A lot of creatives are taught a common myth: that if they just sit around and get good enough at their craft, everything else will take care of itself. "Let your work speak for itself", they're told.
And this can feel comforting. Instead of needing to exist out in the world, we can just hide behind our screens, shoot out the occasional demo reel and resume, and never do the difficult human part of actually making friends in the industry.
But here's the thing: your work can't speak for itself. It isn't a person. Your work needs a spokesperson - someone to actively promote it to some degree. And no, promoting your work doesn't mean that you get to send countless strangers your demo reel without permission.
Instead, getting traction in your career is about becoming someone that people can trust. Skill is a part of that trust, yes, but a lot of trust is gained through actual face time. Through things like online chats, in-person or online gatherings, conferences, thank-you emails, and most importantly, through a genuine desire to actually meet others without a secret agenda of getting a job from them.
Once you start meeting people and making connections and friends, everything gets easier. You no longer need to "sell" yourself. Instead of begging strangers for work, you'll have friends who are interested in talking to you already.
So, don't fool yourself into hiding away and thinking your work alone can do all the talking.
Instead, be the spokesperson your work deserves.
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