*Spike Lee slammed the myth about “overnight success” during his appearance at the 2023 LinkedIn Talent Connect Summit in New York.
“One of the worst lies that’s been told to young people is that there’s a thing called ‘overnight success.’ That’s done a lot of damage to people,” Lee said, according to Fortune.
“It’s not like you’re just out there, and the hand of God is going to come down from the heavens and say, ‘You are the next one.’ That is BS,” the longtime filmmaker added.
“It’s not going to happen overnight. There are going to be times where you want to cry and you want to quit,” Lee said. “You can’t quit. You’ve got to keep going.”
Speaking to LinkedIn editor-in-chief Daniel Roth in a recent interview, the Oscar winner said he had to “claw” to be taken seriously early in his career.
“When I graduated from Morehouse College [in 1979], I knew I wanted to go to film school,” Lee said. “But that whole thing of … moving out to LA and working your way up from the mailroom, that don’t work for Black people.”
During the LinkedIn Talent Summitt in NYC, Lee noted that he went to school with people “who are successful, but they’re not happy.”
“When they get up to go to work every day they’ve got to press that snooze button 10 times. So, if you’re in a position to do something that you love and can make money to support your family, keep a roof overhead, food on the table, then you’ve won,” he said.
Lee also offered this advice … don’t be a dream killer.
“I grew up in an artistic household. My parents never told me and my siblings that you couldn’t do something. And parents kill more dreams than anyone,” Lee said.
“When parents get that lightning bolt from their children that they want to be a painter, artist, poet, actor, musician, they don’t know what to do,” he continued. “They want their kids to be successful but if they choose another path and you tell them that they can’t make money, you’re killing their dreams. Don’t be the one to do that.”
READ MORE: Spike Lee Reacts to Jann Wenner’s Controversial Comments About Black Artists
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