The Gap Between Gigs
🌟Career Coaching: When you’re not on a set or a stage, self-doubt can start writing the script. It’s a real tearjerker.
There was a stretch early in my career when I had some space between jobs. Nothing dramatic. One show closed and the next one hadn’t yet surfaced. Technically, I was “on a break”, or at least that’s what I coolly told my parents when they asked if I was ready to end my flirtation with showbiz and New York City and move back home. (No, I definitely was not ready.)
But emotionally? I was losing my mind.
Instead of resting or reflecting or doing anything useful, I panicked. Every hour not spent working became an hour I should be networking, brainstorming, pitching, applying, updating, rewriting, producing something. My nervous energy and constant fretting did not make me fun to be around.
A few weeks into the gap, I convinced myself that I would never get another gig. My Broadway career was over. Poof. Gone. I had officially been replaced by someone who was smarter and better connected.
The pressure I put on myself during that downtime was so intense, I ended up more exhausted than I was when I was actually working.
That’s what self-doubt does in the entertainment industry. It thrives in the gap between the gigs. It loves development limbo and the grant you didn’t get. Self-doubt finds pleasure in the feature that is having trouble finding financing. It whispers that you’re only as good as your last project…and even that one (your snarky inner voice tells you) could have had a stronger second act.
The worst part? Self-doubt doesn’t just rattle your confidence. It starts to shape your decisions. You stop reaching out because you assume people are too busy or not interested. You pass on submitting because you know you’ll only be rejected. You don’t follow up on the meeting because they would’ve called if they really wanted you. Pretty soon, you’re not just doubting yourself, you’re disappearing yourself.
And the industry, of course, responds in kind. When you pull back, people move on. It’s not because you aren’t good or talented or capable; it’s because self-doubt made you act like someone who isn’t.
So how do you stop the spiral? You keep taking small actions that will contradict the story in your head. Send one email. Draft one pitch. Reach out to one person who believes in you. The actions don’t have to be big or impressive or strategic. They just have to interrupt the loop that says you're invisible and replace it with proof that you're not.
You do have to look for opportunities in this industry, but it’s almost impossible to do that when self-doubt is leading your search. You can’t pitch with confidence if you don’t believe in what you’re offering. You can’t network if you’re convinced no one wants to hear from you. You can’t land a gig if you’ve told yourself there aren’t any. So before you knock on any doors, make sure you haven’t already talked yourself out of walking through them.
Best advice ever!