Am I Falling Behind?
Papi, please tell me I have plenty of time
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¡Hola Papi!
I’m a guy in my late thirties in the creative arts. To be specific, I’m a struggling actor. Those two sentences alone feel like enough information for a letter, but I’ll keep going. I’ve landed some projects here and there, which I’m really grateful for! I get steady-ish work, and I make some money, which is more than a lot of my peers get, and I know I should be content with that. But the thing is, Papi, I’m not. There are a couple of people in my circle who have really found a groove in their careers, and they’re thriving. I’m happy for them, but I’m also looking at the fact that we’re similar people in similar age brackets, and it makes me worry that I’m falling behind.
As I continue to age, as we all do, I’m feeling avenues start to close for advancement, opportunities starting to shrink, and I’m nowhere near where I want to be in terms of success. It’s starting to consume my thoughts, which in turn makes me feel worse about the work I do get, and it’s making acting a lot less fun than it used to be. How can I shake these feelings, stop worrying about if it’s too late for me, and just enjoy where I’m at?
Signed,
Thirty-Something Thespian
Hey there, TT!
Girl, not the inexorable march of time. We resolved this issue several columns ago.