Be ever vigilant..
Pretend you’re a guitar player but for your day job you work at a fast food joint. One night, the Biggest Band In The World sees you at a gig. Afterwards, they pull you aside…a one night contract in hand…
“Dude, we want you to open for us tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden!”
It’s the best news of your entire life. It’s your big break. You go back to work at the fast food place expecting high fives and congratulations. Instead, you get pulled into the manager’s office.
Dude, you’re on the schedule for tomorrow night. This is your job, cancel that guitar thing. Otherwise, who will make the fries?
This is why a job – especially the wrong job – is deadly to creative people. Your fellow employees often could care less that you have a big break. In fact, the idea pisses them off. They don’t want to see you on the cover of The Rolling Stone or featured on Pitchfork while they are still going home smelling like burger grease for minimum wage. They don’t want to hear about your good fortune because all your dreams mean to them is that they have to work the fry machine for a night.
Maybe it’s your job where people feel this way. Or maybe it’s your family. Or maybe your friends. It really sucks but you can’t let people hold you back. They will if you let them.
At the first signs of this attitude, do what Freddie Mercury says…
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
honestly, i don’t have this issue. in fact, i promote concerts, and ? has actually approached me about having the bands i promote play in our store and in others (in fact, one in california) so long as their jams are on iTunes and it’s appropriate. but it’s an incredibly socially liberal company. family is more toxic to my creativity. my coworkers and employer actually really encourage my interests, political, social and otherwise so long as there isn’t a direct conflict of interest.
I stepped away from my fry machine five years ago, but I love love love this post, especially this:
They don’t want to hear about your good fortune because all your dreams mean to them is that they have to work the fry machine for a night.
Can definitely think of some folks I’ll share this with.