It’s Worth Relearning
This is SO not a new insight, but it’s one worth repeating. Over and over and over.
Recently, I’ve been watching the actor Pedro Pascal in both The Mandalorian and The Last of Us TV series. He’s terrific! A real breakout actor.
Except, “breakout” actor isn’t the same thing as “new” actor. We often make that correlation because the actor is new to us.
But I learned that Pedro Pascal isn’t even wholly new to me. He had a small role in one of my must-watch shows from the 1990s, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I certainly didn’t remember him, not until Sarah Michelle Geller (Buffy), posted a throw-back picture on social media. Pedro’s reaction? “What I just found out… is that Sarah Michelle Geller remembers me.” Even he was surprised that a superstar remembered a guest actor in a small role.
It’s a reminder that Pedro, like many, many creative people, toil away for years in obscurity. How and when we get “discovered” is rarely up to us. It takes timing, the right people and the right alignment of the planets, magic, media and a boatload of luck.
But if Pedro hadn’t persevered? We’d still never know his name today.
I can’t guarantee you fame or recognition. But I can guarantee you eternal obscurity if you stop writing. So you might as well stick with it.
And if you never get discovered, after all that? Well, you’ve at least written for yourself.
That, ultimately, is the most worthwhile audience of all.