Knowing Your Role
Sometimes Introspection is the best reflection
It’s so important to know what you bring to every table that you’re able to sit at. To know, however, there is a subtle amount of measuring, analyzing and introspection that must occur.
As a Creative, the pitch is your power so knowing who you are and what you have is very important. It needs to be a trigger finger type of reaction to have what they call “casual conversation” but what is actually a mini-interview or a size-up.
I liken learning roles to picking friends! I’ve always had an odd but sensible process to picking friends and acquaintances:
Theres levels To this
In all honesty, I’m generally drawn to people that I can talk to about something other than superficial topics! I hate small talk. I hate wasting time. And I hate being around people with no depth because I learn nothing!
For these reasons, I usually only get close to people that I meet in a similar setting to me because then I know that they’ve been to school, studied similar topics, or are on a similar career-path (actually and not imaginatively). We’ve automatically got plenty to chat about!
Now, I do have friends that are my friends for other reasons and absolutely not the ones above and I’m still learning the value and longevity of those relationships. I would put these relationships closer to the bottom of the “friends” and “acquaintances” list because WHAT DO WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT?!
Lets be real
Delusion aside: do you bring anything to the table conversation wise? Do you illicit any thought-provoking notions? Do you read? Do you write? Are all “deep thoughts” that come to mind for you from social media posts or We The Urban?
If so, then you are certainly not bringing what you think you’re bringing to the table!
Don’t get me wrong, this is totally fine! Everyone’s role can’t be intellectual! If you’re not, then you’re not but please don’t blame anyone but yourself for that.
Know your role.
I say it all the time and I mean it: take time to study yourself! Without doing this, you’ll never see what it is that you contribute.
When you pitch yourself to others it’ll be so much more authentic and true if you actually determine what your value is. If the answer today is “nothing”, then have no fear! You’ve got time to fix that. But truly it starts with acknowledging and being 100% honest with yourself.
It’s no small feat but worth it in the end.
Know your role.
Best,
Bree