Careers. The most personal and individualistic journey. No two career paths are the same. So each should be extraordinary, right? Then why don’t we perceive our own this way.
My career has been...crazy. I’ve always seemed to let some bizarre life event get in the way of a successful career in radio. I either got pregnant, hit, bored or followed some boy. I’ve never really worried about “what’s next” for me in radio, because I love it and in time, became confident enough to believe that I am talented enough to find “the next gig.”
But I always seem to look up to others in the industry. I never thought MY career was anything to brag about. I just show up and have a lot of fun. I am myself and never take things too seriously. Professional, sure. Marketable, hell yes. I get the biz and the biz just loves me. (I’m not bragging, it just does.) Plus, I obsess over it and refuse to listen to anything but terrestrial radio in the car.
The places I’ve gone because of my career choice have been amazing when I really think about it. New York City, Green Bay, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Seattle, Southern California, backstage at concerts, inside a limo with Kool and The Gang, Playboy Mansion parties, hosting concert festivals, or even working on a farm. These things have always seemed like minor perks. The ride has been great, but I always seem to feel like it is never enough. “I can be better,” or “I can do more,” I tell myself. There are people like Fitz in the Morning in Seattle, or The Woody Show here in LA that are doing...exactly what I thought I wanted to be doing.
My focus has shifted quite a bit in the last year and a half and I am excited about all of the things I want to create. I am meeting people who work harder than me, are smarter and more talented than me, and yet they are the ones saying things like “Wow! I always wanted to do what you do,” or “How do you manage to get it all done?” Record Scratch. What? Seriously? You are the one that wrote a damn musical! You are the one that is on a comedy tour. You are the one that has a television contract. And so on and so forth.
Is this a common feature of creative people, or most people,I wonder? Are we all afraid that we aren’t doing enough? Creating more? Thinking faster? Or, should I be better about talking about my insane life choices? New York was great! Interviewing Kool and the Gang was a blast! Drinking with country stars Trick Pony was unforgettable.
Perhaps, for me, it is not the fame or prestige that is so noteworthy (although that is all I seem to be bragging about in this post). It’s the listeners and the clients that I have had a small part in helping. My talents in talking to people and connecting on some level that is so very real, has helped clients do better business. This interpersonal skill has helped listeners get through shitty shit in their life because I told a joke or shared a story just like their own to make them feel a little less...alone.
We all need to be better advocates for ourselves. Writing a musical is AMAZING! I’m so impressed. TV credits? You are da’ bomb! (Also I’m envious, but I’ll get there.) But would I trade that for an entire listening area falling in love with plain, simple old me because I got in the trenches and worked on a farm with them. (Seriously, I had to castrate a bull...and it was gross and hilarious). Could I say that is better than all the money for charities like Special Olympics and March of Dimes that I helped raise over the years? Hell no
It’s time that we all start being impressed with ourselves. It’s time we are as intrigued, inspired and proud of our career/life paths as we are with one anothers'. We each bring something pretty damn cool to the table. Put that shit on a plate and share already!This song is all about being brave enough to stand up for yourself. Hope you are feeling inspired already. "Brave" by Sara Bareilles
No comments:
Post a Comment