creative career Archives - Page 2 of 2

Originality – Nice, But is it Necessary?

June 18, 2019 by tprochera Leave a Comment

As creators, we often wonder if our ideas have been done before. Are we reinventing the wheel, so to speak? Certainly, this is something to consider with copyright infringement laws and all of that. Nobody wants to be sued.

And, on one hand, it doesn’t hurt to ask yourself if you’ve seen this kind of thing before. I remember watching a made-for-TV film released by a well-known production company that shall remain nameless and I was like, seriously? This is Sister Act without the homicidal boyfriend. Maybe the writers were inspired by the hit movie. Maybe it was intended to be an “original” concept. I don’t know for sure and, hey, I don’t have a script in with a major production company so who am I to judge? But it would have been virtually impossible to not notice the similarities. And I can think of more than one songwriter who would have saved themselves a lot of trouble if they had taken a moment to ponder the question. I’m just saying.

Someone once said there’s nothing new under the sun. Now, I don’t believe that’s entirely true – there are truly ingenious, refreshing, new ideas that reveal themselves all the time – but I do think that we might want to be a little easier on ourselves if we are inspired by an existing idea or if our concept is not 100% revolutionary.

I mean, look at history. Back in the day, it was common place to try to paint exactly like your mentor. Composers took segments of other musical works and inserted them into their own – yes, sampling was happening in the 1800’s and earlier. Convention was so strong in some respects that there were only so many ways to structure a melodic phrase. I’ll admit I’ve heard a bit of classical music in my time but, even so, I can listen to a completely unfamiliar piece from certain periods and tell you pretty much how it’s going to end, because that’s simply how you ended things. And nobody had a problem with it.

And, when you think about it, there are common ideas in life so why should their not be common ideas in art? I mean, guys meet girls in bars all the time so if you see the scenario in a lot of movies, there might be a reason for it.

I’ve been thinking recently about how we all have our own gifts as artists. Some of us are the innovators who bring in the new techniques, the new future conventions, the iconic tales, and some of us take existing techniques and conventions and execute them brilliantly. When I was a composition student, I arrived at my lesson super excited because I was going to write a piece that used a scale of alternating whole tones and semitones. I thought I was brilliant! My teacher kindly pointed out that my concept was, in fact, the octatonic scale, which was already very much in existence. Now, I could have berated myself for not knowing about the scale already but I chose to see it as, hey, I invented a real scale! How cool is that? But perhaps I’m of the second type of artist?

Some years ago, there were two films about Snow White released in theatres at the same time. At first, you might say well, that’s kind of going overboard, isn’t it? Yes, it’s a popular tale but to have two major motion pictures come out at the same time? But they were completely different! The creators took entirely different approaches to the story and, while I’ll leave it up to the individual to determine which was the better film, having watched both, I personally didn’t have a feeling of repetition.

You see, the concept is only part of the equation. What’s just as important is how you take the idea in a unique direction. How do you make it yours and put your spin on it? I mean, someone could have written a really crappy story about a kid going to wizard school and then where would we all be?

So, my point is, craft is just as relevant as concept and, even if your story isn’t entirely revolutionary, your expression of that story is still worth telling, keeping in mind of course, that there are legal ramifications for intentionally ripping somebody else off. So let go of some of the pressure and just create already! 🙂

Let the Whole You Be Revealed – Following the Opportunities

June 2, 2019 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hello all!

Last weekend, I had the honour of hosting a launch of the latest issue of the Lake Winnipeg Writers Group journal, Voices, for which I also served as editor. (Photo courtesy of my proud mom ;-)) The process involved several months of reading and revising, e-mailing, chatting on the phone and in person at reading sessions and, I must say, I quite enjoyed it! It was a pleasure to witness such a diverse and talented group of creator in action.

But it was not something I had initially planned on, to be honest. I have done some proofreading for people I’ve known, which has been rather fun as I consider myself a fixer of sorts – someone who can take an existing idea and bring it to another level. The whole curation process, however, was new to me. But last fall I was asked to judge a poetry contest for the group and, next thing you know, I’m editing an entire journal!

