Put Down the Measuring Stick
- Written by DeeAnn DiMeo
It was a Sunday evening, and I was relaxing trying to nurse a cold - not fun when you have recordings and gigs coming up. I decided to sit back and watch the Golden Globe Awards. There were so many beautiful, passionate and profound speeches and I enjoyed the entire show and all the movies.
Demi Moore’s speech is what grabbed my attention. She was so grateful and humbled for her Best Actress award, but surprised because she never won an award for acting throughout her entire 45 years career span. She told us how a producer told her she was a “popcorn actress.” Demi said, “At that time, I made that mean that this wasn’t something that I was allowed to have. That I could do movies that were successful and make a lot of money, but that I couldn’t be acknowledged and I bought in, and I believed that.”
She said how it corroded her over time to the point where she thought a few years ago that maybe this was it for her. Maybe she completed what she was supposed to do.
I thought to myself, “wow, I can relate to that.” That point of giving up has crossed my mind many times too. Our society is obsessed with aging, in other words, we are not allowed to age. I find my more mature voice is sounding deeper with a warmer tone. Why are we defined by our age, our beauty, and our success?
Demi continued with, “In those moments when we don’t think we’re smart enough or pretty enough or skinny enough or successful enough or basically just not enough, I had a woman say to me, ‘Just know you will never be enough, but you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.”’
As musicians, and artists, we are definitely our own worst critics. As long as our talent is still there, we should still be there. Composing, creating, collaborating and performing areimportant to share with others while we are still able and desiring to do so. Put down that measuring stick and focus on what you can still offer and share with the world. Never compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to who you were last year and continue to grow from there. As long as we are breathing, we have potential to learn and grow. Never give up on you!!
In closing, I want to share a note I received from a gentleman after I sang for his wife’s funeral mass. Truthfully, singing at funerals can be emotionally challenging; while singing, you are also watching and absorbing the family’s pain. This is when I ask myself, “why am I doing this?” Then, I would receive t
“Dear DeeAnn, I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciated your preference at my wife Patricia’s Funeral Mass. Your voice is beautiful and it had my eyes sweating, no it had my eyes raining. Thank you so much for being a lovely part of our emotional farewell to Patti.”
Creating art isn’t about being the most perfect, the most beautiful, or the youngest. It’s about moving the people around us.
About DeeAnn DiMeo: Niagara Falls-native, National recording artist, DeeAnn DiMeo has her
roots anchored in gospel, blues/jazz, and soul. In 2019, she was inducted into the Niagara Falls
Music Hall of Fame and has won multiple Buffalo Music awards for Best Female Vocalist. She
has fronted several bands as the lead singer and primary songwriter, receiving airplay across
the country in college and jazz stations with previous projects and currently with her new
album “It’s My Time”
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