By Chuck Whiting
NASHVILLE -- If you could do anything in the world you wanted to do, what would that be?
I used to ask that question during lunchtime strolls on downtown Birmingham's tree-lined avenues and/or standing in front of the massive Albert Bierstadt painting of Yosemite at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Despite having a great job at Alabama Power Co., I wanted "more" of what was true to my creative self. For me, the answer became artistically clear. I wanted to combine my talents to land a successful career doing what I loved: journalism and songwriting. To accomplish that, I would have to quit a good-paying job, pursue a second bachelor's degree (in music), and move to one of the nation's three entertainment capitals. After years of dreaming and a lot of hard work, I found myself working in Nashville as the PR representative for the Opryland Hotel. Now, 17 years later, I'm working as a successful publicist, educator, author and musical composer. My dream remains very much alive.
In the coming weeks, I will be sharing what I think are the 10 most important PR steps every entrepreneur or artist should do to accomplish his or her dream. These career/life suggestions come from my "Publicizing Your Dream" lecture series. I realize that every walk in life is different. Still, I hope that some of my experiences and insights will prove helpful to you.
#1 -- Build a Good Self-Image:
* Believe in Yourself and DO WHAT YOU LOVE. It's very hard to accomplish your dream if you can't see it happening or you're not willing to take a risk. A positive, determined attitude is an essential ingredient to success. The story is that in his pre-stardom days, Jim Carrey would stand on a Hollywood hilltop yelling, "I'm a big star!". Hit songwriter Jason Bloom resorted to eating cat food during his "hungry" days. Angela Grett overcame her difficult experiences as the child of a bipolar parent to become an acclaimed author. They are all doing what they love -- and dogged determined doing it.
* Care about others. What you do for others will return to you 100 fold (or more).
* Look good. When we take care of ourselves, others notice.
* Watch what you say. We're tempted to tell people where to go when they criticize us. However, my experience has shown me that it's best to pause and think something through before reacting. Sometimes the best response is to smile and say nothing. Try not to burn bridges.
* Be honest. Do what you say you will, and don't over-exaggerate your credentials. If you performed on a George Strait record, don't later write that one of your songs went platinum.
* Have a spiritual life. Know who gave you your talents, and be thankful for what you have.
Obviously, there's a lot more I could write about building a good self-image. I would love to hear your thoughts on this step, including an example of something you've learned. Like you, I'm always in learning mode. Please share it here or at one of my upcoming "Publicizing Your Dream" classes or workshops. In the meantime, much success to you. Please check back soon for PR step #2.
(* NOTE: To learn more, please join me in Nashville this spring for my four-week PR class, "Publicizing Your Dream: The Nuts and Bolts of Writing, Editing & News Media Exposure".)
Copyright 2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED (Printed and distributed by permission only)
Chuck Whiting is president and founder of Whiting Publicity & Promotions, a Nashville-based PR firm that specializes in publicity for the arts, entertainment and hospitality industries. He also is the co-author and co-songwriter of The Littlest Star: a musical story, an internationally distributed holiday picture book and music CD. His company recently published Debbie Watts' latest book, Wordabulous!. Chuck teaches media writing at Middle Tennessee State University. You may contact him at (615) 242-9857 or Arts@WhitingPublicity.com .