I received much positive feedback on my work which, despite my own perceived failings, was very encouraging. Though I still have a lot to learn, editing appears to be something I can now add to my skill set. When it came time to discuss the launch of the journal, I was informed that it was customary for the president or the editor to take on the duties. With my background as a performer and the years I’ve spent in Toastmasters, I was up to the task.

And, again, the audience and fellow writers seemed to be pleased with my presence at the podium and responded very favorably. So, now, it looks like I can host stuff good too! 🙂

Now, I’m not telling you this is to brag on myself – although I think we need to be able to do that once in a while because it helps us to feel confident in our abilities. This is about allowing yourself to be guided, letting go of your preconceived notions of what you’re supposed to be doing with your art and saying yes to the opportunities that present themselves before you. If I hadn’t agreed to edit, I wouldn’t have known that I would enjoy it and be competent at it. If I hadn’t said yes to hosting, I wouldn’t have known that I could take on the emcee duties and feel good about it after the fact. It’s about acquiring new information showing you what you’re capable of and, perhaps more importantly, what you like to do.

Now, if you feel that these incidental endeavours might derail you or make you doubt yourself, quite the contrary. During this process of expansion, you won’t be casting aside what you already do and already know. You will be letting new things about yourself to be revealed to you so you have even more ways to serve and express.

When you stay with the familiar, you only learn and grow in expected ways. But sometimes others see things in us that we don’t see in ourselves and, in taking these new opportunities, we are exposing ourselves to more of our untapped potential. We experience the fullness of who we are and what we have to offer. And if you come upon your true calling in the process, trust that your new path is the right one for you and nothing has been lost or wasted.

So, next time a chance to do something new comes your way, unless it really makes you feel uncomfortable, go for it! See where the journey takes you. You never know what you will learn and how you will grow when you come out the other side.

On a related note, if you’re interested in some fun and adventurous writing, might I suggest acquiring your very own copy of the latest issue of the Voices journal – with an entry by yours truly, by the way?

You can purchase it at McNally Robinson Booksellers in Winnipeg, MB and at Tergeson’s in Gimli, MB or you can enquire through the LWWG website, https://www.lwwg.ca/.

Enjoy!

Pros and Cons: What’s Your Creativity Worth To You?

May 28, 2019 by tprochera Leave a Comment

So, I just returned from a whirlwind trip through England and France – and I do mean whirlwind! A day here, a day there, staying in accommodations ranging from friends’ condos to castles. Let me tell you, it’s pretty sweet to wake up in a castle on your birthday!

In so many ways, it was a trip celebrating art in all its forms. We experienced the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Tour, with real sets, costumes, and props from all the movies. We had great fun admiring – and purchasing – the works of artisans at a medieval festival in Sedan, France. We strolled through Montmartre in Paris, filled with art galleries. I even had a moment of incredulity with one piece in particular. I approached a staff member, dubious, “Ce n’est pas l’original.” I said as I pointed to the painting. It’s not the original. And she reassured me, “Oui. C’est l’original.” It was then that I knew I was looking at the original Campbell’s soup can painting by Andy Warhol. #Notaprint. We reveled in the glory of cathedrals such as Ely and Sacre Coeur, where we were a little taken aback by a crazy organ solo after the service that reminded me of the beginning of Ghostbusters. And the patisseries! As beautiful as they were delicious!

I was surrounded by so much culture, so much beauty, so, so many stairs. And throughout the journey – because my brain is always running on all cylinders – I was confronted with a big question: what am I willing to deal with, to sacrifice, to do what I’m here to do as an artist?

We met a fellow from Regina, Saskatchewan working in a pub who had moved to Paris about seven months ago. I asked him if he enjoyed living in the city and he told me that Paris wasn’t a perfect place but the pros outweighed the cons and he liked it so far.

What may be required of us to fulfill our missions as artist? Do the pros outweigh the cons on our own journeys? The discussion brought to mind a real estate show where a young woman was moving to Paris to study fashion. Seems like the perfect place to pursue such a dream. In her search for a place to live, she came across a place – I think it was a condo – that met her budget of around $100,000 USD and provided a grand total of – get this – 86 square feet of living space.

Would you live in an 86 square-foot condo for your art?

When I was visiting New York, I had the same question. With my interest in theatre and with Broadway being the heart of the medium, you would think it would be a great place to connect and make things happen. But, while it was a fun place to visit and I had a fabulous time, could I really live there?

