So I’ve been very busy with life, hence I haven’t been paying too much attention to my baby: my site! In fact, my viewership has been a bit lower, but I finally understand why content creators take long breaks. Either way, I plan on revamping my site up a bit as I enter my new life transitions.
The real reason for this blog was to talk about the extremities of Hollywood: After 2 paid Hollywood internships, a promotion at The CW, and now into my executive assistant role at HBO Max, my journey hasn’t been easy, yet it’s been much quicker in comparison to people who spend years trying to make it. I didn’t graduate from the notable TV school at NYU known as Tisch, and I only realized my interest in TV into my sophomore year. Yet, some may consider me lucky. And in some ways I may even agree.
Struggling to Make It
I take pride in everything I received. Growing up from an immigrant, low income background has taught me how to manage my money and how to be humble. So the moment I started working and being able to gain these internships despite people around me taking more rigorous classes, I felt lucky to get a foot in the door let alone getting to work with big companies that were so competitive to get into. In fact, I’m one of the few in my class to score a full time job in entertainment.
The entertainment industry is crazy hard to get into. Many people juggle unpaid internships, low paying jobs in entertainment agencies, and deal with verbal abuse just to get some type of experience in Hollywood. Don’t even get me started on the struggle actors and how even certain conditions make it harder for upcoming actors.
Even when I was at my old job looking for work, I struggled with looking for work that actually gave me decent salary. Let alone, I struggled with securing an actual job that gave me the chance despite already having a decent amount of experience despite being a sorta new college grad.
So the moment I got a job with great pay, benefits and reputation despite my “beginner experience”, I was in shock by not going through the “struggle years” many people go through just to get half of what I’m earning right now in entertainment. And after hearing horror stories and how my fellow co-workers had to juggle a few jobs, I personally lucked out of that. Though, I do feel people shouldn’t have to struggle either in any industry just to “make it” and pay bills. And to be fair, no one should feel lucky to get paid enough to eat and not feel burdened. That’s capitalism for you.
Nepotism
However, recently I’ve been seeing photos of a fellow classmate scoring acting gigs. And although I would normally be happy for other people’s success, a part of me had to vent to a few friends who happen to be in the business. This classmate is the son of a very famous actor hence why he’s getting all these acting gigs.
I’ve been vocal about my working class background insecurities in college. In fact, I’m soon about to publish another blog expressing how my insecurities have followed me into my current job. Nonetheless, I never received “hand-outs” or any much familial help with anything regarding life milestones. So when I saw my former classmate easily receive what many struggling actors have yet to taste, I was honestly annoyed. It’s your constant, you have to make connections type of world.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’d want to help my kids succeed in many ways. However, I’d also want them to work for their rewards versus having them handed to them.
Despite that, It’s A Hard World
I am very much ambitious and hardworking. Let alone, I’m more than happy I got a job within the industry I got my degree in. I deserved it (though I need to blog about my big imposter syndrome) Despite not coming from the wealthiest family (which also leads to another blog topic for the future), I’m doing pretty well for myself helping my mama with her bills/rent (with the help of my working brother of course) while officially moving into my first apartment next week. It’s stories like that you don’t see getting played in your Hollywood movies.
Hollywood is full of people struggling to pay their bills, not finding longterm success, and your fakes. And don’t get me wrong, I’m no millionaire at any sort. But, I feel blessed with my accomplishments (though even my job has had its struggles and your girl struggles at times) especially being so young. I feel even more blessed to be a success story in a family full of dreamers who are about that action. And I feel extra good already having my presence in an industry that needs opinionated people of color, who beat all odds, like me to diverse shit up.
Despite all this, like all things I can’t say where my journey will lead me to. I’m 22, with a a lot on my head career wise and mentally. I’d be lying to say I wasn’t nervous about my next few chapters. But seeing how far I’m came from my freshman self into being a young woman moving across the state with full familial support working for a crazy a big company, I have to have some faith in myself.
