Career Advice and Your Magic Time Machine

If you could go back in time and give yourself career advice, what would it be?

I'd go back to my college days, when I first started writing for theater. I'd tell myself not to be so trusting of everyone. The people who I thought were my friends, weren't.

I'd also tell myself that success doesn't give you respect from other people. It won't make you a better person; in fact, sometimes it can make people worse!

I'd tell myself that people who are successful today aren't necessarily successful tomorrow. There are highs and lows. I was often awed by people back then who had high-powered agents and egos to match. I was intimidated easily. I'm often amazed at how many "successful" people back then have disappeared career-wise. I wonder why that happens?

I'd tell myself to follow my creativity and my intuition. I thought that I could only do one thing - theater - and dismissed all other creative aspects to myself.

I'd tell myself to find a way around taking out so many student loans.

I'd tell myself to concentrate on being a good writer, instead of outward trappings of success.

I'd tell myself to write about topics I love, instead of what I think would be interesting to other people.

I'd tell myself that there is no room for suffering in the life of a writer - I'll get enough suffering just being one. Heh...

I'd tell myself that "paying dues" simply means getting good. Don't purposely look for rejection.

I'd tell myself to have self-respect. Anyone with power who asks you to do something that is inappropriate won't help you career-wise anyway, so it's useless to do it. Even if it's tempting...

I'd tell myself not to be so rigid, dump that man, pay the bills, figure out a day job you like, and for goodness sake, quit being so intimidated by people!

Your turn...

Comments

[Owen Tew]

Don't settle for something safe. It's OK to to get a "safe" job, but keep plugging at what your real dream was. In my case, it was to be a book author. I settled for newspaper journalism because it was more steady work. Then I became a copy editor because I didn't like the reporting part of being a reporter.

[Elizabeth]

I'd go back to high school, first of all, and tell myself to follow my dreams and go to the college or performing arts school I really wanted to go to.

I would have asked for help in applying to schools.

I'd put a bubble around myself so that I didn't take in all the negative input from my parents. (I mean it's fantasy right? so I can put in a bubble.)

Next stop college:

Stay focused. Get a plan. Where do you want to go from here?

Don't listen to professional directors with coke habits.

There's more than one way to be successful in theater. It's okay that you don't fit the mold.

Read more. What kind of theater are people making? How could you get involved with them?

Take that full ride to study theater in Japan. You will find your true connection to performance and theater there.

Listen and trust your instinct about people, places, and situations.

Just because CitiBank wants to give you a credit card, doesn't mean you should have one or that you should run yourself into debt.

When people offer you good opportunities don't sacrifice them for that guy. That guy, you know, the one your cat can't stand?

Dump that guy. Every instinct you and especially your cat have about him is on target.

Jump ahead to when I first started producing and directing theater in San Francisco:

Don't commit your money and energy to producing poorly written work.

Call the actors on their shit. Insist that they take your final rehearsal notes or they'll be getting them in a half page spread from Robert Hurwitt in tomorrow's paper. You don't need that kind of publicity.

Dump the guy already.

[Cormac]

Everyone else is just as full of shit as you think you are. Many of them are full of far more. So go ahead and publish. Your stuff is better than you think. And if it's not, who cares?

Think first, but not too much.

You can't save an idea or a relationship that's inherently bad.

Eat the burger, have the sex, take the trip.

Ginormous paychecks are overrated. But so is starvation. Shoot for something in the middle.

[Scott Walters]

It ain't about fame, it's about the work.

Get educated, not trained.

Do plays in your living room for a handful of people -- when you're young, getting the experience is more important than getting the exposure.

Don't pound the table so much.

[Don Hall]

Laura,

Have you watched any of the 7 UP documentaries? I just watched 49 UP and then read your post.

I'm now deep in thoughtful self reflection...

[malachy walsh]

Date more.

[Patrick]

(Great post, Laura.)

Don't live in Staten Island. Find a way to live in Manhattan instead. Even Jersey City would be better (trust me).

Travel overseas (it's a lot harder once you have kids).

Get a job or internship or volunteer with a film production company or large theatre in New York.

[James]

Hmm...very interesting question and entry, although I really don't think I can answer. I've come to very firmly believing in avoiding the hypothetical (i.e., wondering what my life would be like if I zigged in 1998 instead of zagged), which is what thinking about going back and fixing/changing things would be. I guess it's because, since I can't go back and fix/change things, I can only work on what options and choices are in front of me now.

I can see myself getting very easily caught up into playing the "What If" game.