Don’t overthink the meeting
Oh, hi friends!
So I had a little Zoom meeting with two producers this week. It was through a program they call “Opening Doors” days, in which they offer advice and mentorship to artists, producers, theater professionals. (Their next scheduled day is in October — sign up here!)
I wanted to chat with them because a) opportunities are attached to people b) I appreciate people who share their advice widely c) they have a lot of advice to share.
But leading up to the meeting, I started to overthink everything.
Should I create a pitch deck?
Should I boil down What I Write and Why I Write It into three sentences and rehearse it every night?
Should I revise two plays so they’ll be ready to go when they say YES, WE WANT TO PRODUCE THAT ON BROADWAY IN THE FALL?
LOL. I mean, folks, I was gettin’ weird.
After consulting my brain trust (you know who you are) I realized I needed to just…show up. And listen. And talk about the things that naturally light me up right now.
Then, of course, when the meeting rolled around this week, I wasn’t feeling great (non-Covid!). Part of me wanted to cancel, or try to reschedule.
Then I remembered: I’m not supposed to make some earth-shattering pitch and nab $10 million from their hands right now. What I needed was to just show up.
That’s what I did. And it was great!
I wanted to share that in case you’re on the precipice of what feels like a make-or-break meeting or moment.
Does this require your full-court press?
Or can you just be yourself?
“The minute you stop wanting something you get it.”
—Andy Warhol
I’ve found this to be true…ish. You?
"The main impression you get from her act is of a restlessness that is physical, as she roams into the crowd, but also intellectual, as she repeatedly entertains new ideas, following them down rabbit holes even at the expense of the joke. There is a real excitement and unpredictability about her sets that can be captured only in live performance. She never tells a joke the same way twice. Her comedy always seems resolutely present, frequently vulnerable, challenging and delighting her audience in equal measure."
A good read about Janeane Garofalo, who’s performing in small Brooklyn clubs and, notably, is “not on Twitter, Instagram or any social media. She has no website or podcast, hasn’t done a special in years and doesn’t even have a computer, smartphone or email address.” Hmm. INTRIGUING.
PS — I got something very exciting in the mail this week!
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You can also support my work by checking out my motivational journal, Do It For Yourself, designed to guide you through your creative and work projects, and my upcoming journal Do It Today, which encourages you to find time for the things that matter most to you.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara