Meet Brayden Hade

We were lucky to catch up with Brayden Hade recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brayden , so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Overcoming imposter syndrome is incredibly difficult. I don’t know if we ever doe honestly. There will always be someone more talented, harder working, more charming, better looking, richer, more experienced- the list goes on. I think the real answer is to look inward and shut off the noise. If you focus on the project at hand and getting the next project as opposed to whether or not you are worthy you’ll continue to build your name and get offered bigger and better things. Those who work continue to work. I’d rather take a project that I’m not particularly interested in than not be busy. There is always a benefit to everything you do, and you never know how the dots are going to connect. As an artist you will always have a different set of eyes than everyone else, so showcase what you can do rather than compare yourself. Your unique perspective is what sets you apart. You can never be someone else. Lean into that, but also always challenge yourself. Also always remember there is probably someone out there who feels like an imposter around you. Be gracious to everyone, and try to help others not feel that way as well.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Currently I’m working on a few projects in different capacities. I’m the artistic director and founder of TheatreSourceLA, a new non-profit theatre company. So far we’ve put on a successful production of “RENT,” and several showcase cabarets, but we’re gearing up to put out some really exciting content. We have a stage production planned for later this year with an exciting cast and director which I’ll share more information about when it’s locked down. I currently am an actor at the “Nocturne Theater” in Glendale. We just put up an original production of “Madame Scrooge” where I played Jacob Marley, a production of “Into The Woods,” where I played “The Narrator/Mysterious Man,” and I’m currently in a production of “Jekyll and Hyde,” where I play Gabriel John Utterson. I hope to continue to work for that awesome company in multiple capacities as their theatre grows (Shoutout to Justin and Melissa Meyer!.) After this show closes I’m directing an original musical “Sex Anyone,” that will be going up in Hollywood. I’m excited to delve into it as it is a difficult subject matter (sex addition) set to an upbeat score. It’s a juxtaposition that I find intriguing. I’m also working on editing and post production on a pilot that my friend Jewell Valentin and I wrote called “As Seen on TV.” It’s a biting comedy that satirizes the entertainment industry as well as modern political correctness. We’re excited to start submitting it to festivals and see what happens. Then this summer I’m traveling to Switzerland to spend a month singing at a beautiful hotel. When I’m not acting, writing, or directing, I also am a freelance photographer that specializes in headshots, and an acting teacher. So I guess long story short, I’m a freelance artist who is lucky enough to find enough employment between my skills to not have a typical day job.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three things that have helped me on my journey are being flexible, enjoying the process, and being resourceful. Many times in my life I’ve settled into a job in the arts that I thought would last forever. It is very rare that that actually happens. Companies change hands, close, and life happens. It becomes easy to settle in for the comfort of something steady, but just always remember you have to constantly pivot in the arts. Twice in Los Angeles I fell into full times arts positions that ended due to company closure. Being adaptive and finding the next gig is as important as being good at what you do. You can’t focus on the negative and let yourself get depressed. I have surely made that mistake in the past and it gets you no where except unemployed. You have to really enjoy what you’re doing. If you can’t find a way to find being in the arts exciting, there are way easier paychecks out there. Try to make a life that is worth waking up for. Also be resourceful. Ask for what you want. That is the scariest thing for most artists because it always feels like you’re stepping out of the boundary you’re supposed to be in. That is not true. Be kind, don’t be pushy but firmly state your skills, prove yourself and ask for what you want. No one succeeds in the arts by being passive. I myself am not completely skilled at this, but I know I’ve never gotten anything without asking for it. There are people out there with less ability, less intelligence, and less charisma than you working bigger and better project merely because they asked. Get used to saying what you want and what you need. The only person you will be cheating by not doing that is yourself.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
This is going to be a controversial answer: “Atlas Shrugged,” by Ayn Rand. There were so many good quotes in there that got me out of my head. When you shift your perspective to being a competent resource rather than feeling all the neuroses and self doubts associated with being an artist, things start to pan out in a much more positive way. Some favorite quotes follow:

“If you don’t know, the thing to do is not to get scared, but to learn.”
― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

“I started my life with a single absolute: that the world was mine to shape in the image of my highest values and never to be given up to a lesser standard, no matter how long or hard the struggle.”
― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

“What greater wealth is there than to own your life and to spend it on growing? Every living thing must grow. It can’t stand still. It must grow or perish.”
― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

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