Newsletter #17: The Best Compliment I've Ever Gotten
It was about my work, but also not about my work.
Hi! I have a lot of new subscribers, which I am incredibly grateful for! Thanks so much to
and her amazing Substack for recommending me! She’s one of my favorite teachers and has such a wealth of knowledge about the acting and VO industry. If you don’t know her writing yet, please go check it out!I do want to warn you, that the way I write is pretty unfiltered and I tackle some heavy stuff in pretty humorous tones. For me, making jokes about the very real and very hard struggles of my life helps me cope. If you are not comfortable with making jokes about certain things about mental illness, then I urge you to politely unsubscribe, no harm done! 😊 Okay content warning over hehe
I booked another commercial.
Hahaha I can’t believe it either.
And also I can.
Because that’s the Creative’s predicament right? To oscillate back and forth between knowing how capable and amazing you are and also doubting yourself into pessimistic doom.
And both serve something.
Without knowing or thinking or at least having a tiny itsy bitsy minuscule kernel of TRUST in our abilities, we wouldn’t be even trying to live a life pursuing art.
And the doubt, the insecurity, the “what if’s” allow us to always be seeking improvement, lighting a fire under our butts, keeping us humble (and therefore morally superior…SOMEONE HAD TO SAY IT WE’RE ALL THINKING IT. If you’re sooooo hyper “aware” of all of your short comings no one can point a finger at you and call you delusional for believing in yourself and therefore you are better than the “silly ones” who are full of themselves and talentless. Perhaps more on this in another post…Maggie, stay FOCUSED).
And on this commercial shoot, I got one of the best compliments I’ve ever gotten.
It’s been a really rough, confusing couple of months, you guys.
I essentially got feedback from people I really trust, people I know very well (who I thought knew me very well…) that completely contradicts with my sense of self.
Feedback that was not told to me in a moment that would have allowed me the grace to apologize, or make right, OR even defend my actions.
Assumptions were made about me. Decisions were made without me. And I was left picking up my own pieces, trying to reconcile with how what I was hearing did not align with the standard that I set for myself (nor did it align with my experience of the events, but that’s beside the point).
And I was fucking ROCKED, you guys. Like my entire sense of who I am was SHOOK. Maybe I should doubt everything now! Maybe I shouldn’t believe a single good thing anyone has ever said to me! Maybe I actually can’t trust any of my experiences in a creative or work environment. Maybe I am literal, complete, unprofessional, garbage.
As you can imagine, for the folk with OCD, this would be a ✨bit triggering✨.
And so I was a mess for a week. And then I was FURIOUS for a week. And then I was vacillating back and forth between those within minutes.
And then I booked.
And for the weeks that followed until the shoot day I vacillated between “YES! That’ll show them!! I am amazing and wonderful to work with and talented and great!”
and
“But what if the casting, agency, and commercial client are wrong about me? What if I am terrible and don’t deserve this amazing job and on the day of the shoot I’ll fold under the pressure and prove all of them right about me?”
This is where my (and your) therapist chimes in and says, “Maybe that thinking is a little ‘black and white?’”
Me:
What would I (or you) say to a friend in this situation?
If a friend of mine messed up or got harsh feedback, would you say to them, “Well I guess that’s the end of your career. You have no right to any subsequent success and should probably throw in the towel”?
Or would you say, “Go for it. We are not all one thing. You have many many many good traits. And as much as effect matters, I know you would never want to cause someone harm. And there is so much evidence from your past experiences that you have done good work, have been helpful and kind to people, and that folks want to work with you and are even grateful for the opportunity. Mistakes, even complete failings, don’t change that.”
Maybe that was a little therapeutic for me to write. I dunno, I’ll never tell. 🤐
So I’m on this set for this commercial. It’s AMAZING. The kind of day that just completely reaffirms for you that you are doing what you really want to do.
And I decide that as much as I’m doubting, as much I as my OCD scares me into thinking they’ll “find me out” about how “terrible I am,” I will do the work. I will work as hard as I would in any given creative situation. I will be as kind, as excited, and as positive as I can be. And I’m going to be funny. I shall have FUN with the script and direction that they give me whether they like it or not! I will take the notes they give me into oblivion! I will engage with everyone I have the golden opportunity to work with! I will keep my energy UP all day!!!
