Damians encouraging and rejoicing voice talks about allowing space to achieve career goals and how to break the shame around failure.
Q N°1: Tell us what you do and what projects you’re currently up to!
I’m a journalist and broadcaster, telling real life stories from the fringes and amplifying the voices of the most vulnerable in our society.
Q N°2: Home for you?
When I’m surrounded by the people I love and who love me.
Q N°3: What advice would you give your younger creative self?
Forget about straight lines. We visualise our career trajectories as linear, assuming that we’ll gradually ascend from point A to point B to point C and so forth in a structured, regular manner. You’ll soon realise this isn’t for you, and although it will be confusing and no-one around you will quite understand, you will move away from this regimented way of thinking, and that is OK. Think of your career as a river as you move towards your career goals. Rivers can be fast flowing or smooth, narrow or wide. They also travel through different environments and types of terrain, adapting to forge their own path and responding to stimulus. Rivers also provide plenty of opportunities to stop, relax and take in the view en route to a destination. By accepting your professional and creative journey will have a similar ebb and flow you will become more open to change, more alert to new opportunities and be kinder to yourself in allowing space and time to achieve your goals.
Q N°4: Was there a moment or learning curve that dramatically shaped your path as a professional?
To reconfigure ‘failure’. To quote Bruce Springsteen: Nobody wins, unless everybody wins. The ‘win’ would be embracing failure and reducing collective pressure and competitiveness. We are conditioned to revel in the failure of our competitors or frenemies. If we’re honest, I’m sure there have been times when we’ve all secretly gloated over someone else mucking it up, perhaps relieved that it wasn’t us in the firing line this time. These micro-behaviours feed the wider culture of shame around failure, and are just as important an area for change. So, now when I hear about someone else’s ‘failure’, I have resolved to be kinder, and try to offer support and productive, pro-active conversation rather than just be glad I wasn’t the one who got it wrong.
The f word is an integral part of the evaluation process, and changing my mindset to what I deemed as a failure has only spurred and helped me to achieve meaningful results more quickly.
Q N°5: Could you recommend a book, platform or other that re-shifted your perspective and approach to creative work?
Substack has been a real game changer for writers. It has changed the power dynamic, giving back control to the author or journalist. On Substack, you get the benefits of sharing and collaboration, growth and conversation, and elegant publishing and consumption experiences but most importantly you have control. You own your content and mailing list. You can have deep relationships with writers and even other subscribers. You choose what you see and who you hang out with. It is a system that brings people together while respecting their individuality.
I’m very early on my Substack journey,and please join me at Memories from the Dance Floor, but so far I am loving its offering – power and growth coupled with full creative freedom
Thanks for reading Heart to Heart with Damian Kerlin (@damiankerlin)!
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