The Masked Singer as Inspiration? Yes.
The finale of Season 2 of the Masked Singer was last night, and I have to admit I was hooked all season. I knew a few weeks back that the Rottweiler was Chris Daughtry – he has a superb and unique voice, and once it hit me, I got it.
But when I realized who it was and I started to listen to what he was saying behind the mask, I started to hear everyone’s thoughts, not just a famous guy who should have won American Idol and has a bunch of albums (and has the rare ability of not looking like Ross Geller when he wears leather pants).
And last night, as we saw the other finalists unmasked – Adrienne Bailon and Wayne Brady (who was the well-deserving winner), it really hit me. These people have the same insecurities that we do, and, not only that, they can lose the passion for their work even in the midst of doing it. They can lose their inspiration and mojo, and they can suffer from intense Imposter Syndrome.
Chris Daughtry even said, after the finale:
“You know, you hear the rumblings online, and you let certain things get in your head and certain ideas that people may have about you, or may not have about you. And [The Masked Singer] was just an opportunity for me to break outside of that and really perform without the feeling of ‘I need to cater to this group of people,’ or ‘I need to appear this way, because this is how people expect me to be.’ It was my own idea of what people may think of me that I was trying to shake.”
So what does that mean for the rest of us non-famous jokers?
Well, a lot, actually:
1. You may have lost your mojo, but you CAN get it back.
2. It is never too late for a new start.
3. Most of these people were scared to do this but so grateful afterwards that they did. What are you scared to do? What would happen if you jumped in to the experience anyway? So many good things are on the other side of fear.
4. Everyone, and I mean everyone, who isn’t a sociopath has doubts about themselves at some point. It doesn’t matter how famous or accomplished or “successful” they might be. So, the next time you feel yourself doubt how good you are at that thing you love doing, remember that. It is normal.
5. And this one is my favorite: Your voice may quiver when you weight it down with people’s expectations. And it will probably be stronger if you can find a way to get around those expectations or let them go. In fact, you’ll probably be surprised at how powerful you can sound when you let go of what people might think about you because of who you are, what you’ve done, etc. Speak. Speak loudly. Don’t let expectations hold you down or back or quiet you.
