Thursday, October 08, 2015
Are you feeling overwhelmed, under-qualified, or just plain stuck?
ChurchProduction.com: I remember feeling overwhelmed and under-qualified. At the time I was in a new role at a new church, and it required a lot of me: experience I didn’t yet have; knowledge I had yet to pursue; resources and connections I didn’t even know I needed. But I knew God had called me to that church, and that He wouldn’t have done that if I weren’t the right person for it at the right time. So, I pushed on, learning as I went, and building relationships I could lean on both technically and interpersonally.
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11 comments:
I can't quite related this story. Or maybe also I always feel a little strange whenever I heard about people do so and so things because of "It's Gods calling" and I’m sorry but it’s okay if you are going to feel offended but I did feel it that way (even though I spent 17 years growing up in a chrsitian school & convent… or maybe it’s because of that that is why I feel offended).
I mean, isn’t it pretty straight forward? Nobody is going to be able to stay in school learning every single subject and get degree in every single majors a university could offer. That’s why people say life is all about learning. Nobody was born genius and that’s why we learn. It’s by getting to know people you learn something new from. You watch them, you talk to them, you get more experiences and therefore you become better. Everybody will come across some point in life where they feel underqualified and overwhelmed yes but also if you get yourself up from the chair and look around you will see there are so many things out there for you to learn and slowly, eventually you will get better everyday.
This wasn't an incredibly helpful article for those who feel under-qualified (it basically stated that you should talk to more experienced people and not the people who don't know what they're talking about), but it was immensely interesting to me. Did anyone happen to notice what website this was posted on? Because I didn't see the "ChurchProduction.com" and was totally thrown off when I read "talk to tech people at bigger churches." I said aloud, "What?" I mean it really is fascinating that being in the course of study I am, I never thought for a moment about the people who work on church production. I also love the fact that even though this man is completely different from me, we still have so much in common. I feel pretty much all the time as though I am so in love with the work, but am just completely under-qualified in terms of experience. That has been one of the hardest things for me to deal with over the past year or two: feeling like I am perfectly up to the task, but not ever being hired because my resume is not nearly as strong as anyone else's. It is totally frustrating, and I can appreciate the advice, though it is extremely simple, to talk to those with experience and not those without.
I remember my first paid job as a lighting designer at this community theatre and this article was exactly that. It was literally the summer f my freshman year and I alone was hanging every light, moving the genie, programming the show, designing and running it every 2 weeks. And just like this article, I learned more then that summer than that whole year in tech theatre class and shadowing older lighting people. There’s something about doing it, even when you have to do all it. To me, it’s more informative than taking notes for something’s. Admittedly because I was totally faking it until I made it (still waiting) I wasted a lot of my own and others time, but the shows turned out well and I think that design wise it was cool to make every single decision on my own, instead of being told what way to do it best. I’m not sure if this was God’s calling for me, but I believe it has made all the difference in who I am today.
Even though this article is geared towards the church production audience, it is still extremely similar to our studies and careers. No one person has all the answers, and the best way to learn is to network, to talk with others. There will be times in all our lives when we simply don't know the answer. Hopefully we will have learned the skills to solve this particular problem, but we might have to do research or ask around. There is no shame in not knowing. Even if you happen to know the answer, or at least think you know it, it never hurts to double check. More open communication and more varied input is always the best option. This article really hits these morals home.
We all have stories about the time we messed up or that day when you had to ask for help. My first show was horrible. Everything went wrong, I had no idea how to fix it, and, in the end, I came out knowing more than I did when I went in. Regardless of whether or not you believe tech theater is a calling from God, there will always be a community around you to help. Asking is the best way to find it.
When I first started reading this article I was a little nervous about how the technical aspects of church would realte to theater, but the article isn't really about the theater it's about knowledge, and how to obtain it. It also address what to do if you're overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge you don't have. This is a feeling I think most people experience at some point or another in their lives. I think it's important that this subject is addressed because I can't imagine that anyone gets through life without ever feeling under qualified to do what they are doing, however how you handle that situation makes or breaks your ability to succeed. I think this article is correct in saying that the best way to handle feeling inadequate is to work hard, and put an emphasis on absorption. Just take in as much as you can and eventually you'll know enoug to feel good enough.
