When You Want to Quit (Read This Instead)
By Juliana Lima Dehne
Building a career that lasts means staying when it’s hard. Getting that first credit can take years.
So- let’s be honest. This profession is not for the faint of heart. It is for delusional people like you and me.
There was a moment though — not that long ago — when I was ready to walk away. The deals weren’t closing. The yeses weren’t coming. I was tired. I was frustrated. I was wondering if I had made wrong choices. Had I not worked hard enough? Did I not meet the “right people”? Why was I stuck in development hell?
But then I remembered something I said once to an emerging screenwriter:
“Your sustainable career won’t be built in a weekend. But it can and will be built, if you’re willing to play the long game.”
So – I showed up. Again. And again. Not perfectly, just persistently.
Here’s what I learned:
There are 3 major ways to build staying power (without losing your spark):
- Design your support system. Creativity thrives in community. If I could do one thing differently at the beginning of my career it would’ve been to befriend other writers and directors early on. Why? There’s just nothing that can replace support from a fellow creative. Sharing stories can be so powerful. This is why this membership is so important.
- Create on a schedule — even if it’s small. Momentum matters more than magic.
- Celebrate micro-wins. They’re the bricks your dream is built with. I know we always forget to do this – we never think our micro wins are enough – but science has proven that gratitude is a great way to rewire your brain for abundance. So why not start it with the small steps we take to achieve our big dreams?
Truth it, when I booked my first major show on Netflix, it didn’t come after a big viral moment. Nor a chance encounter that changed everything (the one we all fantasize about – the “being discovered” by someone with some sort of power and money that decides to make our amazing script from one day to the next. FYI that is unfortunately a lie. You either have connections or you build those connections. But I digress). My first major show came after years of tiny steps no one saw. Staying when it wasn’t fun. Listening to myself, when everyone around me kept telling me to maybe look into doing something else with my life. How long was too long to keep at a dream that may never happen? But deep down inside I knew. I was delusional enough to know I’d make it someday. Even if it only happened in my late 30s. So – I say the same to you dear delusional reader – trust yourself. You are your biggest cheerleader. You don’t need external validation. You need inner authority.
Remember: we’re building legacies, not lotteries.
You’ve got this!
Follow writer and producer Juliana Lima Dehne on IG for weekly real life industry tips @julianalimadehne | Podcast coming soon!