I’m usually the last person to need motivation, when it comes to work. I love what I do, but that doesn’t mean I have a hard time getting out of bed at 2:30am for a 4:30 call that’s an hour’s drive away.
Some days you just feel like you’re stuck in a rut. A perpetuation of things you only slightly enjoy, or just simply tolerate. Days can go by one after another, strung together into what feels like some kind of seventy hour work day.
Some days can feel like a new beginning. You feel like you’ve just made a change for the good, jumped into a bigger pond. Out of the few lessons I’ve managed to get my head around, I’ve learned that being as optimistic as you can be is the best way to keep yourself from descending into complete cynicism and apathy. I used to say to people on set: “Hey, I’m just happy to be here.”, which was entirely true.
I found myself saying this less and less this week, on a reality pilot I’ve been working on. But last night, as we were all drinking and singing karaoke in the hotel bar with locals that looked like characters from a Tim and Eric skit, I found myself saying just that: “Hey, I’m still just happy to be here.”
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll bitch about our turnaround with my fellow PAs under my breath, or complain with the best of them, but I am still just happy to be here. Maybe it was the one beer I had in me, or the fact that I can still remember my day job at an ice cream store like it was yesterday, but I was feeling quite optimistic.
2 Responses
You can always tell an expert! Thanks for cotnirbtuing.
Perspective really is everything. It’s all too easy to sink into the swamp of jaded cynicism, but nothing good will come of that. Bitterness only begets bitterness, which can turn an already tough job into a depressing nightmare. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and endure. In a bad situation — crappy show, unhappy actors, long hours, and a bitchy crew — when quitting isn’t an option (and you should always think long and hard before telling your boss to fuck off), just remember that the silver lining in this business is the light at the end of every tunnel. All our work is temporary, so just do the best you can while silently repeating “this too shall pass.”
Because it will — and when it’s finally over, the next job will seem like a cakewalk in comparison.
Another factor newbies have to remember is that you never know who’s watching. While you’re suffering through that miserable job — making the best of the situation and doing as good a job as possible — somebody higher up the food chain is likely to notice. That can pay off down the road when that person lands a bigger and better gig, and remembers you as someone who kept his/her cool and did the work in a professional manner.
Good post. I’m glad to see somebody picked up the TAPA torch.