And we can extrapolate that to other aspects of our craft. Can we accept that there will be rejection, possibly a lot of it? Can we accept that, in the case of performers, we are working while others are celebrating? Can we accept that we may have to be away from home more than we’d like? In the airport in Nice on the way home, there were a couple of what I assumed to be models and I wondered what it would be like to live their lives, and not just what it would be like to be so beautiful and tall. Did then enjoy traveling from place to place or did they find it tedious? Did they mind not being able to enjoy life’s culinary pleasures as much as we mere mortals do?

I read somewhere recently that life will truly move forward when your passion is greater than your fear. Well… okay… it was a horoscope, but it’s a profound, universal concept nonetheless. More than just fear, I take this also to mean that you will move further on your path – it will rise up to meet you – when you are prepared to accept all that the path entails, embrace all of the pros and cons, fully cognizant of the fact that there really is no such thing as perfection.

This is more of a musing that offering any advice, per se, but I invite you to look at your creative dreams – or any dreams, really. Are they worth the rejections? Are they worth the paperwork being filled out to apply for grants? Are they worth hours spent in airports? Are they worth crowded streets? Are they worth a few rats here and there? Are they worth living in an 86 square-foot condo for a while? Are they worth climbing up and down stairs for what seems like all day every day? I mean, you will build up the leg muscles and it does apparently get easier but the stairs are still going to be there no matter what. I’m just saying. 🙂

You may truly be able to create an ideal scenario for yourself – a situation where you are creating your art stress free in exactly the environment that pleases you. I’m not saying it’s entirely impossible. It’s more likely, however, that there will be some aspects of your dream that are less ideal than others. And you will have your own priorities. You alone know what’s most important to you and it is to be honoured, even if you choose not to live “la vie bohème”. But if you can look at the whole picture, all the ups and downs, and see the joys of the process as greater than the potential setbacks – if you can breathe and tell yourself, “Okay. I’m hoping for the best but I’m ready for it all.”- then your dream will rise up to meet you and you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Your Excellence: Recognizing Your True Gifts

May 7, 2019 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hey all!

So, I was watching a YouTube video the other day by Teal Swan, a spiritual commentator, about excellence – your specific excellence, to be exact.

What is your excellence, you ask?

Well, it’s basically what you’re naturally drawn to and what you innately excel at. The idea of the video is that we can be steered away from our inherent abilities through various circumstances and we can only truly thrive when we are in a situation where our excellence is appreciated and acknowledged.

So, here’s a question. Have you thought lately about where your gifts lie in regards to your creative endeavors? Have you contemplated the special qualities you bring as a creator? Do you know what mediums really work for you? Do you know what age range, what audience, you want to speak to? Do you know what work environment is most conducive to your optimum creativity?

You see, sometimes we are raised or otherwise placed in environments where we are made to feel like who we are and how we do things is not acceptable. A non-musical family won’t acknowledge or nurture their child’s musical gifts. A group of classical performers rejects the one who has a passion for jazz or rock. Someone who writes poetry all the time is repeatedly told it’s a waste of time and they can never make a career out of it.

When we are placed in these situations, we can be left feeling out of place, at odds with our world, or we can try our best to assimilate and ultimately lose our unique spark.

But there is a place for everyone in this world. You can surround yourself with people who appreciate what you have to offer. And that begins with acknowledging what you have to offer to yourself.

In knowing your true strengths and declaring them, even if it’s just writing them down in a journal, you are opening the door to attracting those situations where your excellence is celebrated. And when your gifts are celebrated, you are then able to thrive and give the best of yourself to the world, enjoying success and fulfillment on a level that you’ve probably never experienced before.

Think about that for a minute.

Think about how it would feel to be in an environment where you are allowed to do what is easy and natural and be respected and rewarded for it, rather than merely trying to make the best of whatever situation is put in front of you, struggling to fit in as best you can. How fabulously liberating would that be?

So, I invite you, at some point in the near future, to take some time and write down what you feel your true gifts are, both creatively and as an individual, and ask God, the Universe, or whoever you talk to in your quiet times, to bring you to a place where you can joyously share those gifts with others as a radiant, fully-expressed being.

