It’s Spring! Yay! Finally. Where I live we had a ton of snow this year, which was good because we need the water, but it also brought along some cabin fever. You know, that feeling like your trapped and can’t get out to do what you want to do? That kind of bouncing off the walls like you’re a basketball in the March Madness Tournament craziness?
Of course it’s normal to get riled up at times, but what happens when it takes over? As actors that can happen quite frequently as there are a lot of things that can drive one bonkers in our profession. Not getting that callback, not getting the audition and hearing about friends who did, not booking the role after five callbacks. Not having an agent or having one that doesn’t send you out/return your calls/sees you like you want to be seen. Getting a bad review in a show, thinking your acting is improving but hearing it still needs work from your acting coach. Not making enough money at your day job to afford new headshots, new reel clips, that acting class you know would make all the difference. Then there’s family drama, life drama, getting sidetracked with distractions . . . the list could go on and on. And it all can lead an actor to shere madness!
So what do you do when that happens? How do you pull out of a tailspin? We’d love to hear your comments and we have a few suggestions from hard won experience.
Number One – Realize that acting is hard. I’m not trying to be discouraging here, just realistic. Being on an elite level in anything is difficult. Look at the NBA, how hard is it to play for them? Hard. Very hard. Look at professional soccer. What about being a concert pianist? Or a ballerina? All these take training, practice, and determination. It’s the same thing with acting. So just be prepared, roll up your sleeves and do whatever it takes to get there.
Number Two – Remember you can do hard things. Hard does not mean impossible. It just means it takes effort.
Number Three – Take time to take care of your mental health. Super, super important. If we are not healthy mentally and physically, we just can’t work. If you had a broken leg would you expect yourself to run a marathon? Of course not. With our loud, distracting, difficult world mental health is on the decline. As actors we use our bodies, our minds, our souls, our emotions to do our work. If we are unable to access ourselves due to mental health issues, we simply can’t do what we need to survive, let alone thrive. So take breaks, exercise, practice mindfulness, get help from a professional if needed, build your support system. You deserve to do what you’re called to. Don’t let depression, anxiety, addiction, lack of self-confidence, etc. get in your way!
Number Four – Be clear about distractions and avoid them. A distraction is anything that you let get in the way of your main life goals. It could be anything – too much volunteering, too much video game playing, too much recreation, too much work, too much taking care of other people’s problems. If you think you might be caught in a distraction, ask if it is taking you toward or away from your goals. If you want to make your living from acting but aren’t yet – look at your life. What keeps you away from your acting? What are your main activities? Are they leading you to your vision? If not try to let them go or reduce the amount of time you spend on them. Which brings us to our next point –
Number Five – Live your life. We all need down time, we all need fun, we all need connection and support. Make sure your life is balanced – yes, working super hard on your acting, but also nurturing your relationships, finding things outside of acting that you love to do, being a person. This will ironically make you a better actor. Not getting lost in distraction but having things to do other than acting will make you a more well-rounded person, give you more depth and insight into yourself and the world, which will help you delve deeper into the roles you are asked to play.
So next time you feel yourself falling into a rabbit hole, stop, breathe, take a break, and remember what it is you really want. Don’t let yourself get driven crazy by disappointments or distractions – OK a little NCAA Tournament never hurt anyone – just keep it balanced!
Go Huskies!
For more info about our training or if you have any questions visit us at:
www.actorsinactionconservatory.com
