The Power of Clothes

I can literally say nothing on this subject that has not been said by my betters and wisers. Some of my favorite bloggers on this subject are Already Pretty and Inside Out Style. They are the inspiration behind my plan for tomorrow. At college I really came into my own in the theatre department. I took on a lot of responsibility and wound up with quite a bit of authority. It took a couple of years, though, and some big "make it or break it" milestones. Now I have to be able to portray that competency immediately. When I go into a call I am leading things. The actual authority lies with the master electrician and master stage carpenters but I tell them what to do. Since I have yet to meet someone in this position I wouldn't trust, I will always accept tips on what order is easiest or what can and can't be done in a certain amount of time. However, if I seem like I don't know what I'm doing, the day is shot. They won't trust me so they will feel like they have to take over, which is not their job and they shouldn't be expected to cover for me. In my past few check-ins with my supervisors, they're biggest tip moving forward is to be confident that I know what I'm doing "because I do". Alas that is the hard part, isn't it? I'm good at my job but saying that sounds like I'm bragging. Plus the people I will be "leading" will almost always be older and more experienced than me. How can I make them think they should listen to me when I'm not sure they should? I believe the answer lies in faking it.

Mission: Embrace my personal power

Description: Use a fun, bolder outfit to inspire confidence.

Backstory time: There is a memorial taking place in our smaller theatre tomorrow and I am in charge of lights. We're in the middle of tech for another show and one of my bosses is moving into his new house. Plus I wanted a chance to spread my wings. So the task falls to me. We'll have four hours in the morning to get everything set and then and hour or so for a dress rehearsal. Of course the schedule is more complicated than that but that's the gist.

Assets:

The people I will be working with are my friends. They are not the types to give me a hard time. They'll respect where I'm coming from and it will be more of a collaboration than anything, so very little pressure there.

The light plot and design is simple and I have an AWESOME spreadsheet to keep me on track.(We'll delve into my organizational habits later.)

Obstacles:

This is a memorial service. This program is supposed to celebrate the life of a beloved Seattle actress and it is organized by her family who must still be coping with the loss. Lots of pressure there.

While I have very little pressure from my crew, I feel a bit of pressure in proving myself to the clients. Famous Seattle actress, highly reputable theatre, and they're sending in an intern? She better be damn good. And she IS. I think. I...hope.

Time. The theatre is in a state of chaos as we did not know about this rental until after the crew left. They're about halfway through striking the last show and we have to put everything together in very little time.

Plan of attack:

I tend to stick to a uniform of jeans, solid colored tee, and cardigan. I don't know yet if that's because that's my style or because that is what is easy. I fear that I have been hiding much of my life so everyone will like me. I don't take big risks so that I don't garner strong opinions. Well tomorrow I want to break out of my shell. I want to wear something in what I think my style is. Feminine. A little artsy. It also has to be professional enough for these people to trust me. I have a somewhat ruffled skirt that I plan to pair with brown boots. What? A skirt and boots? You daredevil you! It will be a first.

I will give you a full briefing with a photo of the outfit tomorrow. Wish me luck!