Because that’s what we’re here to be, after all. Fully-expressed and fabulous!

Have a great day!

What The Notre-Dame Fire Says About Our Values

April 22, 2019 by tprochera Leave a Comment

The world reeled at the news of the burning of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris last week. And I’m not exaggerating too much when I say that. Most of the time I think it’s completely cheesy when someone claims the entire world is affected by anything. It’s like, get over yourself. But I know I wasn’t alone as I watched my social media feed be dominated by news coverage, memories, and hopes regarding the historic edifice. Having never been to Paris and not being a Catholic, I have no personal emotional connection to the building, but the loss of such a monument was saddening nonetheless.

Now, you can say what you want about all the money that was donated by wealthy tycoons to support the rebuilding. What more significant problems could they be solving with all that money? What is the Vatican doing about it? They have billions. You can interpret it how you wish – and I’m not saying your questions are not valid – but I would like to entertain another interpretation to the events following the incendiary incident.

While it is a pivotal location to the Catholic community, the people commenting on Notre-Dame are not only Catholics. The mourners cover every faith and non-faith out there. So it’s not just about religion.

Stories like Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame have brought the idea of the cathedral to the imaginations of the masses, elevating it to an almost mythical status. And visitors can’t help but be mesmerised by its beauty and power – the architecture, the stain glass windows. They are captivated by its art.

Think about that. The world is in mourning over the loss of art. Corporate moguls have donated over a billion dollars to the restoration of art

People – even those who pride themselves on their practicality and claim art is a waste of time that takes energy away from more important matters – are affected by art in ways they may not even know. Why do you think some governments over the ages have made the creation of art an illegal act? It’s not because it is a waste of resources that should be utilized elsewhere. No, art has been outlawed because it has the potential to be so powerful, so influential, that it poses a threat to their domination.

We may or may not ever become part of something on the level of Notre-Dame, as inspiring and delightful a notion as that might be. But we cannot forget that what we are doing as creators is important. It’s worth doing on some level. Even the most logical among us – those who love to tell us to get a real job or do something useful with our lives – still remember their favourite childhood story, the song that was playing when they had their first kiss. They are not immune to art’s power. They must acknowledge that someone wrote that story, composed and performed that song that became a part of their history – part of the soundtrack of their life, as I like to say.

If it is within us to do so, we have a right and a duty to contribute to the history of our and future generations with the art we create. We cannot know what will become of it. Our work may be momentarily enjoyed and forgotten. It may endure and be celebrated for hundreds or thousands of years. It is not our job to prophesy the fate of our art. It is our job to create it and share it as we are so inspired. As the reaction to Notre-Dame will attest, the world needs us to do so.

Are Your Extra-Curriculars Serving You?

April 15, 2019 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Now, before I begin, I realize that extra-curricular usually refers to those activities outside of school hours but let’s just say that, for the purposes of this discussion, I’m talking about those things that we do, other than the necessities like grocery shopping etc., that lie outside the scope of our work. Wow – that was a long sentence! But I’m kind of the run-on queen so I’m running with it. Ha! Get it?

We can begin engaging in an activity for many reasons. We think it will be fun. We can see the skills we’d learn as being useful. We have the opportunity to contribute to our communities. We like the people we’d be working with. A friend or family member thought it would be a good idea. I’ve done it for all of these reasons and probably more.

As the months and years go by, however, we need to take to the time to evaluate whether these activities are honestly advancing our lives or our work. We start something for one reason and we can stay in it for another and, if we don’t reflect periodically, we can find ourselves more involved in these other efforts than we are with our own process of creation.

I had someone challenge me recently. She asked me about the things that I really loved. And then she asked why only one of my extra-curricular activities had anything to do with those things. Why was I still engaging in activities that, while fun and beneficial in the beginning, had perhaps run their course and weren’t serving me anymore? And why wasn’t I connecting with more people and organizations that could actually help my career?

There is certainly room for diversity in life. If you are a writer, it doesn’t mean that every single club you belong to or contribution you make has to be about writing. If nothing else, we need to have a rich experience to fuel our creative inspiration.

But there are only so many hours in the day and we only have so much energy to expend so it behooves us to use that time and energy as effectively as possible.