I have been feeling overwhelmed and under-qualified since I got my acceptance letter from CMU. I have next to no theatrical experience, so I had no idea how in the world I had been admitted into one of the best drama schools in the country. Everyone else who had been admitted was far more experienced and knowledgable about most every aspect of theatre than I was. Now, I still feel super under-qualified, but I understand that I won't always feel this way. Experience will eventually lead to knowledge and success in any field. As long as you work hard and actively make an effort to learn, anything is possible.
What is Church theatre and how is it different from theatre? Do they do the productions in the church itself??
Anyways, I think there's some great advice. I am not an overly confident person, in fact a lot of times I'm downright insecure about my work. I try to remedy this by ceasing to compare my work to others, and just try and figure out if I'm happy with it. I also think his point on how people often will give an opinion or a thought even if they don't have the correct expertise to do so has led to an over flux of misinformation in the real world. Everyone seems obligated to give an opinion, but the problem is, a lot of people like to state their opinions as fact. I can't count the number of times even here at CMU that I have gotten three different answers from people that all inevitably were wrong. If you don't know the answer to something, just say you don't. There's no shame in that.
One valuable thing that I think this article teaches us is learn to listen more and speak less. Often times when people stop and listen they will realize that there is still a lot to learn. If they don't listen, they'll never know. However, I do think that speaking is necessary in order for you to learn. For example, if you don't know how to do something, you have to ask in order for someone to teach you. The "noise" and "signal" that the author is talking about should be balanced. I also agree that building relationships will take you higher, this is especially true since I came to CMU. Unlike in high school, there is no textbook to go to and we have a lot to learn from each other.
I really like reading the articles about church production because, as a non-believer from an area of the country where mega-churches just aren't a thing, a giant, theatrical production every Sunday is totally foreign to me (Jonathan Edwards would have frowned pretty heavily on the notion of Christian rock). The piece of advice I like the most from this article is the one about the "signal-to-noise" ratio. I frequently fall into the trap of, being inexperienced at almost everything I do right now, seeking external validation or guidance from a lot of people, which has often proved to be ultimately less productive than trusting my gut. Right now, it's easier to get away with that because I'm physically surrounded by people who do the exact same thing that I do every day, so context does not need to be communicated nearly as completely. When I leave here, and (hopefully) take a job that fulfills a relatively unique role within an organization, that safety net of people who inherently understand the people, the politics, and the job that I'm trying to do goes away, and I will probably have to institute a much finer filter on the advice I get from others.
At some point in everyone’s career they are going to feel unqualified or hesitant of whether or not you are right for your job. It’s in our human nature to always question the certainty of ourselves and the opportunities that we have been given. It’s in the moments that we question ourselves do we begin to grow. We grow based on our actions to stay or leave, which ultimately defines who we are as people. It’s when we chose to stay and ask for help that I believe people grow more because it shows a sense of open-mindedness, a willingness and dedication to getting better, and a deeper understand of oneself by recognizing their own weakness. And often times people will walk into a situation feeling like they are at the level of unconscious incompetence out of fear of not knowing enough, but just by having the fear and the willingness to ask for help that puts them at the level where they can grow; conscious incompetence. It’s as they learn and focus that they will reach conscious competence and be able to help those who once questioned their abilities as well.
Freshman year is a whirlwind. Some days are awesome, and others not. Sometimes my mood changes within the course of a class period. Being thrown coursework that I've never dealt with before is difficult, but I try to remember to allow myself to be open and ready to accept these challenges. This article really forces home the idea that one must be open to listening and learning rather than being complacent and stuck in what we already know. In the theatre especially things are asked of us all the time that at first we do not know how to do, or understand. We must listen, and not talk first.
I spend a lot of time in 33. There are many opinions and opinion seekers. The "noise-to-level ratio" talked about in this article makes me think about what is not necessary and what is a confidence boost. In the "real world" there won't be as many people to seek advice from, and it seems as if you're on your own a lot of time when it comes to work. The article makes me want to become more self-critical and not rely on others opinions.
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