This page is more for those at the beginning of their long journey, when talents have yet to be unearthed and refined and a sense of progress is frustratingly elusive.
Looking back on the earlier days of my career path, I notice a trial-and-error wandering, aided by patience and luck. I was more focused on honing enjoyable talents with people I liked than aiming for money or career. I paid the bills, but favored what moved me forward towards what I liked doing that I was good at, sometimes in a zigzag.
Everyone’s path towards a creative career will be unique. Here are some ideas from my own experience to assist your own push in gaining traction with your talents towards a sense of momentum.
Ever on the hunt!
Don’t wait for what you love to find you! Actively and constantly explore by trial and error what draws you- activities, people and situations. Shake the bushes for pastimes and hobbies as well as what might have commercial potential.
Effort that counts…
Train your efforts on the intersection of what you care about and where you have meaningful influence or impact. Conversely, if something matters little to you or you have little or no ability to influence, drop it from your mind and list of tasks. This will expand your sense of agency and hasten your momentum and a sense of progress.
Find your talents.
Assume that you have more capacity and competency within you than you yet know! Keep an eye out for the talents you discover you have that you enjoy most. Don’t get trapped by a talent you possess that brings you no joy.
Money doesn’t move you forward. Refined talent does.
Don’t limit your exploration to just seeking money, a job or career. Those find you later when you hone your talents. Chasing only money can distract you from finding what you enjoy along with what hidden or undeveloped talents you have! Targeting money tends to direct you away from developing your creative powers, which are the source of any forward momentum, your fuel and foundation. Always focus on growing and strengthening your talent and skills.
Activity vs. Lifestyle:
As you find things you like to do, be mindful that there is a difference between an activity/skill and the lifestyle of a career based around that activity/skill. You may like an activity/skill but not the day-to-day life situation that comes with it. Also, an activity/skill may have variations you’re not yet aware of.
Habits becomes permanent.
Talent or no, money or no, make a habit of doing what you love to do in addition to your life’s less enjoyable obligations. If your only habits are doing what you don’t like, you will only get good at doing what you don’t like. That can become a cage with no visible exit door. A “moving up” promotion may move you up to a dead end or a trap.
Side hustle- for now…
As you “pay your dues” along the way, choose “side jobs” that are at least related to, point towards or are in the vicinity of where you want to go. That way, what appears to be “vamping” actually helps energize your progress in some way. Even being around those moving in your desired direction can energize your momentum.
All opportunity aims your life.
Judge opportunity by where it points for your life not just what you get from it now. Ask yourself, “How does this serve my life? and, “How does this move me forward?” Learn to spot and avoid an appealing dead-end. Just because you are offered a “promotion” doesn’t mean it will serve your life path or your purpose.
Where is this going?
If you can’t tell where you’re going, connect the dots from where you’ve been. Where does that point?
Find your “tribe.”
Seek out people you relate to, that you like to do and make things with, those that bring out of you who you want to be, who are moving towards where you want to go. Position your life among people who have higher expectations of you for you to rise to. Don’t stay among people who block or negate your fulfillment or momentum.
Where can you get better faster?
Where are the people who do what you want to be doing? Where can you find higher expectations and more opportunities? Where are people who are more skilled that you can learn from and work with? Pro tip: Acting and improv are best learned in-person with a live audience!
The target:
Find the intersection of what you love and what you’re good at that people need and get so good at it that they have to hire you. Ask yourself constantly, “What am I doing now to get better at what I’m good at that I love?”
Variation:
Explore variations and contexts of your most enjoyable talents until you find the version that offers a lifestyle that you love.
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From my experience, being in a hurry works against fulfilling aspirations. If you allow a more patient timeline to explore and test your talents, you can find surer footing towards doing what you love and maybe eventually even getting paid for it.
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