I do this thing quite a lot where I say to myself, "YOUR WRITING SUCKS!", "YOUR FILMS SUCK!", "THE WAY YOU JUST WROTE YOUR WRITING SUCKS AND YOUR FILM SUCKS SUCKS! YOU SUCK!." And then I go out into the world and I am responsible for my career. However, I have friends who think my work is wonderful and that I am extremely talented.
Those friends, by the way, often talk shit about themselves. "I am a CRAP ACTOR!", "I am not ready for a good role!", "I am rusty!", "No agents want me and never will!". But the thing is, these people are usually wonderfully talented.
So it occurred to me a few months ago, that simply, rather than promote ourselves whilst loathing ourselves, get a friend to do it! And all you need to do is have a career day.
Say you have two friends, MIKE and ABBY. Mike is a writer, Abby is an actor. Well, you sit down and brainstorm ideas --- and what will happen is Mike will say "You can get an agent! I will write and print 50 letters for you and research exactly who to send them too!"
Abby will say "your writing is amazing! I am going to get in touch with producers, I am going to get 500 people to visit your website, I am going to organize a script reading in London, My friend's Brother's dog is friends with Kevin Spacey, I will hunt him down...."
This works because, Abby believes in Mike and Mike believes in Abby more than, most of the time, they believe in themselves.
And in the process- something magical happens. With this mutual lovefest/ego-boost, each person gains more confidence in their work and begins to see what they've done from a fresh perspective.
I don't like to sound like one of those preachy, pathetic self-help gurus with a fake tan who tells you how to change your life then sells you a newsletter for $100 a week - but here's what I want you to do, today or tomorrow.
1. Think of a positive-minded friend who is local to you (preferably someone in a creative profession or who wants to be)
2. Agree on a date in the next week to meet.
3. Become each others managers for one week only.
4. Promote the other person, research for them, make phone calls for them.
5. Look back after a week and be amazed by how much you've done.
6. Drink tea.
And then let me know how it goes!!!
Note: If you arrange to have a 'career day' with a friend, and it doesn't happen for weeks and weeks - this person is not for you, find another.
Interesting idea.
ReplyDeleteIt is true it is easier to talk about how good somebody else is, rather than speak for oneself.
But is it also a great responsibility. If you feel you *must* promote your friend, without really like his/her work *that* much, you're in trouble. How to tell your friend? Make sure you are both on such terms that you can be frank with each other.
You make a good point, and that's something that I meant really - you should only do this with someone you believe in. Although, I think I kind of did imply that when talking about the two friends who admire each others work. Thanks for clarifying though!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea! I dig it.
ReplyDelete