So, I invite you to look at your extra-curriculars and decide what’s actually working for you and what isn’t and consider that it might be time to let something go. Here are a few questions you might want to ask yourself.

Do I still enjoy this activity? You might just be doing it out of habit or obligation.
Does this activity assist me in my career or life purpose? Does it further what I’m here to do?
What I am I getting out of this activity? Sometimes we can continue doing something because we receive validation or we like the people even though the activity itself doesn’t appeal anymore. Is there a better way to get the benefits? If you’re in the club because you like the people, for example, you might want to just get together for coffee once in a while rather than have a structured regular event that you have to plan and prepare for.
What would I be doing with my time if I wasn’t involved with this activity? Would you be spending more time on you craft? Is there another activity you’ve been interested in that takes place at the same time that would work better for you? If you find yourself thinking, dang, if I wasn’t doing this, I would be able to do that,that might be a clue for you.

Our time is precious. As creators, we have so much to offer. We need to ensure that the way we spend our time and energy allows us to bring the best of ourselves to the world and having our attention scattered in too many directions in not in anyone’s best interest. Make no mistake, it can be scary to say no or good-bye, particularly when we’ve been a part of something for a long time. But there a saying that people (and I’m extrapolating to things and opportunities) come into our lives for a season, a reason, or a lifetime. And if you can give yourself permission to let go of the things that no longer work, you can then fill your hours with what truly delights and inspires you. You’ll only be the better for it!

Hidden Clues : The Wisdom In Your Distraction

April 8, 2019 by tprochera Leave a Comment

You’ve probably heard people say that if you have goals you want to accomplish in your life, you need to look at those goals in relation to how you’re actually spending your time and adjust accordingly. The theory is that if you say you want to be a singer, for example, but are spending most of your time watching television rather than practicing or recording, in noticing this supposed conflict you can dispense with the distraction and redirect more energy towards pursuing your goal of singing.

This is a totally valid concept – we can certainly allow ourselves to be taken off of our path out of fear, especially when we’re talking about a potentially delicate thing like creative expression – but if you’ll indulge me for a moment, may I present another possible interpretation of such distraction?

What if you are, in fact doing exactly what you want to be doing? What if what you think you want isn’t what you actually want and, rather than resisting your “distraction”, it’s more about parlaying it into something more fulfilling?

So, let’s look at the watching TV all day thing – something many of us can fall prey to for any number of reasons. Maybe we’re searching for inspiration. Maybe we’re legit tired or overwhelmed and need a break. Maybe it is a real distraction because you’re afraid that your practicing or whatever project you’re “supposed” to be engaged in isn’t going to work out somehow. Totally been there.

But what if it’s something else? When you’re in this mode, I invite you to take a conscious approach to it to see if there might be some wisdom or insight there for you. What kinds of shows are you watching? Cop dramas? Sit coms? Cooking or baking shows? Can you pinpoint what in particular you might be attracted to about those shows? Ha! I just wrote “shoes” down by accident and if I hadn’t caught it, y’all would be, “Wait. When did she start talking about shoes?” Anyway, have a look at that. Do you love all the medical procedures and terminology in your hospital dramas? Do you love the character development? Do you love the witty dialogue in your comedy?

In being aware of your thoughts during these moments of distraction, you may discover some new things about yourself. It might be providing insight into some new elements you want to bring into your life. I love watching baking shows not only because I have a sweet tooth – believe me, I would reach into the TV and pull out those cakes if I could – but there can be such artistry and beauty to these creations. A visual feast as well as a gastronomical one. So, I don’t know if I need to become a baker necessarily, but I realized I definitely want to try my hand at cake and cookie decorating. In fact, I was on a waiting list for a class a short while back. And, in general, I think there is more of a visual component I can incorporate into what I do. Maybe you want to take a stand-up comedy class if you find yourself repeated attracted to it. Maybe you want to try writing if you love the storylines and dialogues of your favourite shows. Maybe you want to look into the medical field if you love the operating room scenes.

If you’re someone who gets overly drawn into social situations that you feel are taking you away from your work – phone calls, coffee meetings, whatever – there’s likely a reason why you’re letting it happen. If you are always the one giving advice to your friends – and are happy to do so as opposed to resenting it – perhaps you’d be great as a counsellor. Do your meetings often take place over delicious meals? Being a food critic or a chef might be right up your alley.

