Garden of Eden
#EMPTY PLOT
Every creative soul is in charge of their own Garden of Eden, a paradise where all of their dreams are possible. You have a large space of creative land where you are able to plant the seeds of your dreams. However, most people, in the desperate attempt to turn their dreams into reality make the mistake of selling their plot of land to everyone else before anything has been planted. This is often due to creatives forgetting the true core of their dreams. Obviously, working on A-List Hollywood films, or selling out stadium tours, or whatever your creative dream’s ultimate successful variant may be, would be amazing. However these glossy visions are in fact a disguise for what would truly bring you happiness and creative fulfilment. Which is to be able to live out your dreams without anything hindering them. Your true passion isn’t about the money, rather the act of doing what you truly love.
So when the focus becomes the financial aspect - which should really be a bonus and by product of the hard work you have put in to your dreams - this is where most people give up their own power and lose control. No matter what your creative endeavour is, there are always people higher up that have the ability to make or break careers. So creatives who are still desperately trying to make it big or simply trying to make a stable living, will often give up their power, selling their own creative real estate to those higher up the ladder than you. Personally I believe this is a very dated view of the industry. Unfortunately it seems to be taking a long time to break these old habits, as our creative industries have run in a similar way for many decades. Despite technology’s dramatic advancement, there remains an inefficient and impractical idea of how things should be done. Headshots were black and white when I started in this industry, but why did they need to be black and white? Originally, film was black and white so black and white headshots made sense, but when film progressed to colour what was the point of having a black and white headshot? Aside from the concept of tradition, why did I need a black and white headshot in the 90’s? We are currently in a transitional period where technology advancements have changed how the industry works, yet most of the industry is refusing to change due to the same concept of tradition. Some actors will continue to pander to those with more power then them in the hope that they will be remembered, be invited into the audition rooms, and book the gig, thus starting the snowball affect of work and life shall be amazing forever more. Yet now more then ever you have the power to make people look at you via your own strengths and talents. It’s time to plant the seeds of your own dreams and create your own Garden of Eden.
#FROM SEEDLINGS DREAMS ARE MADE
But what does that even mean? Think of every little creative project as a seed that you get to plant in your garden. Just like plant seeds, they take time to grow. Overnight success is more often than not a falsity. A new talent “appears out of nowhere”, but usually they have been busy sowing seeds in their creative garden many years before anyone had heard their name. Before the rise of technology, the type of seeds you were able to plant were minimal; study at universities with great reputations to land a great agent, or hope that you were scouted from the street. However, that is not the case anymore. Every little project, no matter how big or small, can be used in your favour. Anyone you work with could be the next big thing, and that is another seed you get to plant. The internet and social media have changed things forever. No matter which creative field you dream about, there is a social networking avenue for you to share your work, build content, and turn heads. Obviously there are your standard YouTube and Sound Cloud accounts, but it’s the social media obsession that has really given you endless power. No matter your chosen field, it’s time to think outside the box. Are you a comic or a poet? Get creative with Twitter. For anything visual, there’s Pintrest or Instagram. Actors or Filmmakers should be taking advantage of Instagram or Snapchat. These are all opportunities and seeds you get to plant at the touch of a button. You no longer have excuses. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be seen. That great 30 second clip in that really terrible student film that never saw the light of day now has value. We are still looking for the best one to two minutes of footage to stitch together for the yearly showreel update, but that is not the be all and end all anymore. All of those clips that didn’t make the showreel cut in years gone by have ended up in your acting archives now have an outlet and a purpose. Instead of locking them away, use them as small disposable clips to help build content. If you don’t have any or this then press record on your phone and get to work. Social media thrives on the raw. High quality production means nothing to the people scrolling for the 30-second hit. They just want to be entertained. So get out there and entertain.
#NUTURE AND NOURISHMENT
By now hopefully it is clear that you no longer need to rely on anyone else. You are in control of your own Garden of Eden, not anyone else. People are far too busy to come and look for your talent in this day and age. So do yourself a favour and get on their radar through your craft. If you have always struggled to get the opportunity but found yourself increasing your skillset in the classroom while the professional world refuses to even acknowledge you exist, then give yourself those opportunities. Get planting. Plant as many seeds as you can and don’t be afraid to show the world what you have to offer. It’s one thing to plant these seeds, but if you don’t correctly feed them, they won’t grow. The idea is to make your garden flourish, and you need to be proactive for this to happen. Don’t be afraid to put your work out there for everyone to see. If you’re clever you can use every little project that you have worked on to your advantage. Even clips from years ago that are far too outdated to use on your reel have now once again gained value. But the idea here is that the more you plant, the more things will grow, and the more opportunities will arise. It’s important to stop judging the project, or being too slack or scared to take a chance. There was an open audition for a TV show many years ago that my agent sent me to. I actively made a choice to not audition, I can’t remember the exact details as to why being almost five years ago now. There’s a high chance that I was scared to put myself out there. A now very good friend of mine did that audition and he landed one of the roles. That was a seed that was planted five years ago for him, which led to another opportunity presenting itself to him, which then led to another and another and so forth. Over the years, more opportunities came his way, and the snowball affect began. All of this after planting one tiny seed a long time ago and watching it grow. So take more risks with your career. If you really love it, then get out there and do the work. Watch your garden grow. Over the years, one of those seeds may very well be the reason success presents itself to you. Try not to get caught up in the negative connotations around these new pathways to success. The most common mistake is wanting to be followed by as many people as possible, as opposed to making as many genuine connections as possible. The popularity contest doesn’t help your career. It is more often filling your garden with weeds instead of opportunities to let you soar. Posting the latest selfie of you at an industry event networking with people who are there for work doesn’t entice people to work with you. But if you were to post more creative work, the followers will come if they enjoy what you have to offer. It might take a little bit longer, but a creative career is never an overnight success.
With the power now at your fingertips, there are no excuses left, live out your dreams and create your own Garden of Eden. See how much happier that will make you than the fruitless chase of fame and fortune.
