Remember To Celebrate Your Small Successes

Now that you are deep into your journey in the tv and film business, you can find yourself in a web of the constant need to go, go, go, do, do, and prove, prove, prove. Take a pause. Big success is bound to follow if you never lose your passion and drive for which you started with. By doing so, it’s ok to pause and acknowledge the smaller accomplishments. The truth is the pursuit of the big picture can come with a load of stress. It’s important to find the balance in creating by celebrating.

Throughout twenty years of working in the entertainment business in many facets, I realize and recognize the beauty in the struggles of the small successes I’ve achieved.

My struggles early on were the need to go, go, go, do, do, do, and prove, prove, prove which led to stress. Not ever pausing or slowing down began to take an effect on my physical and mental health. Then Covid-19 took the world by storm.

In actuality, I was forced, like most of us to pause and slow down. During the stillness and shutdown of the world, I took time to reflect on my journey thus far. Most days I had an array of emotions. I found myself crying because I finally paused to congratulate all those small successes that I forgot to celebrate along the way… the five-year-old girl directing Barbie dolls and stuffed animals in her bedroom, for her ability to execute a small idea, that would be a minor step toward the major motion picture.

One success early on was my first short film, titled Tiffany. Not so much of a flattering memorable experience but still it’s a small success. It was shot on a very low budget. How I celebrated I had a private screening for the cast and crew. Afterward, we each took turns and chose a cast or crew member to acknowledge and show appreciation for their contribution to the film. Even with very little money, it was important for me to acknowledge and appreciate my cast and crew.

This is a very unorthodox business, there is no exact example or timeline of how to or when you’ll crack into the tv and film business. There are a few key ingredients I believe will help throughout your continued journey. I have adopted, along the way:

One should have a dream, determination, patience, passion, strategy, and support.

Surround yourself with other peers sharing interests and are willing to create and celebrate one another on each’s individual journey, like we do every day here on Stage 32.

Show support to others; it helps you to also obtain support from others. I suggest getting out to panels and attending film festivals to help get acquainted with your peers. This is a great way to stay connected and possibly create with others which builds your support group.

Strategize and be patient with yourself. Recognize when you take a pause or slow down, returning to the creative development of the story you are building, ideas come to you on greater heights and more clarity of production direction.

Dream but be sure to wake up and make that dream a reality. Take one step at a time. Never stop studying your craft.

Celebrating small successes can be practiced for when the big success moment happens. Whatever that vision is for you, I say start practicing. Even the five-year-old me started preparing a speech, she even sketched her attire for the red carpet. Although she hasn’t made it to the Oscars or Golden Globes yet, that little girl has made long strides and is still hoping of getting there. She’s realized the small successes she’s achieved have kept her motivated to continue to succeed.

In honor of BLACK HISTORY MONTH, I would like to quote a famous line from rapper Jay -Z song “My President is Black”. “Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther could walk,” “Martin Luther walked so Barack Obama could run”, Barack Obama ran so all the children could fly”, so “I’ma spread my wings, you can meet me in the sky”. This bar (for non-rappers, bar means sentence) is the perfect example of small successes and I for one I’m grateful for each of their strides and will forever celebrate their small successes which have given me the opportunity to obtain big successes.

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