My point is, these distractions might be giving you clues to complimentary activities or a whole new path that might be very fulfilling for you so it’s worth some contemplation and analysis, in my humble opinion. Of course, it could totally be a psychological mechanism to protect you from potential failure or frustration, too, but I’m just saying.

Have a great day!

Finding Your Sweet Spot: Why Fame May Not Be What You Really Want

February 19, 2019 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hello all!

So, I was in New York City last week – my first time in the Big Apple – and I had a blast! Caught up with old friends, saw some shows, went to museums, had high tea at the Plaza. The whole nine yards. It was thrilling to witness “the best of every industry”, as my friend put it, that was represented in this mythical city. Seriously – since I’ve been back, it seems that every TV show and movie takes place in New York.

But that’s not my point. My point is, while watching these truly talented performs strut their stuff on the Broadway stage, I couldn’t help but wonder, would I want to be doing that?

You see, many of us are programmed to crave the spotlight. We are taught that those we see most often – the Beyoncés, the Bradley Coopers, even the J.K. Rowlings (as famous as a writer can get) – are the most important people in our society and their status is the only measure of significance and success. We are told that if we desire anything in this life, it should be to be the focus of attention in the biggest arena possible.

Now, I’m not saying it’s necessarily a bad thing to go for fame or to want to be the front man. Some people are sincerely meant to be in that position and they inspire the world with who they are.

There are times, however, when the thirst for fame can be misguided – not because we may not be talented enough but because, if we really think about it, it’s not what we actually want. When we’re striving for anything, it behooves us to actually look into what is involved in living that life. For example, being a prima ballerina seems like a beautiful vision – and they do look lovely and strong – but if that’s what you want to be, be prepared for really sore feet, Like bleeding and blistered more often than not.

The shows that we saw on Broadway involved an incredible amount of physical activity ; not just two people sitting in chairs chatting away. And one of them, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – completely brilliant, by the way – was constructed in two parts of three hours each. That’s literally six hours a day of running around and throwing suitcases and all sorts of crazy things! Would you be up for that? Would you be willing to move to a metropolis like New York if it meant being at the top of your field? It’s a big switch if you’re used to living in a small town. What about having to be “on” when you’re not feeling well? I remember watching a live broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera and, while the cast sounded glorious as always, there was so much sniffling and snorting backstage because most of them were sick.

There are often ways to adjust things to better suit our inclinations. For example, you can love singing but not love performing live so you could potentially consider becoming a studio musician. Or you can do community theatre as a hobby rather than going for a full-time career as an actor and all that comes with it. Even so, however, we can still look at where our real talents and inclinations lie instead of towing the party line of fame and fortune. Well, I say that but, in many cases, it’s the ones who don’t have the fame who are actually making most of the money so I’m not really sure why they put those two words together so often. But that’s another topic of discussion.

When I was in university, I went to see a counsellor on a regular basis. Hey, we all need someone to talk to at certain points in our lives. Anyway, there was a session when I when I expressed my confusion that I would be watching these people on stage and be totally captivated them but, at the same time, wasn’t sure if that was what I should, or wanted to, be doing. I knew could sing but was insecure about my voice at times, I wasn’t sure how I felt about travelling from place to place without fully experiencing it, being isolated, and I was adaptable to a certain extent but didn’t really like being up too late most of the time. I’m usually in bed at 10:00 most nights unless there’s a special event or something. So what was it that made me want to be these “rock stars”, for lack of a better word?

And then my counsellor suggested something I’d never thought of before. He suggested that perhaps I was meant to be behind the scenes but I was attracted to something else about these people, like their confidence or level of skill. It wasn’t the fact that they were performing so much as they knew they were meant to be performing and they were damn good at it. And, to someone like me who was in a state of flux, that knowing would be incredibly attractive. He made me realize that I could be that assured and skilled as a songwriter or a producer or a director or whatever and have that same sense of self-possession and satisfaction as those “rock stars” seemed to have.

