Discover Yourself!

You know that you are a terrific Storyteller, Hatmaker, Cake Decorator, or what ever Creative Wonder that you are. Yet, there you are sitting in your room wondering when it will all come together. The  phone isn't ringing. Nobody knows who you are!
You know that you are talented, but you are so frustrated! You moved all the way to New York didn't you?! But you still have to stand in line to sing! And then you sing the midnight slot at the open mic, although the Janitor does applaud you wildly! You studied Acting at the best conservatory in Los Angeles, but you graduated with 100 people who are just as eager to get their first job as you are. And at least 22 of them are the same "type" as you  and will be going for the same roles. Not to mention the 100 other Actors that graduated just a semester before and the next 200 that are coming up behind you. Sigh!
Wouldn't it be great if you could get discovered in a soda shop like Lana Turner, or be heard singing at a gas station and get a record deal like Toni Braxton?
Well, thats cool, but that was their path. Now, you have to make yours.
Truth is you discovered yourself and your talent long before any Agent or Producer could.
So act like you've been discovered and get out there! Create your own opportunities. Be your own Agent! Sing at the top of your lungs at the gas station and say to yourself, "Hey! You're pretty good!"
Wear a tight sweater and sit at the Deli counter, order a Coke and declare yourself the cutest thing in there! And if you are not brave enough to say it out loud I bet the cute Deli guy behind the counter will!
Get the fame and the money thing out of your head for a second and create out of pure love. Put the fabulous Agency that will put you on the path to stardom out of your mind, and do what you love as if your life depended on it, because it does!
I know a lady who makes peanut brittle. She discovered that she LOVED to make this peanut brittle. It relaxed her to make it when she was stressed. Feeling happy? She made the brittle. Feeling sad? She made the brittle. She made it for co-workers, her church fellows, her neighbors. She made it for me and I don't even like peanut brittle. Long bus commute? Yup, she would whip it out of her purse and offer it to strangers. One of the strangers offered to carry it in her small gourmet bakery. Now, her peanut brittle is being carried in 3 gourmet shops around town. And word is spreading!
Make your peanut brittle and they will come!
If you are a Hatmaker, make your hats, wear them everywhere, give them to all your friends. Find out when Hat Day is at your neighborhood public school, and give out a prize of one of your wildly creative custom made hats to the student with the best Chapeau. I'm betting a whole bunch of students will order from you next Hat Day! What's the worst that could happen? The worst that could happen is that you did what you loved to do!
Make every audition fun! Make your audition your star turn! It's your chance to perform for a captive audience! If you don't get the part, keep in mind that the universe is infinite, and that you will get the part that is right for you. Don't agonize about how you could have played the part better than him or her because you have already discovered how good you are! You might even discover that you have a talent to write your own one man/woman show!
Bloom where you are planted! There are always opportunities around you to grow your creativity. And if the terrain is too rough? Uproot and move to greener pastures! That does not mean moving to the traditional "get discovered" towns like LA or NYC or Nashville. It means moving to where you can truly discover yourself!
There is a world class Singer who I am a great fan of, who lives in Arizona. She rules her neck of the woods! She is featured on all the sophisticated local glossies and has her pick of the nicest venues. She discovered that she could make a great life for herself and her family off the beaten path and is all the happier for it!
You are your own best support, your own best Agent, your own best Manager! Nobody is going to look out for your talents like you are. You are only going to be doing what a regular Agent would do so why not DIY? Don't stand still waiting for somebody's permission to be your wonderful, creative self!
No more waiting! Go on! Discover yourself today!