Actors and “The New Normal” after the Coronavirus
Mike Moreno
It’s a lot right now. The entire world is suffering under the same conditions simultaneously for one of the only times in our collective history. And it will get worse. Some things on the horizon are the continued waves of outbreaks, the ability for our healthcare system to accommodate, the impact on families who lose loved ones to the crisis and the impact on working individuals and the jobs infrastructure, and maybe we will pull through with a stimulus or other relief efforts that may finally be coming down the pipe. But this will leave a lasting scar on our economy for a while and in the entertainment industry for perhaps much, much longer.
That said, for over three years now I’ve been calling out the paradigm shift that actors, artists, and creatives need to be prepared for over on The Actor CEO Podcast where I chat with industry pros and help actors (and any creative professional, really) treat their career like a business.
The key indicators of this shift are:
More digital everything (meetings, events, communities, marketing, businesses, connection)
The traditional is transitioning (live events, the studio system, casting sessions, education)
Just in time learning (new skills, lower value of degrees, learn on the job, access to experts)
Everyone can tell their story (social media, content everywhere, no gatekeepers)
While these might seem really different from the status quo or what we all thought the entertainment industry would be when we were coming out of school, it has actually positioned creative storytellers in one of the most powerful positions they’ve had in society since, dare I say, the Renaissance.
Here’s how you can capture that power (and why you should right now!):
Build a digital presence.
You have access to a TV studio, film production studio, radio station, and newspaper in the palm of your hand. This has NEVER happened before and you should switch from consuming to broadcasting! Unlock your very own media empire and share WHO you are, WHAT you do, and HOW you help with the world. You have more of the attention of the decision makers, the audiences, the friends, and fans RIGHT NOW then we’ve ever had access to. So make sure you’re out there in any and every way possible to get more comfortable connecting and building relationships through this medium, because THIS is the new normal and you can bring all of your wonderful creative talent to every inch of it.
2. People are brands and brands are people…
I’ve been saying “people are becoming brands, and brands are becoming people” for a while now, but it’s true, damnit! Brands are showcasing their values and morals in ways we would normally associate with individual beliefs and personalities. They do it because that’s what we demand as consumers now.
Now people (especially creatives) are becoming brands by also showcasing their values, mission, morals and beliefs and making them a big part of their public image and personalities. This is great because it frees us from trying to be liked by everyone. Love me or hate me, but THIS is who I am. Embrace this freedom, lead with it, and showcase it. In fact, use it as a springboard to build your creative business. Find more people who align with your brand. Build relationships with others who augment or amplify who you are, what you believe and what you do well. Make it clear that when someone hires you or follows you THIS is what they get, because then those who want to work with you or follow you will be fully committed because it’s crystal clear why it makes sense to hire you or why they LOVE following you.
3. “Theatrical Thinking” is how you will make more money to do what you love.
My wife coined with this phrase (keep an eye out for the book in the future), and I really do love it. It’s what you, as a creative artist, have been fundamentally trained to do - creatively problem solve and use your imagination as a dynamic and practical tool.
So that means you can see things others can’t. You can solve problems in unique ways. You can design, build, plan, organize, support, connect, and inspire in ways that lead other people to whole new ways of being and entirely new ways of thinking! THAT’S AN AMAZING BUSINESS QUALITY! And that’s why LinkedIn has recently seen that “creative thinking” as the #1 soft skill businesses were looking for, and it means that you, RIGHT NOW, can help countless business owners, companies, and industries actually improve what they do by incorporating creative skills that you have to offer.
As the world moves more to digital ads, augmented reality, IOT, screens everywhere, online conferencing and events, and a more enhanced ability to instantly and profoundly communicate, it’s creatives like YOU who have the capacity to tell their stories, connect honestly with people, and build more of a genuine human experience into our commercial world. Plus...they’ll pay you for it.
4. Learn More. Learn Now.
You can learn damn near anything you want, from experts, right now. Whether it’s online classes, webinars, digital events, Facebook and Instagram Live, or some sort of subscription service, you have all the access you need to improve your skills. So do so.
5. Become the CEO.
Here is where all these actions and the “take charge” perspective really lead you. They lead you to becoming the chief decision maker of your life. You become more future focused, and less stressed about things that are currently out of your control. You become confident that who you are, what you do, and how you help in this world are incredibly valuable and you should seek out any opportunity to expand them. You become willing to aggressively grow your income and expenses related to your creative capacity because the more you do so, the more you can hire other outstanding creatives, the more you can amplify the important stories of our time, and the more you can improve the world around you.
While there are some major uncertainties to come, one of the best things you can do for yourself is control what you can control. The more direct, focused, and inspired action you take (especially when others are too afraid to act at all), the better position you find yourself in when we begin to regain equilibrium.
You’ll know what is worth your time and what isn’t.
You’ll know how and when to invest in yourself and your career with a keen eye on the long game.
You’ll see more creative opportunities than ever before because you’ll have shifted your perspective from one that is dependent on others to one that builds opportunity for others (and supports you at the same time).
Creatives are built for change. We thrive in it. We’re molded by it…(sounding a little like Bane here..). It’s true and we should embrace it. Feel empowered that you can take charge of not only where you go next as things shift, but that you can be an enormously important part in guiding society towards a better world as they feel forced to shift as well.
Author Bio: Mike Moreno is the host of The Actor CEO Podcast which has been rated a Top Podcast for Actors by Backstage and Casting Networks. Expert interviews, tools and resources for treating your career like a business can be found at ActorCEO.com.
Photo by Elijah O'Donnell on Unsplash