Because, really, I will follow whatever path is right for me and if being in the public eye comes with it, I’ll accept that with grace and humility. But I don’t care if people are screaming my name. I don’t need to be chased down the street by mobs trying to get my autograph. I’m more interested in being respected in my industry, being the one who those in the know whisper about as I stand in line at the grocery store. “Do you know who that is? She’s the one behind <insert life-altering, world-enhancing creative experience here>.”

So, if you desire being in the spotlight and entertaining the crowds and honestly love it and all, or most, of what it entails, go for it. Reach for your marquee dreams and good luck to you. But if you’re at all feeling a sense of disconnect with your creative path, I ask you to consider what your soul is really craving, look at your true gifts and talents and what skills you’re willing to acquire, and learn to be at peace with that.

You may be a good guitar player but maybe you’d be an even better recording engineer or producer or even artist manager. You may be a decent novelist but you’d really be a brilliant journalist or editor. There are so many parts to play in this creative world, so many roles to fill, and none is more or less important or valuable than another, no matter what celebrity mags try to tell you and no matter how some of those celebrities – I won’t name names – like to give the impression that they do everything themselves .

I’ll leave you with this. We love our lives the most when we are giving the best of our authentic selves to the world, whatever that looks like. So don’t be afraid of discovering what you’re really here to do. You’ll only be happier for it!

In Swimming Tigress news, I’ve just put up some new tracks for licensing on Pond 5 . So, if you need music for your media production, whether it’s a commercial, TV show, web video or podcast, check out all available tracks here https://www.pond5.com/artist/tprochera#1 .

Have a fabulous day!

Tiffany

Show Me The Money! Why Artists Need To Pay Each Other

June 4, 2015 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hi guys!

So, I know the idea of money and creativity is a contentious issue that has been talked about a lot in various capacities. Whether it’s dealing with the use of existing art or getting someone to work on your project, money comes up a lot and I’d like to put my two cents in. Ha! Get it?

When you’re talking collaboration of some kind, it’s a sticky wicket, for sure. On the one hand, everyone wants to be paid fairly for their work. On the other hand, you may want to start a project that requires the skills of other people that you feel you simply don’t have the money to pay.

I get it. I’ve totally been in that situation where I would love to hire a <insert creative title here> to help bring my project to life but I don’t have the funds. And it’s so tempting to say “Hey! Who’s willing to work for free?” And true, there are situations when you all decide to engage in a project together – like a band – and the money comes from those who hire you to play. That’s different.

I’m bringing this up because I go to a lot of networking events and have heard people say outright, “I’m looking for an <x> and I have no budget so I need someone to do it for free.”

And you might be thinking well, you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

But here’s the thing . It’s a slippery slope, a vicious cycle, if you will.

If I, as a musician, for example, do a bunch of work for no pay – like scoring your film – then either one of two things is the case; either 1) I need to work a regular job to make an income or 2) I have no income.

In the first scenario, if I have to spend most of my time at an unrelated job – I realize that some people prefer it that way but let’s say I want music to be my full-time gig – not only am I less likely to be giving my best to your volunteer project , which affects both my reputation and the quality of your project, but I have less time available to study and practice and get better at my craft.

In the second scenario of having no money, this means I am unable to pay others to orchestrate the score, provide copying services, design an album cover etc.. I can’t afford things like the $200 a month I would need to spend on lessons to becoming a world-class vocalist or composer or whatever.

Do you see how it keeps coming around? You don’t pay me so I can’t pay anyone else – and by me I mean any creative person, not me specifically! And I might not have the money in my pocket to go see any other movies you might release. Ultimately, the whole industry – and, some would argue, the world – suffers when artists are unable to better themselves and dedicate themselves to their work.

So, my thing is, I get money can be tight. But, if you strongly believe in your project, there may be ways, whether through grants or friends and family or other benefactors, to allow you to provide financial compensation to those who are working with you. Try not to immediately jump to the donation of services until you have exhausted all other possibilities.

Trust me – your project and the creative industry as a whole will be richer for it!

So, now to some Swimming Tigress Music News.

Ladybug Crossings is coming along swimmingly and I know I’ve put up a few lyric videos.

But I wanted to share something with you that you can take anywhere – a free download of the title track!

Just click on the little Download button and away you go!

Enjoy! And don’t forget to come back or visit www.tiffanyprochera.com for more updates!