Define Your Own Success
So I ran across this music video by an artist named Siow on the Big WoWo blog.
Check it out:
And this is what Big WoWo had to say about the video:
"The Siow video above is okay, but it has neither a plot nor aesthetics. It doesn’t stand out, and that’s a problem. As the woman who sent the video pointed out to me, Asian men have a higher bar. You just can’t have a 'me too' attitude when it comes to getting out there because you’ll look like everyone else, and because of your Asian-ness you’ll fall through people’s attention. You won’t stand out. And if you have the looks, the voice, the rhythm, the melody, and the talent, there’s no reason not to stand out."
For the most part I agree with Big WoWo. If you want to be successful, then you have to stand out. But I think this applies no matter what the race, ethnicity or gender. A boring video is a boring video regardless of the ethnicities involved.
Now I have no idea who is this Siow guy. If this Siow guy was just starting out, then I think the video and song would be a success in that it's his first music video. Success at an early stage simply means completion. In other words, if you ran your first marathon and completed it but didn't come in first or even in the top 50%, then you shouldn't define it as a failure. You should define your own success and say, "I did good. I completed my first marathon. Next time, I'll work on bettering my performance. If I perform better, then that would be a success."
Too many people take this all or none approach to everything. They define everything by success or failure, when in reality, most situations are opportunities to learn and practice.
Define your own success.
Check it out:
And this is what Big WoWo had to say about the video:
"The Siow video above is okay, but it has neither a plot nor aesthetics. It doesn’t stand out, and that’s a problem. As the woman who sent the video pointed out to me, Asian men have a higher bar. You just can’t have a 'me too' attitude when it comes to getting out there because you’ll look like everyone else, and because of your Asian-ness you’ll fall through people’s attention. You won’t stand out. And if you have the looks, the voice, the rhythm, the melody, and the talent, there’s no reason not to stand out."
For the most part I agree with Big WoWo. If you want to be successful, then you have to stand out. But I think this applies no matter what the race, ethnicity or gender. A boring video is a boring video regardless of the ethnicities involved.
Now I have no idea who is this Siow guy. If this Siow guy was just starting out, then I think the video and song would be a success in that it's his first music video. Success at an early stage simply means completion. In other words, if you ran your first marathon and completed it but didn't come in first or even in the top 50%, then you shouldn't define it as a failure. You should define your own success and say, "I did good. I completed my first marathon. Next time, I'll work on bettering my performance. If I perform better, then that would be a success."
Too many people take this all or none approach to everything. They define everything by success or failure, when in reality, most situations are opportunities to learn and practice.
Define your own success.
Comments
It's undoubtedly due to being constantly burned by the media and how it chooses to portray us, but I've talked to other AMs who are in Hollywood and who are in the limelight and the level of self-criticism, is significantly higher and unfairly so.
It becomes a crab in the barrel syndrome. Instead of supporting an Asian brother trying to make it big in Hollywood, music, or whathaveyou, people are more likely to try to tear you down because what they see in you is what they dislike about themselves.
Hell I have friends who get jealous and tear me down in subtle ways when I'm happy and or successful.
But I do agree with Byron, Asian men need to be damn good. So good that people look beyond race.