Silver Linings In Sarcasm

As I continue my career Plan B waiting for career Plan A to come to fruition, I came across a very creative, interesting and entertaining article from actress and writer Suzana Stankovic.  Suzana is an actress, dancer, director, choreographer, teaching artist, producer and independent dance-theater artist. She writes frequent articles for a website called 'Backstage', which provides information, articles and resources for actors and artists.

I have always been a fan of sarcasm in moderation to make situations more humorous as a father, a teacher and surviving growing up in a family, as the youngest of five boys.  I was humored and actually inspired by Suzana's article as it related to success in acting.  Her article is entitled '7 -Guaranteed Ways to Fail in the Arts'.  The entire article can be found and read at:

http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/7-guaranteed-ways-fail-arts/

I can only speak for myself, and I'll be the first to admit that I'm guilty of worrying too often about what others think of me, and opinions they may express and hold.  We are usually our toughest critics and I know I hold myself to very high expectations, whether that be an Achilles Heel of mine or not. Regardless, the irony here is that Suzana's article was right up my alley, in respect to the underlying sarcasm she used to encourage actors and artists on how 'to succeed', by telling us what 'not to do'.  I thought it was very well expressed.

Here were her 7- rules for starting today, if you absolutely want to fail in the arts:

1.  Sit around and wait for approval, permission, and authorization to be what you dream of being and do what you want to do. It doesn’t matter that the greatest artists of all time were daring, fearless visionaries who boldly took matters into their own hands with whatever resources they had. Don’t you do the same! 

2.  Follow the rules and follow the crowd. Play it safe! Don’t think outside of the box, don’t be different, audacious, or brave ever, unless you’ve been given permission or approval as stated above. Disregard the fact that humanity needs the artist to dream big, take risks, and bust through conventions. It must not be you who does this. Wait for someone else to do it first.

3.  Care deeply about what people think. If someone doesn’t like your performance or your headshot or your play or whatever, go home and cry, and seriously question your talent. 

4.  Actively seek out the opinions of others, especially those who have never taken any risks on behalf of a dream or created any art of their own, and then change your work according to their advice, which they are usually happy to share at length. 

5.  Do some more waiting around for permission and approval. It’s the best use of your time, so get comfy and cozy. Do not, by any means, create your own circumstances, opportunities, and marketing materials with the free tools available to you such as the Internet, social media, YouTube, and Vimeo. 

6.  At all times, try to please everyone and be sure to live with a paralyzing fear of rejection. This will keep you on your toes and far from any artistic risk-taking and growth.  

7.  Allow others to define you, industry professionals and laypeople alike. It’s important that you really know who you are, so always allow them to determine your worth and whether or not you’ve got a future in the arts. Do not follow your heart. Do not look within and trust your own inner guidance. 

Again, I think Suzana's article was very well written to get across a strong and encouraging message.  Although it was written to help actors and artists, I think people in general can apply this to whatever their situation is, regardless of their job or current career path.  

I think it's as simple as remembering the thought, find the one thing that makes you happy - and you'll never work a day in your life.