Interview for Creatives!
Personally, I've never considered the possibility of having to be in a situation where I have to explain my abilities, my strengths and weaknesses and answer questions regarding to my creativity. I always believed and somewhat still do that Interviews are not for people like me, the Creatives. How do you judge creativity, or art? Can you measure it? Is there a scale for it? What is good art and bad art? If I create something which gives me artistic satisfaction and something which has the ability to give hope, happiness and strength to even one person out of 7 Billion people, even if it is for the tiniest fraction of time, then who is to judge whether I am a good artist or a bad artist? Like, where do you draw the line? Does your opinion matter to me? Will I stop doing what I like if you said so? There are just too many unanswered questions. But, this lecture enlightened me with this idea that I am more than just an artist. I am a professional as well. And by definition, being a professional means the one who provides a service, for which he is qualified, to someone in exchange of financial reward.
The only thing that separates a professional from an amateur is his/her qualification. This means that whilst studying at SAE, I am a "Professional" in the making. Professionals, whether creative or not, are bound to be in a situation where they might have to deal with people who in turn can turn out to be potential clients or customers or an employer. So there is a possibility that I might have to sit an Interview, either formal or informal, in order to be given a chance to provide my "Professional" service in exchange for the "Goodies". This topic is really important because if you are unable to satisfy your employer or customer and gain their trust, you will not get the job opportunity. Opportunities for creative professionals are rare and invaluable. You never know which project may put you in the spotlight. Taking about the Music Industry in particular, the career pathways are almost endless. So it is not necessary that you will become a professional musician, singer or rapper, etc., you might become a Music journalist, A&R manager for a label, manager for a band, music critic, publicist, etc. and simultaneously have a career as a musician or rapper as well.
I really liked the different techniques, questions and possible scenarios discussed in the lecture. This lecture has showed me a whole new perspective of the Music Industry. It has showed me where I stand and which areas I should focus on. Now, I feel better prepared for any such situation and feel more confident.