What I learned from Entourage about fear.

I love Entourage!

Okay, I have to be honest; I’ve never Entourage. I’ve never even looked at a portion of a single episode. I know people love it, and it’s the quintessential ‘guy’ show. I guess I’ve missed out.

I did listen to an interview with Doug Ellin, the creator and writer of Entourage.

I was fascinated.

KCRW host Elvis Mitchell interviewed Ellin, and they talked about a range of topics. They covered the show’s basis around Ellin’s life and experience with a close group of life-long friends. He talked about a drama he is creating with Spike Lee and Mike Tyson(!).

He also talked about fear influences actors.

Fear came up when Mitchell references a character (who plays an actor) who agrees to act in various roles but doesn’t pre-read any scripts. Ellin insists that this is not fiction but reality in Hollywood. An actors may be offered millions of dollars to take a role, but he won’t read the script out of fear.

These actors/actresses won’t read the script because they are afraid they won’t be able to portray the role; it’s beyond their capabilities. They are believed to be one of the top actors in the world (offered millions of dollars) but don’t believe it themselves.

Fear is something that every creative person deals with.

Kia and I talked the same night about a friend who through the years has had multiple opportunities to develop a business around her art, but she continually stops short. She isn’t alone. I’ve met literally hundreds of photographers who are allowing fear to hold them back from truly pursuing their dreams.

Fear is like a wall standing in the way of seeing our goals become reality. Fear is the common barrier we all are forced to break through to meet our dreams. Here are a few things you can do to overcome fears in your life, photography or business.

1. Write down your fears.

It doesn’t matter what it is. Write it down.

• I won’t make enough money.
• People won’t like what I create.
• I’ll say/do the wrong thing.
• I’ll never get out of debt.

Something almost magical happens when you write your fears. Your fear begins to lose power to control your life.

2. List the worst possible outcomes.

Fear has such a strong hold on us because it isn’t rational. I see this most clearly in my kids. So many things they are afraid of, I have dealt with in my life. Amazingly, I have lived through each one (and even with a moderate amount of success).

Figuring out the worst possible outcome takes power away from our fear. We realize that there is so much more in our lives. We have more potential for greatness (if the dream becomes reality). We will be left with more than what we will lose (if the worst possible outcome turns out to be true).

3. Talk to someone with an outside perspective.

It doesn’t really matter who it is as long as you trust them.

The person could be a spouse or business partner, but it may need to be someone who is completely removed from the situation. I see partners (in life or business) who create a cycle of fear by talking ONLY to one another about the issues they are facing. The fear continues to hold them back, and it becomes magnified.

4. Take small steps.

The size of a dream can be the biggest fear we have to overcome. Again, make a list. See how you can break down the project into small, doable chunks.

I had to do this recently after analyzing The Collective. I stopped doing a few things that were wasting my time, and I chose to tackle 2-3 smaller goals each week. The result has been success in accomplishing things that were sitting on my plate for a couple of months.

Finally, I’ve posted several articles on The Collective about overcoming fear as an artist/creator the last few months (both by myself and others). Here are a few that are worth reading:

• Nelson Mandela and your project.
• 3 Lessons learned from creating The Collective.
• It’s not about me…
• 7 Ways to overcome fear.
• Bounce back…do you have it?