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Wow, have things been tough lately! Significant sections of our industry came to a screaming halt in a matter of days, if not hours. All of it out of our hands, as we wait for the day we are allowed to gather in large groups again. Sadly, at this point, we just have to sit back waiting to see what happens, though we all know it will come back one day. Our industry is about community between concerts, lectures, outdoor movies, festivals, and more. We bring communities together and when this virus has passed, communities will be stronger than ever. For now, we must wait out the storm and be resilient, which is easier said than done for most of us since we all have concerns regarding paying bills, staying engaged and employed, being able to buy basic life needs, remaining mentally healthy, physically strong, and so much more.
Barring a global pandemic as individuals we encounter different issues and problems throughout our careers and life. How we choose to deal with this rollercoaster is extremely important. We must be resilient. We must be able to bounce back from the lowest of lows the industry has seen, but we must also be able to bounce back as individuals when faced with hard times.
When setbacks happen it’s ok to get upset. Be upset and work through the feelings you are having. It is healthy to work through your emotions and know many of us are feeling the same.
Now I am not going to go in-depth with the concept, but if you are struggling, look into this model and see if you can work through the process because it is important to process your emotions so you can move forward.
To move forward we need to work through our options. Some more favorable than others, but for each individual, it will be different. Options could be finding a new career path, finally opening your new business as you have desired for the last 10 years, and/or learn new skills and expand your horizons. Anything to move forward. Get out of the rut that has occurred and pick yourself up because things will return to a new normal and we all will be a part of it in some way or another. This could look like a day of planning for your future, taking new classes, processing your long-term plans and taking steps to achieve them, reaching out to folks regarding new opportunities, and/or all of the above.
Shut the door on the negative emotions and put everything into practice that you have done to be resilient and move forward. Start putting your new plans into place. Open a storefront, teach the next generation about our industry, work that show you’ve always wanted to, eat at your favorite restaurant, be within 6 feet of someone that’s not your family and so much more! (Ok, maybe extended personal space is good). Take steps for yourself to gain back your momentum so you begin to reach your new goals. Before we know it, everything will feel right again. It is important to not get stuck in anger and grief. We all have setbacks and although right now it is a global setback, there is still your individual impact and how you react. That is what will set you apart from everyone else. So be resilient, by processing the emotions you are experiencing, plan, learn, and change for what is to come and dive in headfirst when this pandemic has passed.
Article by SoundGirl: Heather Holm
Another great article by SoundGirls: You Are Not a Unicorn: The Transferable Skills You Already Have
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The mission of SoundGirls.org is to inspire and empower the next generation of women in audio. Our mission is to create a supportive community for women in audio and music production, providing the tools, knowledge, and support to further their careers. SoundGirls.Org was formed in 2013 by veteran live sound engineers Karrie Keyes and Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato and operates under the Fiscal Sponsorship of The California Women’s Music Festival, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. In 2012, Karrie and Michelle participated in the “Women of Professional Concert Sound” panel at the AES Conference in San Francisco. The panel was hosted by the Women’s Audio Mission (WAM) and moderated by WAM founder Terri Winston. Terri brought together five women working in live and broadcast audio. The groundbreaking panel (which also included Jeri Palumbo, Claudia Engelhart and Deanne Franklin), provided young women and men a glimpse into life on the road, tips and advice, and a Q & A with the panelists. More importantly though, was how incredibly powerful the experience was for the panelists. We had all been in the business for 20 years or more, yet most of us had never met before that day and within minutes we bonded like long-lost sisters. We were struck by how similar our experiences, work ethics, and passions were and wondered why our paths had never crossed and how our careers would have been different had we been there to support each other through the years. Each of us are strong on our own, but together we were even stronger and a powerful force. We were empowered. Each of us had been asked hundreds of times in our careers: Are there other women doing sound? How did you get into sound? How would a young woman go about getting into sound? Through creating SoundGirls.Org, we hope to establish a place for women working in professional audio to come for support and advice, to share our success and failures, our joys and frustrations, and for empowerment and inspiration.
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