August 21, 2020
“I’m sorry, can I start again?”
Have you ever asked this question at an audition?
If allowed to begin again, was the second go-around worth the restart?
Was the first impression you made the one you intended?
Do you recall these audition experiences with pride? Did any ever land you a coveted job?
So, why do many actors choose this type of self-sabotage as a strategy for getting work?
The answer to this last question lies in issues of perfection modeling, control, and inadequate preparation which need to be brought into consciousness, and addressed by every actor.
Actors want everything to go perfectly all the time. But, people, by definition, are perfectly imperfect. So, beware of perfection modeling as an actor. When you seek to control the outcome of your work you place yourself in a self-created perfection bubble, and out of flow with your own humanity. If you, instead, commit to playing the humanity of what’s really happening in any given moment, you’ll remain in flow, emotionally, and you’ll enter into a deeper flow with your audience.
In your work and in your life, there is only direction: FORWARD! So, banish the notion that you can ever start again. Learn to love auditioning. See each audition as an opportunity to act; to do what you say you love, and bring love for what you do into every audition room. If you don’t like what you’re doing during an audition, play love or blame! It will put you back in your body, and back in the scene. Choose to be ALL IN your work. NEVER JUDGE, or self-criticize. When you do, you invite the world to do likewise. Resist every temptation to watch yourself. Prepare meticulously; it’s all you can, or should, control. Preparation will transform nervousness into excitement, and allow you to be fully expressed as you “ride the wave” of feeling!
None of us know how much time we are gifted in this life. Don’t waste another minute of that precious time living an undisciplined, ineffective life. Show up for yourself each and every day, and you’ll eliminate any need to apologize for anything. Act to seek your own good opinion, and ALWAYS do your very best. In so doing, you’ll convince yourself you are an artist, and the world will be your witness.