It’s the question you can be sure of being asked any time you meet someone new. “So… What do you do?” For most of my adult life my answer was, “I’m a web developer.”  If the conversation continued for a while, I might have let them know that what I really wanted to do was write and direct films, but that usually never came up.

I spent most of my time developing web sites, so that was my answer. Sure, I had always dreamed of being able to say, “I’m a writer/director,” but that time hadn’t come yet.

The problem with answering that way is that it reveals what you actually think of yourself. If you don’t think of yourself as a writer, director, or whatever it is that you’re aspiring to be, no one else will either.

A few years ago I decided to change how I answered that question. Now I look people in the eye with confidence and tell them that I’m a writer and director. Just that simple change has done wonders for my confidence. I am a writer. I am a director. Maybe I have to do other work to pay the bills, but that doesn’t define who I am.

So… What do you do?