N.Y.P. part 2

So in my last post I was talking about N.Y.P., aka Not Your People.

I recently came across another N.Y.P.

This one is someone who's on my target list of people that I'm trying to build relationships with. They're very successful and have worked on some projects I'd love to have been a part of. I met this particular person a couple years ago when I had the opportunity to show them my work...and they were less than impressed. I think it was probably some of the harshest feedback I had gotten at the time. But from what I heard this person was hard on everyone, not mean, just brutally honest. Even the person in charge agreed, but that's how it is out there. Not too long ago I heard this person speak at an event. They had great information but I kind of got the sense maybe they are used to working with people at a higher level than I am right now. Then I saw they were going to be at a workshop. I signed up. It went...okay. Not my best work, but not my worst. Got average feedback. But considering how tough this person is I was actually impressed with the feedback I got. It was better than the feedback I got the first time around.

Now, if I had done horrible at the workshops I've been to recently I'd be concerned. But I've been doing well and getting great feedback. The other interesting thing is that I've met someone that this person has collaborated with in the past and I've gotten great feedback from them.

I also wonder if subconsciously I knew this person didn't like me the first time I met them and that was just sitting in the back of my mind and affected my performance. I really tried to go in there with a "let me show you what I can do now!" attitude. Oh well. I've probably long been forgotten about. And that's fine.

So what does this all mean? I think it's safe to say that this person is an N.Y.P. At least for now. Who knows, maybe a year or two from now when I have more credits I'll cross paths with this person again and they'll love my work. Why burn a bridge now? But for now I think they'll be coming off my target list, at least for workshops. Why spend $40 to try to impress someone who I probably will never impress when I could take that money and use it towards a workshop with someone else on my list, and that person could become a new fan! I actually think Dallas Travers mentioned that you attend a workshop and find out someone is an N.Y.P. and not worth continuing to target, that alone right there is worth the price of the workshop. I might still send postcards, etc. but I think I might just remove them from my list. Why waste the time energy trying to impress an N.Y.P. when I could use that time to be creating or maintaining a relationship with someone who actually likes my work. In the past I've wasted too much time trying to make N.Y.P.s my people...and I need to learn to let go of that.

So N.Y.P., I wish you the best of luck! Hopefully your next project is a success. I'll still check IMDB and Google your name every so often to see what you're up to. And who knows, maybe we'll cross paths again at some point! But for now, I think it's for the best to remove you from my target list.