Let’s stop comparing on social media & take Joseph’s advice to follow our dreams

It struck me a few weeks ago, when teaching a group of students, just how overly aware young people are now compared to the distant years of my youth. When I was in my teens I thankfully had no perfect specimen on Instagram to compare myself unfavourably with – no YouTube clip of a doctored voice singing pitch perfect and no airbrushed beauty living the impossibly perfect life on Facebook. I quite simply had dreams and aspirations. Unblinkered optimism and excitement for what lied ahead

I sat advising these young people on a career in the theatre but their constant comparison to the above made my heart sink. Even before starting their great adventure into theatre they seemed tarnished with doubt and confidences bruised.
Everything felt much simpler way back when and how sad it made me feel for these talented young people that instead of embracing their individuality, their quirks, their unique brilliance, they instead focused purely on their shortcomings.
Social media it seems is here to stay, like it or not but for the first time it made me aware of the potential damage it can cause us.

Dreams should always be forefront in our minds – the thrill of what awaits. We must never let go of aspiration.
We have just played our last performance of Joseph at Kilworth House Theatre. A show also about a young man and his dreams. In this production we had over 40 local children who thankfully have yet to discover the pitfalls of social media. They, instead, wore their hearts on their sleeves. Eyes lit up with passion, unbounded freedom of movement and blissfully honest and truthful choices. They, along with our mighty adult company, were the heartbeat of our show. Unshackled and joyous

I hope that the audience took a positive message away with them from it and more than anything I hope our Joseph kids continue to approach the world with such unbounded glee.

So why don’t we all cease comparison with unrealistic goals and instead embrace who we are. Why not follow Joseph’s advice and keep chasing our dreams, for after all: “Any Dream Will Do”.

10/9/18

Andrew Wright

Andrew Wright is an award-winning choreographer, whose myriad credits from the West End, Chichester, Bath, Leicester and elsewhere, include: Mrs Henderson Presents, Guys and Dolls, Singin’ In The Rain, Barnum, 42nd Street, The Critic/The Real Inspector Hound, High Society, Wonderful Town, Betty Blue Eyes, Saturday Night Fever, A Little Night Music, Follies, Oliver!, The Showgirl Within, Almost Like Being In Love, Stepping Out, Once Upon A Time At The Adelphi, By Jeeves, I Sing and Soul Traders. He directed and choreographed Happy Days (National Tour), for which he was nominated for Best Director/Choreographer in the Broadway World Awards 2014. Andrew was educated at Millfield School (Old Millfieldian of the year 2015, Distinguished Old Millfieldian 2012) and trained with the NYMT and Arts Ed. He blogs at a-wright.com and tweets at @AndrewWright5.