I often find when thinking of what to write in these blogs I call on the topics that I've been talking about with mates during the week. For a while now my beliefs have slowly been morphed by a story I heard late last year. Harrison Ford, leading man of Indiana Jones and star in huge franchises like Star Wars was a struggling actor in the 60s and 70s. The thought process and philosophy that got him there has totally rewired the way I view reaching success, especially as I grow older.
As many do Ford had moved out to Los Angelas in the 60s to pursue acting. Time went by and he hadn't made his big break yet. Making enough to feed himself and pay rent. For any ex dreamers or people that have known someone with a dream, the slow demise can be devastating to experience or watch, to see hope slowly leave someone. People pursue safer career paths as the ever looming adulthood gets closer. I always so deeply opposed that train of thought which is cliche of a creative but once hearing Ford's story I realised there was a mature and healthy balance to pursuing a big dream.
A younger me would envision something along the lines of "the greater the sacrifice the greater the reward". I still subscribe to that idea in some ways although Ford shows a more level headed approach. Ford was approached by a friend to do some carpentry on a music studio in his back yard, completely unqualified he took the job. For whatever reason they thought he was a carpenter. Word got around locally and before he knew it he was making a living off woodwork, completely self taught. He was mid/late 20's at this time, often when the last of the dreamers will throw the towel in, but because of his added income Ford never had to leave LA as opposed to other failed creatives retreating back home. This allowed him to be around for auditions, network and just as importantly not have to take roles he wasn't impressed by. Often as a creative out of pure desperation it is easy to just take what's been given, settle for whatever you can get because it is so difficult to make a living in creative industries, but those small lowering of standards have a compounding branding effect. Having income from carpentry shielded him from being branded by poor rolls.
He states "The lack of rolls being offered to me was frustrating but I was never defeated by my frustration". I imagine many people in the same position as Ford would take their good living from their fall back job and call it quits, wouldn't be a bad life either but he still had his eyes set on acting. Although it seems he fell into this job as a carpenter it is very intentional that he never gave up hope, with foresight we can all set ourselves up with good livings/jobs that allow us to still pursue what we really want. Although the challenge is not the job or receiving the qualifications to be eligible, it's that in the mean time we need to continue to believe that we can one day pay ourselves off our passion.
At 33 years old Harrison Ford was casted as Han Solo in Star Wars because the Art Director had brought him in to fix a door while they were in the casting process. The Tradie had stayed in the fight till the last round and he won. Ford went on to star in numerous iconic movies, he lives a private life in his Beverly Hills home renovated by himself.
a Story of Endurance.
- Simon
