Let’s be creative. Imagine you’re walking down a very thin wooden plank that is crowded with other people who are as eager as you to reach the end of this perilous trail. Now your heart is racing and your veins are circulating with adrenaline at the thought of losing everything the second you fall off this plank. Well, this is the everyday life of someone in the entertainment industry, or as some may call it—the show business.

The words “show business” may seem fancy and very tempting at first sight, but once you start exploring this marvelous beach of performing arts and film, fashion design, music, and maybe even sports, your feet gradually start sinking into the sand as you gradually unveil its poker face and are hit squarely in the face by all the pressure and competition it bears. Even after opening Pandora’s box or freeing Schroedinger’s cat, a career in the show business—no matter how big or small—is really worth the prickle.

Which leads us to the first and foremost value of working in the show business: if the arts are your true passion, then you are more than lucky to make money out of it. Benjamin Barrington, currently the lead vocalist of a band called INSTASOUL, first set foot in the entertainment industry at 15 years old as a DJ whilst still in school, and kept navigating within the industry as a radio DJ, recording artist, musical theatertheatre actor, as well as a TV Host. Throughout his lifelong career, Barrington followed the harmonic melodies of music.

“A career in music […], if that’s your passion, allows you to get paid for something you love to do. That in itself is very powerful,” Barrington said. “In my case, it has opened opportunities for me to travel the world.”

If the arts are really your passion, then there is no doubt that you would enjoy a career in the entertainment industry. According to Mental Health UK, “getting involved in arts programmes [allow] people [later in life to] rebuild their social connections and extend existing support in their communities.”

Secondly, as mentioned in the above, the arts have beneficial aspects to them, especially with music and its cognitive skills. As explained in a research paper of the National Center for Biotechnological Information, “it requires persistent and focused attention, decoding of complex musical patterns and visual symbols, acquisition of musical structures (e.g., intervals, scales, and chords), continuous improvement of motor coordination, and familiarization with music styles, as well as the expression of emotions through musical content (Huttenlocher 2002).”

Further delving in the health benefits of the arts, according to an article by the University of Florida, “many arts- and culture-based strategies provide direct and immediate health benefits, such as increased physical activity; stress-reduction; increased social cohesion and reduced loneliness; better coping with chronic conditions; increased happiness and wellbeing.” The article further cites studies on Wellbeing and Thriving, Adoption of Healthier Behaviours, Improved Social Behaviours, each respectively focusing on sports, theatre, and the visual/performing arts on a broader scope.

Thirdly, when assessing the many possible failures of a career in the show business, you might want to secure a plan B. Working your way all the way up the ladder of fame is tedious and often nerve-racking when you don’t get your intended results. But as you were climbing with blood (which hopefully doesn’t happen), sweat (which is quite likely), and tears (no need to elaborate), you built resilience, creativity, a sense of social connection, and fierce determination in achieving your goals—skills that open doors to different industries or the less competitive sides of the entertainment industry.

According to an article by the Appalachian State University, some of the skills learned related to theatre specifically are leadership skills; self-confidence and self-discipline; respect for authority, colleagues, and deadlines; time-budgeting skills; motivation and commitment; and independence and creative problem-solving abilities.

“Playing in a string ensemble in orchestra has pushed me to practice some leadership skills and work with a team to create something beautiful; these skills are useful in jobs such as medicine and engineering, where you’re always learning new things and face constant hurdles,” Samaira Srivatsva, a junior equally committed to debate and orchestra said. “My middle school orchestra director always joked about how his students would make excellent surgeons because of the precision with which string players have to use their fingers.”

However, a career in the show business is similar to other industries whereas you have to remain persistent. Being famous doesn’t define your skills and having the skills doesn’t mean you will become famous. The whole concept of ‘muse or lose’ where you can only strive if you get the crowd to like you—which is often a persona you created—or if you managed to appeal to your audience with an out-of-the-ordinary skill might be intimidating to people prospecting a career in the show business. The weight of trying to make money in such a competitive industry may seem too much to bear and hence push people away.

Yes, the show business demands a lot of energy for you to keep walking on the tight plank;, therefore, you need to equip and prepare yourself for the hurdles to come before you even step on the beach of show business.

“The craft of music making is so compelling [that] many musicians fail to master the craft from a business perspective, leading to many being financially exploited,” Barrington said. “Learn about the business you’re going to enter.”

Upon your entering the professional world, you need to self-introspect on your abilities and skills and how they might come in handy for your desired path. As Barrington said, “learn your craft well, this will open wonderful opportunities.”

When it comes to the financial aspects, dealing with them on your own can be fatal to your career. Hence it is important to surround yourself with the right people to support you in aspects you don’t specialize in.

“Have a good entertainment lawyer that you can consult before you sign any contracts,” Barrington said.

Finally, you might want to read autobiographies of famous artists to understand the reality of show business before you start walking in their steps.

“Don’t just consume it from the outside like a fan. That perspective is very, very, very skewed,” Barrington said.

Muse or lose? Diffuse that ideology and own that thin wooden plank like it’s a catwalk by displaying your prepared, creative, and determined parade to a crowd that will cheer you on.