to be that useful. But it’s from a place of love so get your “Well, I’d love to, but it’s not that simple” answer ready. You’re going to need it.

  1. My prom date’s grandmother was famous in your field.

This is not a question but it could be interesting. Ask about that prom date’s grandmother. It’s better than talking about how the executive who bought your pitch was just fired and the show you’ve been working on for the last two years will NEVER HAPPEN NOW.

  1. What’s your next thing?

Do you think people walked into the half finished Sistine Chapel and asked Michelangelo what he was doing next? You bet they did. You might not be able to imagine a time when your seven thousand-page tone poem is going to be finished but they can. Bursting into tears when people ask this question will only make them feel bad and reveal how unstable this project has made you. Pull yourself together and answer the question.