Tuesday 16 October 2012

10 People To Avoid In Creative Industries

If you want to succeed, if you want to be happy, if you want to get work done, then you need to ditch these people. The seeds of creativity are just that, seeds. If you're in the wrong environment, with the wrong people, they'll never blossom. These are ten people who will do their utmost best to kill your spark.

1. The Drama Queen. 

Everything is a huge drama! They had to wait fifty minutes for an audition, so will spend four hours that night telling you about it. And moaning about how hard done by the are. And they'll build big and elaborate stories around the dullest of things.

2. The Delusional. 

They were at a networking party and met a guy called Bob who said he was a producer. And he said, "I think you have a quality." So, your friend calls you up all excited because he/she thinks he/she has a 'quality', and will now be getting Oscars. And they ramble on and ramble on. And the delusionals; they keep trying to skip the hard work. Keep trying to bypass the struggle. They think they have a golden ticket.

3. The Stressy. 

At the beginning of a day on set; maybe their hair looked weird. Or maybe someone gave them the wrong kind of sandwich. And they turn it into a big bag of stress. And they don't get over it. And they think the wrong kind of sandwich has caused a catastrophic nightmare, of which your project may never get over.

4. The Jealous.

At some point, you're gonna say, "they hired me". And you need to be around people who can support it. If you hang around jealous types, you may never get the "they hired me" call, because The Jealous are too busy chopping you down when opportunities arise.

5. The Perfectionists.

You may think perfectionists are a good thing. You may see yourself as one. But a perfectionist, more often than not, is someone with a huge inner critic. And the critic never lets them complete a project, never thinks it's good enough. And The Perfectionist will meddle in your work -- keep nibbling away until you're smacked down on the canvas and unable to stand up. They think the problem is you -- but never look deeply inside themselves. You have to get away from these people because they will hold you down for years.

6. The Egotistical. 

You went to a party last night with Kevin Spacey, and Harvey Weinstein invited you onto his yacht, really? Wow. And you don't have the decency to acknowledge the production assistant who just brought you coffee? Yeah; we don't want you on this film set anymore.

7. The Lazy.

They're so good at pretending they're not lazy. But laziness is a real killer. And it's contagious. Don't be lazy about getting rid of lazy people, do it at once!

8. The Needy. 

Should I do it? Should I not do it? Would you do it for me? Do you think they might do it? Do you think if you asked them they'd do it for me? Have you done it yet? Will they like me? Do you like me? Why am I not in your film? Do you want me to come over? Why don't you want me to come over? Why were you acting all funny when I came over? I'm over it, okay? I'm taking a break from talking to you, okay? Do you love me? Does nobody love me? Does love exist? Can I have a hug? If you ask them to give me a hug will they give it to me? Have you cast it yet? When you cast it will you tell me?

9. The Negative. 

They think it can't be done. They think there's no point in finishing. No point in starting. They think it'll suck anyway. They think it would be better if it was done another way, another time. Frankly, they don't think you know what you're doing; and rather than support you to do it right, or to humbly admit they don't know what they're doing either; they'll just judge you and be certain that you can't do it and shouldn't do it.

10. The User. 

Has no idea how much work you put in. Doesn't appreciate what you did, and has no awareness of how much it took out of you. But as long as they're on their way, right?


Care to share?

15 comments:

  1. ALL the successful people i've met belong to at least one of these categories - especially the egotistical (not just christian bale)

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  2. If you subscribe to the rules of this list you'll never work in ANY creative industry.

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  3. But what if a person this message's aimed at is one of those people? Do you think it's possible to change their personality? Should they?

    However, you're right. Those types are awful not only in the industry but in life.

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    1. I think the only thing we can really control in life, is our own behaviour and attitudes - so sure, people can change!

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  4. There is hardly a human being that doesn't belong into at least one of those categories, so what's the point? Besides that: Especially in 'Creative Industries' you need many of the chracteristics you recommend to avoid. It's all about the balance between these extremes, finding the right rhythm and not becoming border-line on the way...

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    Replies
    1. That was why I wrote it. I identify all of these characteristics within myself!

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    2. I agree with anonymous! I think 0.005% of the population could confidently say that they do not fall into one of those categories, at least for one point in time. It's unrealistic to think that there are people out there that never display these qualities! It's part of being human and the negatives often are what drive and shape some of the most creative talents!

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  5. I habe bookmarked you. This made me smile. Big time!
    ;-D

    @MissCinEKid

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  6. Quite funny, I like it.
    Tom, London

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  7. Bitching bitching bitching. How about appreciating? Or working?

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  8. The only thing that works, is to believe and love what you do.
    AND YOU KNOW YOUR SKILLS...!!!! KNOW IT and do not burn in what you
    can not. THAT IS FIRST. EXPERIMENT.
    Not mention about more hours you will spend and blood in your
    way and no on will go it. YOU GO! YOU ARE YOUR SPACESHIP IN DARKNESS.
    YOU will illuminate with your script and the way you do it...
    ( don`t border that in a marketing-burea of mr ridelstein feinstein monybitch ....anything is about a story i will realy see on screen?)
    You will follow it and maybe stand on the hill of your vain.
    Maybe somedays a mountain.
    But you love it and the tremendous silence of dignity and that
    you have done it, maybe the fire starts more of humans,and they will
    work with you.... the first is the hardest way and many will break.

    DO IT and DO it... mike work since 3 years on one short film

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  9. How about: The People Climber

    The person who treat people like pieces of meat. Once they reach where they want to be, they don't know who you are, nor do they care.

    Actually wait, that's just a narcissist.

    Remember that guy who was real nice to you, maybe helped you get a job? The one who is not as good as you socially, but has a lot of talent? The one that since you met the 'right people', you won't return their calls?

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  10. Actually every person in the world has at least one of those qualities you mentioned.
    But it's always someone else's fault, isn't it :)

    ReplyDelete