Being a Caribbean Creative eh Easy

Last weekend I performed a Stand Up Comedy set at Queen’s Hall, POS, Trinidad and Tobago for a large audience. The show was backed by a team that has produced local, regional and international events. I was well paid and the audience enjoyed my 15 minute performance and I have more paying performance opportunities and shows lined up. How did I get here? To the place where I’m well paid to perform and have great future prospects?

I’m a stand up comedian, producer and arts-administrator among other things and in Trinidad and Tobago it can seem difficult to get to this place where you have gigs, produce your own shows and collaborate with your colleagues to build an economically viable eco-system. Nay-sayers, and there are many, will advise you to get out of Trinidad and Tobago. Head foreign and try your luck there instead. This is not a real place. I beg to differ.

So what can you do? Maybe you’re a performing artist like me, maybe you create visual art or graphics, maybe you build cupboards or make jewellery. I imagine the lessons I have learned along the way may be useful to many different types of artist. I am a performing artist though so what I say here may be more applicable to performing artists. It also applies if you are fresh out of school or have been grinding in the trenches for some or even many years.

1 — Figure out what you really want to do.

This sounds easy right? I want to be an actor…okay. What do you look like? What kinds of roles are available to you? Actors have to be cast. Someone has to look at you and say, yeah, she fits the role. What kind of shows do you want to be a part of? Action, Fantasy, Romance? Do you want to be in advertisements or a voice actor? “Oh I would be in anything” you say. Okay. What kind of people will you work with? Do they need to be organised? Do you want to be paid everytime or are there roles you would do for free? What would motivate you to work for free?

So a simple choice is not a simple choice. Self awareness is very important. I remember at the beginning of my career I was an actor. I went to every audition and I performed in any show or production that was willing to cast me. Slowly I became aware of what I liked and disliked about working with different people and groups.

One way to figure out what you really want to do if you are uncertain is to do the thing. Do the audition, do the show and audit the experience. What did I enjoy about working on that show? What or who did I dislike? Would I work with them again? What did I gain? When I don’t have goals I’m experiencing and learning and figuring out the goals I want to pursue. Try it before you buy it and build valuable experience along the way. Sitting at home imagining and planning is not it.

In my next intallment we’ll discuss:

#2 Learning by doing