Not "The Guy"

Sometimes the hat doesn't fit.

It happens all the time in the creative arts; you take on a project with the best of intentions, contracts are signed, handshakes and smiles are exchanged. Somewhere down the line, things aren't working out - the "vision" changes, or the executive staff changes, or you just don't get your work done on time. Finally, the realization creeps in that indeed, you're not "The Guy" for this job.

The hat doesn't fit.

Restaffing, in ANY business, is a terrible process, and an occasionally traumatic one at that. Psychologists will invoke Kubler-Ross to describe the various states of mind people generally endure during these kinds of transitions; the span from denial to acceptance.

For professionals in the creative arts, it's in our best interest to get to the "acceptance" stage sooner than later. Failing to do so can stress the personal relationships upon which commercial endeavors are built. As I've stated before: it's about relationships.

And in the interests of preserving those relationships, sometimes the best thing you can do is acknowledge you're not "The Guy", the hat doesn't fit, and graciously move forward. Because, truth be told, few things make you look more foolish than a hat that doesn't fit.

Photo by Zooomr's ljosberinn.