Now is not the right time…I’m too busy…I don’t have what it takes…I want to wait until… Until what? Those excuses don’t exist anymore. I was one of the first people to lose my job during the lockdown as I worked as an actor and a host for films, series, and special events. I am a workaholic; it was my passion. But I didn’t let it bring me down. I saw this as an opportunity to do what I have always wanted to do.
I now have plenty of time to work on passion projects. I created my own podcast, filmed a few vlogs, started voice acting, took burlesque classes on Zoom, and went back to University online. I manage a Facebook group of more than 10,000 artists and asked them what was stopping them from starting new projects, and I found out they had the same excuses that I used to tell myself. Here are my suggestions:
“I don’t have the equipment and money I need.”
So what? I don’t have the money to buy the best microphone or the best camera, but I know I have some great ideas. I bought a Blue Yeti microphone on Amazon, recorded my podcast in a quiet room, and did a lot of editing to turn it into something entertaining. No one has complained about the sound quality since they like my content and my voice so much!
For the vlogs, I’m filming myself with Snapchat filters and editing it on Adobe thanks to their $20/month student discount. I got more views than I did with a professional camera because people like authenticity. Even professional artists are filming themselves at home with their cellphones, so why can’t you?
“I don’t have the skills or team it takes.”
Maybe it’s not the skills, but the confidence. Having the time to take classes online on Udemy, Coursera, Arabesque Burlesque, and at University Laval gave me the chance to understand that I do have the skills!
But what helped me the most was learning by doing. I have always wanted to do voice acting, so I started my own podcast to practice and got a couple of entry-level gigs on Upwork, Mandy, and Facebook.
Many people tell me they can’t work on their projects because they don’t have a team. Well, YOU are the team. If you want something done right, you have to do it, and you’ll never achieve anything if you rely solely on others.
“I don’t have the time or motivation.”
Mark Twain once said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
You always have the time to do something, even if that’s just 15 minutes a day. I learned about this excuse the hard way when my dates couldn’t even take 30 seconds to answer my text messages.
If you aren’t doing something, it is because it is not your priority, or you don’t really want to. Don’t wait for someone to help you: no one can push yourself better than you. Getting started is hard, but once I started filming my vlog, I didn’t want to stop.
Take some time to reward yourself as well. Personally, I reward myself by watching an episode of Mythbusters for every goal I achieve.
“I’m waiting for the right time.”
This is THE excuse people have been telling me the most. And you know what? The perfect moment doesn’t exist. If you keep waiting for it, you’ll be waiting for your whole life. Every day you’re not working on your idea, you risk that someone else will do it before you.
You say no movies are being filmed during the pandemic? Well, create your own short film at home as so many people do in the Kino community. Does no one seem to be interested in what you are doing right now? Then become the one who creates a trend! The number one thing people regret the most is not doing the things they have always wanted to do.
What are you waiting for? Pandemic or not, get up and do the things you have always wanted. Now!
