Writing novels deconstructing the fantasy of celebrity means spending time on websites devoted to the fashion of and gossip about actual celebrities. It’s primary-source research into the way people treat and view movie stars, musicians, and everyone else famous.
One of those sites is Tom & Lorenzo who wrote a post (and a book) about what “normal” people can learn from celebrities’ self-confidence:
“If you must look up to [celebrities], then at least look up to them for their self-confidence, and the ways in which they use it to craft a seemingly invulnerable persona and then force the world around them to accept it.”
They go on to offer this advice:
“Darling, every day before you leave the house, look in the mirror and tell yourself, everybody wants to do me or be me.”
Given that so much of the Love in Los Angeles series is about the construction of persona, that post really jumped out at us.
It’s Monday. I haven’t slept more than five hours a night for the last week. I’ve got a ton of editing work to do on Starling — as soon as I’m done with my day job.
So when I got dressed this morning, I put on one of my sharper dresses. Once I got to work, I got coffee because a cup of coffee, even just from the pot in the back of the office, makes me feel like a professional.
It’s Monday morning. Of course it’s already empty.
Some days, all of that works better than others. Today, for the most part, it’s being effective. At least, I’m plowing through the pretty epic list of things that absolutely need to get done.
How’s your persona work going? Are you giving yourself permission to think highly of yourself? To know that you are awesome in order to be awesome?
What do you struggle with faking? Or what are you really fucking high-achieving at faking and how do you do it?
We’re always here to offer a boost and assure you that yo, we totally would love to be/do you.
erincmcrae
Racheline Maltese
Avian30 
So I’ve talked about my Do the Thing! experience on here once before. Yesterday was the first day at the New Job, and in regard to persona – luckily you don’t have to fake anything when you have years of experience to back you up. However, I’ve struggled with selling myself in the past, but no more! I’m finally coming to terms with the fact that it’s okay to believe that I’m a good nurse, and to sell myself on that, because it’s true. I threw out the “7 years of NICU experience” yesterday to my co-new-hires, neither of whom have any NICU experience at all, and was immediately asked if I could just orient them, haha 🙂 obviously I can’t, but it’s good to know that I have the knowledge base to be an actual helpful asset even while I’m in a new place. Plus, it’s what got me hired on the spot when “all positions were full” to begin with.
SO EXCITED to be starting this job, SO GLAD I did the thing 🙂
Just want to say I really like this post. My instinct is always to do what feels “honest” or “authentic”, which generally I think results in ” let me tell you where I know I need to improve so you don’t think I’m a self confident idiot who thinks they’re great when they’re really not.” But reading this today and thinking about the way you’ve framed it, it feels a little easier at the moment to believe in my ability to present a more positive persona without being ridiculous. Thank you.