Like most artists last week, I woke up to the public shaming on my Facebook feed of Geoffrey Owens working at Trader Joes. The post made my blood boil! Being a frequently working freelance creative is challenging! Even after you do ALL of the things right; working on your craft, audition workshops, networking, getting a great agent, paying for the best headshot photographer in town, making your own work, it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll work consistently or even at all. The majority of performers I know are hard working hustlers who love what they do and would do it for free ( and have done it for free). They are out there pursuing their passion and making themselves uncomfortable every day in order to get an audition or make work. As a society and an Industry, we need to stop judging freelance artist’s (including ourselves) for not having steady work!
I was elated to see all of the artists and people, in general, come to his defense but it clearly had stirred something within me. A large part of the reason I started Cue To Cue was to create a safe space and community for performers’ and those working in the entertainment industry to be able to relay their thoughts and experiences in hopes that we could learn and grow from one another’s experiences.
There is a stigma that can exist in this industry about being an out of work performer. That we are only valuable as artists when we are working. This is the biggest fallacy and one of the most damaging sentiments and it permeates throughout the industry. It can cause artists to isolate, quit and self-sabotage and worst of all performers can buy into it. That it’s true! Today, I am doing a dec dive into the Geoffrey Owen’s situation and tearing down the adage that your value as a performer is directly related to how much work you are getting.
Have a listen!
It's Time To Stop Judging Freelance Creatives For Not Having Steady Work
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