A few words from me about Rejection. We all hate this word. We despise it; we actively seek to avoid it. We develop coping mechanisms for it - humour, deflection, anger - but it never leaves. And then there’s what we’re all seeking when we get rejected - Acceptance. Validation. Encouragement. But those moments are rare, they are fewer in number, and there’s only so many Yes’s that can be given; and an infinite number of No’s.
We’re coming up on the season of Fringe. Or as I call it, The Showcase of Yes. Every show has their Yes’s. And for every yes, ten to fifty No’s.
As we come up on that time of the year where shows flood the Perth calendar, it’s important to remember a few things.
1. Be excited. There are so many opportunities about to hit the scene that you literally won’t know where to look and it will be someone else doing a callout for volunteers or performers or people to be involved in their show. Which leads me to point number two. 2. Be careful. This time of year there are a lot of people out to exploit artists and the work that they do. A volunteer opportunity may look good but consider your worth and your time. What are you getting out of it? 3. Be cautious. By all means apply for every show that interests you to see if you’ve got a routine that works for them. But remember that we all have lives as well as jobs and that’s before we consider any of these opportunities. Your time is precious. You don’t want to get to the end of the fringe and have no energy left for yourself or your family or your job or your life. Fringe will end. Life goes on. 4. Be accepting. You aren’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. No matter how versatile you try and be you are not going to have a routine that fits into every show you apply for. And even if you think you are ready for a show someone else might not cast you- and this doesn’t mean you’re not ready, it just means that they’ve given someone else a Yes. 5. Be humble. Don’t forget what I said at the start - Your yes is somebody else’s No. We’ve all heard the stories of friends being alienated and troupes falling apart. 6. At the same time be excited! We will share your excitement! Some people just need opportunity to grieve their own loss and disappointment before they can find that excitement for someone else. And for some people that loss and disappointment won’t ever leave. As much as you can be excited for yourself you need to be understanding of your friends and how their feelings might be at play as well.
It’s a balancing act.
Be excited for yourself but not so excited that you overshadow the disappointment of others and rub it in their face.
Be humble in your acceptance but not so humble that you downplay your own achievements.
Be cautious and careful of where you commit your time but not overcautious to the point where you aren’t being fulfilled.
Be accepting that you might not fit a particular line-up but also understand that it’s a numbers game and even though you might have been suitable and perfect for the position it just may not be your time.
Be wary of volunteering and make sure you know your worth but do you take opportunities that you get something out of.
And most of all don’t forget who your friends are. They are gonna be the ones buying tickets to your shows and sitting in the front row and screaming your name louder than anyone else on that night. If you alienate them and push them away during this time just to further your own agenda you’ll find that when we get to the end of fringe they probably won’t be around as much.
And that’s a whole new post for another time.
Comments