I think, Ned, that, since you're not seeming to "get anywhere," you
might want to take a good look at these meetings. You say these people are
in the entertainment business. Are you sure about this? Or, rather,
are they people who
want to be in the entertainment
business? Or are they people who have
been in the entertainment
field, but,
presently,
are not there now?
Being in a room with a cluster of people who want to be somewhere but are not
there and are asking others who are also not there seems to me like blind people
asking directions from blind people (which could cause quite a traffic
jam).
Now, I'm not saying that everyone at these meetings are necessarily
"blind" and may very well be actively and skillfully seeking work,
recognition, a pay check in the industry. Good for them. And good
for you. But do you see the logical problem here? If everybody is in
"seeking" mode (which often can take on more than tinges of
desperation, worry, fear, obsession, etc.), then all that everybody is going to
find is other seekers. You will continue to run
into, in a sense, reflections of yourself. To
explain this phenomenon more clearly, let me demonstrate with a practical
exercise:
The Reflection
Exercise
1. Stand to the side of a mirror and make a face of
desperation. Really contort your features and project the idea, "If I
don't get this next job or part or deal, I'll drown myself in my sink and not
wear a lifejacket."
2. Now, holding that contorted look, quickly step in front
of the mirror and stare at yourself.
3. There you go.
You can do this exercise any time you feel the urge to attend
one of these meetings. Looking into the mirror will help you really see
that image, which will impel you to not mingle with that less-than-highly
vibrating frequency of "I don't have much room to give you anything because
I'm too busy trying to get."
Or you'll just see that you're having a bad hair day and won't
want to be seen in public.
Either way, it works beautifully.
Normally, my e-mails are longer, but I need to get to my next
meeting.
DcH
