2014 is certainly flying by! The first quarter of the year is already over. I hope it is proving to be an amazing year for you. I heard a joke the other day in which a man said, “I realize I have faults and shortcomings. The real fault and shortcoming I have” he said, “is not realizing how great I am!” I think at times, especially for those of us in the entertainment industry, this can (humbly) be true for many of us. Too many artists and creative visionaries have been invalidated for their genius. They have been told so many times that something is wrong with them; that they are mental, hyper, manic, crazy, or weird, that sometimes, they actually start to believe it. And so many artists get told NO so many times and rejected so many times that they get depressed. There are three main reasons that this depression occurs in artists from rejection;
The talented and beautiful Cate Blanchett arrives for the Oscars pictured here below, and has a good attitude and loving husband to help her stay honest with herself and grounded. Of the craft of acting, she states, “It was only when I realized how actors have the power to move people that I decided to pursue acting as a career.”
1, The artist does not get what they want right away, and so they shrink back, and are reluctant to try again. They finally try again, and get told no again, and so they shrink back a little further, and try even less. This shrinking back trend continues with the more rejection they get, until they finally may become reclusive, more depressed, and bitter that their career is not going how they feel it should.
2, The artist may feel that the person rejecting them is rejecting them personally. They are usually not. Most rejection in the marketplace is usually an automated response from the potential buyer. It is nothing personal, but those who do not know how to sell (which is most artists) internalize the rejections and take them personally. In sales, nothing is personal (unless it helps close the sale)!
3, Many artists start to feel that pain, suffering, poverty, and failure is simply a part of the life of an artist. It’s NOT. It does NOT have to be! The so called ‘STARVING ARTIST’ is a myth that was evidently created by either an artist who didn’t know any better, or a person jealous of artists, trying to keep them down.
I realized, this month more than ever, that our success is limited mainly by the limits we place on ourselves. The more we believe that the ‘impossible’ is ‘possible,’ the more ‘possible’ it becomes. Artists, above any, should be the richest in society, because the talents of the artist are so unique and rare. The world looks upon their talents and feats with such awe as if they are superhuman, and for good reason, because in fact, they are. The great artists of the world deserve to be rewarded for their work, and for their contribution to the culture of society. The arts give humanity its voice, its vision, its spirit, its joy, and its hope. The arts in their greatest form, are the divine expression of the soul, and a connection to all of humankind and to God.
So we know some of the problems of artists. What is the solution?
1, Make your career a game, and decide for yourself right now, that the game is not over until you win. Never quit! If you get rejected, so what? Try again. If you want something enough, there are enough people on this planet that eventually, if you keep asking enough people the right way, you are statistically bound to get a yes.
2, Never take rejection personally. Rejection is a part of the sales cycles, and part of being an artist. All artists get rejected at some point. It is irrelevant to success. It is actually good to get rejected at times because for one, it makes you stronger, and secondly, it means you are getting closer to a yes. Do you really expect to ask someone for a million dollars and them say yes right away? Of course not, you need to ask again and again.
3, Realize that being rich, powerful, and successful is your birthright. It is not wrong or immoral to want success and want it big. You were born with the ability of greatness within you. As an artist, you have magnificent gifts that are meant to be shared with the world. Create, and expect greatness and go for greatness. Refuse to be negative, and avoid negative people.
4, Train your mind to be positive, optimistic, and successful. Listen daily to success and motivational training programs. Read books and listen to videos and programs on sales, success, and optimism. You will do your best when you expect the best, and when you are trained to be the best. Do not tolerate those in your life who are not at their best or who are not daily working on being their best. Surround yourself with winners, not losers. Be a winner!
5, After you have made it big, and even along the way, remember this advice, and give back and help other artists that need mentoring. Teach success to others. And, find a charitable cause that is real to you, that you can get involved with to help support. Even small actions to help make the world a better place matter. You matter. Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy the new issue of The Hollywood Sentinel.
