Is it OK to be wrong?

May 6, 2021

I know, on the internet, the question of “is it OK to be wrong,” is almost always answered with a resounding “no,” but let’s dig a little deeper…

We all see those inspirational sayings of affirmation that make you feel good about yourself and what you’re doing, but while I’m all for a positive self-image, I feel like we’ve taken it to the point that we have an abundance of denial.

There are times where, yes, we DO need to be torn down a bit. We DO need to be told when what we are doing is wrong. When all we hear (or all that we acknowledge) is how right and good and perfect we are, we not only get a false sense of security, but we also can’t understand why something truly DOES go wrong.

Life is not all sunshine and roses. There are storms. There are droughts. There are catastrophes. If all we know is an artificial perfection, then how do we expect to handle instances where perfection does not exist?

That’s not to say that there aren’t folks with malicious intent. That’s why we need a trusted support system. We need people who will no just lift us up when we’re down, but who will also keep our feet on the ground. I feel like we are seek out the former and ignore the latter.

That’s not to say that I have all (or any) of the answers. I’m not one that has it all together. I NEED people to keep me on even ground, because (like most people), I can sometimes go too far in one direction or another. It’s not always fun being reeled back in, but it is very often needed.

And you know what? It’s OK to be wrong. It’s ok to make mistakes. And it’s GOOD when people you trust call you out. It means that someone loves you and wants what’s best for you. Before we crawl into a hole or go looking for false affirmation from others who don’t know your situation, we should probably ask ourselves…could they be right? More importantly…could I be WRONG??

With and Without an Audience

Mar 7, 2021

Part of being an entertainer is the two-way connection between the artist and the audience. When an audience responds (or doesn’t respond), a good artist will adjust to accommodate that audience. If an audience like what they see/hear, the artist will pick up on that and give them more.

Since the shutdowns last year, many of these entertainers who have chosen to keep working have been forced to work in a vacuum with no audience feedback. They have no clue if what they are doing is “landing” in that moment. Their entire rhythm is off.

Some artists may take this to mean that everything they say or do is good. They have no way to gage what they’re doing until after it’s done. They’ve lost their ability to adjust in the moment for an audience.

I suspect some of these individuals will struggle once audiences come back. They will be under the assumption that they have been 100% right for the last year, and will either be unable to adjust again, or even blame the audience for not being at the same level.

This is probably why some artists have chosen to just stop until conditions improve. These artists know their strengths, and rather than squander their brand, they’re trying desperately to wait it out.

I am genuinely curious, however, about what entertainment will look like once these artists who have kept working in said vacuum are once again back in front of an audience….an audience that may not respond the way the artist thinks they should….