There’s Always a Way!
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“One of the biggest career killers is an actor’s reluctance to have faith in themselves…”
It is important to have the core belief that this is what you are meant to do, and will continue to do for the rest of your life. Actors must continually break through their barriers (both real and imagined).
ADOPT THESE FOUR THOUGHTS AND BELIEFS IN YOUR CAREER:
#1 ~ Everything is temporary. Aka …This too shall pass.
(When you have a bad actor-day, know there will be a good-actor day just around the corner) The highs and lows are a given. Because of this, one must also realize that the huge rushes and even a big victory will probably not last either. This might sound funny but it is important to remember when you book something fantastic to not run out and spend all your money. More often than not, you will probably be looking for your NEXT acting job again at some point in the near future. Even the biggest stars are always looking for their next gig. Understanding how the cycles of our business work is key.
This knowledge can help keep you stable and happy…even with the inevitable highs and lows.
#2 ~ There will always be another goal or another level to achieve so I must enjoy the present.
Example: Many actors truly believe deep down that if they can just get an agent, (or a “better” agent), everything in their career will change. This MIGHT be true…but it is not very likely. What is more likely to happen is when an actor signs with an agent they then have …drum roll please… an agent!
This goes for every goal and every level of an actors career. “If I can just get good headshots, just book that job, just sign with that rep, just get that dream demo reel, just get 10 million a pic, just win that Oscar, just ________ (fill in the blank)….THEN I will be happy. But here is a big secret… When you get MORE… it magnifies everything…including the worries, rewards, insecurities, joys, the good, the bad, … all of it. Moral of the story? Enjoy your life and career TODAY….as is. Because more just means more.
#3 ~ Another “No” means I am that much closer to my next “Yes”
I love coaching actors on this. This one thought process can change your entire career. Instead of looking at the word “NO” as a negative horrible evil this is evidence of your unworthiness as an artiste, look at it this way: Every “No” or “Rejection” is one step closer to a “YES”. It gets you nearer to a door that is going to open. And you cannot get to that door if you are not taking steps forward. To hit a home run…you MUST get up to bat. Another way to look at this is to review your audition stats. If you had 30 auditions last year and you booked five acting jobs last year, then you know that you average booking around one out of every six auditions. Sometimes in your career you might book 3 jobs in a row one month and feel unstoppable and then not work again for another year and feel like the world is against you. It’s not. It is just the wacky cycles that sometimes happen in this wacky career. But we are talking averages. And what is nice about this is that if those are your stats and you have been on four or ten or 20 auditions this month…you know your next booking is probably right around the corner!
#4 ~ I can figure it out
Many people shut down at the very first sign of resistance. If they don’t know how to do something immediately, they very simply choose to not do it. This can be true of everything from not knowing how to do something on online to losing their cool onset because the scene isn’t set up the way it was in your mind when you rehearsed. Just take a deep breath and say to yourself …”I can figure this out”.
Everything you know how to do now…you had to learn at one point. “I don’t know how” is absolutely no excuse for not LEARNING how. You must have faith in yourself that you can find out the solution. Remember…There is always a way!
© 2013 Kari Nissena
(Original post – June 25th 2013 & recycled April 3rd 2019)
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***If you want help from Coach Kari in creating major breakthroughs in your career, please grab some private one-on-one strategy coaching:
Please Visit: www.ActorTransformation.com