Who's in YOUR Network?
I have been BUSY this week. Mostly with non-acting-related, life-sustaining frustrating activities like car repairs, paying bills, trying to figure out how to pay certain large bills that found their way (unexpected & uninvited) to my home, handling other miscellaneous personal business, very little of it acting-related, but all essential. Through it all, the little angel that sits on my shoulder was saying "don't forget to blog". And I didn't forget - not at all. I just kept waiting for something news-worthy that I could share. There is ONE thing that is newsworthy, but, I'm sorry, I can't share it yet. Will if it turns into something though. There was also a conversation with a family member that
There WERE some highlights - I've don't consider myself a particularly social person (solitude recharges my batteries, and I tend to get a little uncomfortable in social situations sometimes), but I have had more conversations, meetings, and lunches this week than in the past 3 months combined. And I'm not just talking about socializing, I'm talking about legitimate business meetings and lunches to discuss matters related (directly AND indirectly) to acting. I guess it could even be called (gasp) "networking".
The word "Networking" alone has been enough to send me into shivering fits. When I hear it, images of 'have nots' sidling up to 'haves' in order to become, look like, or sleep with a 'have' dance in my head. Triple ick. For those who know me very well, my aversion to networking is prolific. One person told me that it was interesting that I chose a career in which my very success depends on it. Honestly, for a long time I didn't know what this career would require of me. I only knew that I wanted to act, and I knew I didn't want to be one of those oft-caricatured "Hollywood" people. You know, all glossy and flossy. Grinning at everything that moves, trying to weasel invitations to parties where "everyone who's anyone" will be. Y'all know. But this week I met with people I already know and already like anyway. I got together with them just because I hadn't seen them in a while and either they contacted me or I contacted them and decided it would be cool to. In some cases I had information, experience, or resources that could help them, and in other cases they had the goods & shared with me. In all cases, we had some laughs, got caught up and enjoyed on another's company while time flew by. Earlier this evening I realized "Omigah - I 'networked', and there wasn't anything slimy or contrived about it." This sounds like such a little thing, but it's a BIG DEAL for me. I still don't like the word though - I need to call it something else. Maybe just "talking to people I know". That way it's not so scary.
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