I recently had an encounter with a friend which would go on to change my career and consequently, my future.
She was more of a friend of a friend, but someone who I would see very often when I visited my friend at her production office. The lady in question, let's call her Sadie, had been in the business for a very long time, produced on movies and worked in casting. Only recently did I really learn of her full resume, until that point, she was the friendly colleague of my friend who I used to talk to about random things and shoot the shit with.
Their office is in Leicester Square so I've started making a habit of popping in to see them before castings, providing a good opportunity for a natter, while conveniently using their bathroom to do my make up. A few weeks ago, I arrived at their office and only Sadie was in. After the futile activity of doing my make in the scorching heat only for it to melt straight off, we had a conversation that proved to be a career game changer for me.
With these seeds of advice planted in my head, I could no longer carry on as I was, and I got on it straight away. A week later after she advised me what I needed to do, I had achieved it. This act alone blew me out of the water, I had no idea it could be done so easily. The proof is in the pudding however, and I'm pleased to say that everything is indeed different, and I can't imagine what it would be like if I hadn't taken this step.
I keep thinking about that conversation in her office. It seemed like such a casual thing for Sadie to talk to me like that, whether or not she realised the impact of what she was saying to me at the time, I don't know. We could have been discussing cake. I think about where would I be now if it weren't for that visit. What if we didn't start discussing the topic which led to this big change in me a week later?
Keep you eyes open and your ears peeled. Advice does not always happen in a classroom, workshop, nor do you always have to pay for it. The advice you seek in such workshops is, although sound, it is not tailored to you. It is general. It is good, but it applies to every Joe and Jane Bloggs trying to hammer their way into this industry. Listen to those around you, really listen.
Sadie even complimented me on my listening skills when I noted on how insightful she was, "When I first met you a year ago, you were in your own world. You talked, you didn't listen". She'd probably been giving me the same sound advice all this time and I had put it down to someone trying to interfere when I knew what I was doing. The truth is, none of us know what we're doing and the first step to listening is to have the humility to accept that. Only then can we truly hear what is being said, and discern from that the information that will help us go forth.
Thank you Sadie, damn, how I wished I'd recorded all our conversations.
She was more of a friend of a friend, but someone who I would see very often when I visited my friend at her production office. The lady in question, let's call her Sadie, had been in the business for a very long time, produced on movies and worked in casting. Only recently did I really learn of her full resume, until that point, she was the friendly colleague of my friend who I used to talk to about random things and shoot the shit with.
Their office is in Leicester Square so I've started making a habit of popping in to see them before castings, providing a good opportunity for a natter, while conveniently using their bathroom to do my make up. A few weeks ago, I arrived at their office and only Sadie was in. After the futile activity of doing my make in the scorching heat only for it to melt straight off, we had a conversation that proved to be a career game changer for me.
With these seeds of advice planted in my head, I could no longer carry on as I was, and I got on it straight away. A week later after she advised me what I needed to do, I had achieved it. This act alone blew me out of the water, I had no idea it could be done so easily. The proof is in the pudding however, and I'm pleased to say that everything is indeed different, and I can't imagine what it would be like if I hadn't taken this step.
I keep thinking about that conversation in her office. It seemed like such a casual thing for Sadie to talk to me like that, whether or not she realised the impact of what she was saying to me at the time, I don't know. We could have been discussing cake. I think about where would I be now if it weren't for that visit. What if we didn't start discussing the topic which led to this big change in me a week later?
Keep you eyes open and your ears peeled. Advice does not always happen in a classroom, workshop, nor do you always have to pay for it. The advice you seek in such workshops is, although sound, it is not tailored to you. It is general. It is good, but it applies to every Joe and Jane Bloggs trying to hammer their way into this industry. Listen to those around you, really listen.
Sadie even complimented me on my listening skills when I noted on how insightful she was, "When I first met you a year ago, you were in your own world. You talked, you didn't listen". She'd probably been giving me the same sound advice all this time and I had put it down to someone trying to interfere when I knew what I was doing. The truth is, none of us know what we're doing and the first step to listening is to have the humility to accept that. Only then can we truly hear what is being said, and discern from that the information that will help us go forth.
Thank you Sadie, damn, how I wished I'd recorded all our conversations.