Moving & Success

Tonight was Bente's last show with Big Spoon, she's moving to LA this week to continue her comedy career and be with her boyfriend Jon. The past couple weeks have been hard on Nicole with the impending departure of her close friend and teammate. Along with Bente a handful of other folks have left this month for either LA or NYC. Over the past year and a half there's been a steady stream of Chicago comedians leaving for one coast or the other which has incited widespread self-examination for those of us that remain.

There is a pervasive feeling of uncertainty and restlessness going around precipitated by all the moves. Lot of people questioning what they are doing, what they want, and how to move forward. All valid questions. It is important to set goals, make progress, and seek out success. I wish the best for all the Chicago transplants and all those planning to move. However I've had the "moving" conversation with many people over the past year and a lot of the discussions have been fatalistic, viewing moving as the only option arising from fear of being "left behind".

Moving will not solve any problems or create previously non-existent motivation. Having a "fresh start" will not suddenly free up your schedule or unburden you from the internal or external things that have kept you from being productive. Moving for those reasons is termed a geographical. If you had issues with finances, relationships, or with actively pursuing your career those issues will follow you. It is not a solution in and of itself.

As my dad is fond of saying "there are a thousand paths to the mountain top". People become successful in a myriad of different ways. There is no set path especially in the field of entertainment. Are there many opportunities in NYC and LA? Yes. But there are also lots of people vying for those opportunities. All cities above a certain size have some kind of entertainment industry in which an actor can find work. You never know when and where lightening will strike.

There is also the question of success. There seems to be a common but bizarre idea that writing or performing on a TV show, regardless of quality, is success. And if that's what an individual's personal conception of success is, if that is their goal, great. But it isn't everyone's. There is no unilateral consensus of what success is. We can and should define it for ourselves. If it involves money and fame, great, if it doesn't, that's great too. But it should be our goals we are pursuing, our dreams we are chasing, not some amalgamation of vague societal pressures and expectations.

The important thing is to work hard. To create with energy and integrity. To derive pleasure and satisfaction from those things you create.

Work hard and follow your heart. If that takes you to a new city I wish you all the happiness and luck in the world. If it doesn't, you are not inferior. You're exactly where you need to be.