Aspiring creators say yes to any gig – because they’re striving to be able to make their mark, to make their living, to make their art.
They just want to make.
As we get busier and more established, we still tend to say yes to as many gigs as we can fit in, probably because being busy is a status symbol, but also because it affirms that we’re succeeding at our art, and because we’ve practiced saying yes.
That’s why it came as such a revelation to say no to a gig recently. “It’s a great opportunity, but it’s not for me.” That’s the truth: I know what my strengths are, and I also know the direction I’m aimed. I want to keep heading that way, so I take gigs that help me down that road.
Learning to say no to gigs is scary, but it’s the only way to make sure you can say yes to the right gigs.