Happy Thanksgiving! This is the time of year many people focus on their thanks and gratitude.
I often hear actors complain of what they don’t have going on. Many are stuck waiting for things to happen. I think gratitude work for actors is especially important because, with all the rejection, it’s easy to become jaded and discouraged. People in other fields might interview for 5-10 jobs, get one, and work at that job for 1-10 years. Maybe 5 years later they put themselves out for another job and get 9-10 rejections before getting a job for another 5 years or so.
With actors, it’s constant. They may have 1-10 interviews (auditions) in one week (if they are lucky). If they get one of those jobs, the next week or soon after, they are unemployed again, and will have to chase interviews again. When they are lucky enough to get a job or just an audition, the cycle repeats itself. Over and over again, looking for a job until you get one. Working a day to a few weeks, and doing it all over again. That’s the path, the lifestyle of an actor. And yes, it takes a particular “skin” to put yourself out there again and again, and again, and again. All this while getting rejected far more times than not. Ten to twenty fold, even more for most.
There’s more – not only do actors deal with the rejection of not getting a job, they have to deal with rejection of not even getting the audition!
I feel it important that actors focus on their gratitude’s. It’s one way of keeping your sanity and keeping a positive attitude. For the actors that I see having success, they have a practice of living in gratitude.
My three gratitudes of why I love this business.
- There is no barrier to entry
You don’t need a specific degree or certificate. If you have ambition, desire, discipline, passion, and talent, no one can stop you. Whatever your idea, there is no one standing in your way.
- There are no editorial gatekeepers
If you have an idea or talent, you can put it out there your way with your unique expression. With Youtube, Facebook Live, and so many other venues you can self-produce yourself. Whether you are an actor, musician, comedian, you can produce yourself and put it out there. There is no one to stop you from doing it! There is no one to say no! And you can do it your way, no editors to change your vision.
- Audience time is no longer an issue.
People are not waiting to get home to watch TV. They watch whenever they want. They use their phones, computers, and ipads. They watch media while waiting in line, on their breaks, waiting for their food to arrive, riding in cars (not driving of course), even waiting for a movie to start. Think about this – people can go to a movie or theater and watch you while they are waiting for their show to start! Wow. That didn’t exist 5 years ago.
I’ll leave you with something I saw in a casting office. I think of it every time I go into an audition. It was a poster on the wall.
Congratulations
You are 1 of 36 actors chosen for your role today.
FYI – you were chosen from a pool of 600-3000 submissions for this role.
Please be on time, be prepared, be professional
Please realize that this is a great opportunity than many actors will not have.
Happy Thanksgiving. I am grateful to each of you who read my blogs. I hope they help and serve you in some way.