There are times when I deliver my lines and out of the corner of my eye I see the 15 production individuals turn their heads to cover their laughter as to not ruin the shot.
And there were many really wonderful compliments I got throughout that day. I was doing a great job! I was so funny!
But it wasn’t until we wrapped that I heard the compliment that meant the world to me to hear.
As I’m handing over my microphone back to the sound guy, he says to me,
“Thanks for making today fun.”
It matters a lot to me that people think I’m talented. It matters a lot to me that people trust me to create good work.
But to hear that I made the experience of working on something fun for someone else…
I could not have asked for something better to hear right now.
This post is I guess about a couple things;
You contain multitudes, and you deserve to be happy and successful even if you make mistakes or if people see you differently than you see yourself.
And also, what do you want to bring to a creative environment? I for one, want to bring my talent, my work ethic, but I also want to bring joy.
It’s a collaborative art form. And I want to bring joy. Maybe I’ve failed at some point. But that’s still my mission. And I will continue to work towards it because I know it’s something I can do and something I have done. That is who I am, and I will hold on to that.
Short Films
A short film I was in called Blue Hour is making the rounds at festivals right now!
It’s a beautiful and meaningful piece and working with my new friend Esther Um, who wrote and directed the film was so inspiring.
I was also in a short film written and directed by my pal Danny Shaw that is in the final stages of being edited. Danny texted me last spring and said “Maggie, I have a role you’d be PERFECT for!!! She’s the most annoying person I’ve ever met.”
You can watch the sneak peak for Talk To Each Other right here!
Solo Show Coaching
I am currently working with folks from ideation to production on their solo shows!
“Maggie’s creative sensibility, support for my vision, & practical suggestions made her such a creative wellspring that helped me put my first solo show on its feet!”
- Michelle R, Professor/Improviser/Storyteller
If you are interested and would like a ✨FREE 20 min consultation✨ send me an email at maggiemetnick1@gmail.com!
Stuff to Check Out
I’m going to try making this section a little differently, where the section will be shorter but more focused on individual artists I want to promote!
Shows
Just And - Hilarious improv duo featuring REAL best friends Andy Vega and Justin Kosisky fighting for their lives at UCB’s Cage Match! Nov 7th, 10pm at UCB.
ACAB: Angry, Crazy & Black! - The highly talented Sydney Duncan presents her solo show that is sure to be a ton of laughs and a ton of ANGER as part of New York Comedy Festival! Nov 16th, 7pm at Brookyln Art Haus.
Podcast
Our Anime Podcast - Alli Green and Gio Patrick host a super fun and informative podcast on all things anime! You can even listen to the episode I guested on in which I discuss anime has been changing my life! Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Short Film
GOOD BOY - There’s still time for a horror short! Especially a very fun one written by and featuring my very talented friend Emma Young.
Music Video
Face in the Crowd by Shallou - Bix Giegerich is an incredibly talented writer and director who directed this really beautiful music video!
Mental Health
The biggest thing my therapist has been trying to get me to practice right now is something that the big mentally well boys call…
✨🌸💜✨🌸Self Compassion✨🌸💜✨🌸
I’m like “what do you mean I’ll actually feel better and get more things done if I am kind to myself???? Who am I?? Other people???”
What I’m Loving
October may be over but to honestly tell you what I’ve been loving recently, I GOTTA talk about Spooky Lake Month.
@Geodesaurus on insta and tiktok does 31 Days of Haunted Hydrology every October and man, it’s just. It’s just so good. Like every year it is something I get excited about.
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That’s all from me for now! As always, I’d really love to hear your feedback on topics you’re interested in having to do with acting, writing, creativity, comedy, and mental health 🥳
And if you would like to support my writing, you can upgrade to a paid subscription at any time. But reading and engaging with my free posts is a wonderful way to support my work as well 😊
Much love,
Maggie ✨