Dealing with Rejection and Negativity (in the entertainment world)

Ugh, the down side of the industry. No one likes rejection and it pretty much happens everyday in the entertainment world. For every gig I get and post about, there are about 50 other ones that I didn't get. It's hard. You really have to have thick skin to stay in this business. Some days it can get the best of you and you wallow in sorrow thinking you are a horrible actor, dancer, musician or whatever your talent may be. It can be rough. Lately, I've had the pleasure of having some great dance gigs, but zero acting gigs. Which of course is great, but I also miss being on a set. Logically I know it's a numbers game and that the more I submit to castings, agencies, etc. the more chances I have of eventually getting an audition and scoring a role. Just the other day an decent agency emailed me that the wanted to meet with me. Great! Only 24hrs later turn around and say they no longer wanted to meet with me. Ouch! Seriously, didn't even want to take a chance and meet with me. It hurt. And then I had to go directly into a dance rehearsal and try to focus and pretend everything was fine. Talk about an acting challenge! It did take the rest of the day to shake it off, but I know there are more agencies out there and that it's not a big deal that one rejected me.

Another dark side of the industry is the negativity from other people, some in the entertainment business, some outsiders. Recently, someone posted a clip from a dance show I was in. It was no more than 10 seconds, and they were just posting to say they enjoyed the show. Of course, one of their social media friends just had to comment that it looked like we sucked and that they are a way better dancer. So they weren't even present at the show but just had to make a snide remark! Another night I was in the audience watching some fellow company members dance. Afterwards, an older man, who had stayed for all three sets just had to come up to me and say he didn't enjoy it and that he didn't see the point in it. Um, but you stayed for the whole show?

Even when 99% of the people enjoy your performance, it's always that 1% that sticks with you. I know it bugs me, because I want everyone to love me and what I do! I know that's not realistic, we can't please everyone. And really, does one negative person's opinion matter more than all the other positive ones? No of course not. That's why I really think it's important to support fellow artists as much as possible. This is a super competitive business but we are all struggling in it together. I try and go see friends screenings, plays, and dance performances when I can. Of course it doesn't always happen because we are all busy with our own rehearsals, shows, etc. I know when fellow artists come see me perform it really makes my day. The best thing we can do is support each other, because we all know how difficult and stressful this industry can be and everyone needs positive reinforcement. Stay positive!