How to even out the playing field if you’re the underdog.

The Underdog
Honest truth is, life isn’t fair kids. It isn’t a level playing field. You may be born in a different country like in Russia or Brazil that doesn’t have a large entertainment industry. Or your parents may not be rich to provide you with private art lessons. Or maybe you just found out about the industry and already started late in the game. There are countless reasons why you are at disadvantage situation than the other players. 

The Privilege 

I understand what that is like. I’ve been there and I had to compete with kids with rich parents who pay for art lessons as early as age 13 and will pay for their private college tuition. The other kids may have brothers or sisters that went to art schools that show them the ropes. The other kids may have parents who are art professionals that trained them since they are a child.  

So how do you compete with these kids that seems to have all the advantages and luck?  Should you even bother with the seemingly unfair race? I was that kid that had none of those advantages and I still made it work for me by creating your own advantages and luck. 

I want to share my story so that kid out there with all the disadvantages can know that there is a way to beat the game as the underdog.

So how did I do it? 

First thing you must do is not look at what you don’t have, but look at what you already have. Take what you are blessed with and start from there. Although, I didn’t have those advantages the rich kids had, the universe gave me other advantages.

1.For one, I had great teachers during my formal education who recognized my art potential and nurtured me in the right path. 

2.My parents never forced me to do things I don’t want and they trust in me in whatever I want to pursue. This gave me the freedom to find my own way. 

3.As an American citizen, I qualified for government financial aids that allow me to afford to take classes in other colleges to build my entrance portfolio for Art Center. 

4.Those extra art classes helped build a strong enough portfolio that landed me a half scholarship at Art Center College of Design. The scholarship and a students loans made it financially feasible to get into the game.

5.Lastly, growing up in LA and being 20 minutes away from Art Center, is like hitting jackpot.  I didn't have to worry about  expensive housing problems or expensive flights to deal with. Huge saving there. 

  

  The rest, I just work hard and smart to catch up and try to fill the gaps and weaknesses. 

Create your own luck

Now if I didn’t go to Art Center, I think i would have a self taught and still find a way to be in the industry. But it may have taken longer. Art Center was a short cut. It was worth it. 

What i’m trying to point out with my example is that no matter the situation you are in, you have to use what you have and start with that. Pull all your resources together and make a plan to get to the next step. Then the next step and then the next until you get where you want to be. 

The last thing I would leave you with is that hard work and persistent are the keys to leveling the playing field. The reason is quite simple. Acquiring skills require hand work over a long period of time. 

Someone with money can’t just throw a bunch of money at something and then magically expect to acquire those skills. So you can always outwork the lazy rich kids and even out the playing field and take the edge. Doesn’t matter if you’re in Russia or Brazil. Hard work always paid off in the end.