You’re not a tree in a forest that doesn’t make a sound unless someone hears it. You are an artist no matter whether anyone sees/hears/reads your work or not. Know this first. It’s not the showing of your work that qualifies you. But in order to touch others you must be brave and share your work.
Besides, have you ever considered that it might be selfish of you not to share your work? There are a million voices in the world but each one is individual — including yours — which means that what you have to say artistically might be exactly what someone else needs to hear. Rhianna put it best when she said,
“You may never be good enough for everybody, but you will always be the best for somebody.”
When you think about it, the connection — that’s what art is. It’s the thing that bonds us. It transcends culture, gender, and age. It touches us from hundreds, even thousands of years in the past, and I have no doubt it will continue to do so well into the future. Art is what makes us human. This ability to express universal emotions with the flick of a paintbrush, or an imperfectly turned phrase. They stir something in us because we recognize ourselves in their yearning to connect.
Connection isn’t about being perfect. It’s about showing up. Your desire to create is a gift and who are you to question the giver (whoever you believe that might be)? The giver didn’t say, after you take another class, lose ten pounds, or master whatever it is you think you need to master, then you can begin to show people your work. The gift has been given and you need to explore what it means to be its possessor right now.
When I think about the performances that have really moved me, they were always messy, raw, and vulnerable. Think about Jennifer Hudson in “Dreamgirls.” It’s so brave to show up and say, ‘here I am, this is what I have to say.’
The biggest lesson I learned from my years of acting classes was to let go of trying to be good. It was only in the moments that I forgot about trying to do it right, that I felt like I connected not only with my scene partner but also with my audience. Those were moments of transcendence where for a few brief heartbeats I was able to bridge the thing that makes us different and find what makes us similar.
Even though I know that the only way to create of performance that moves people is to let go of my fear of vulnerability, I still struggle sometimes. I have to remind myself it’s not what people think of me, it’s how I make them feel. As an artist, it’s your job to show what it means to be human. We are messy and that’s beautiful.
What’s stopping you from showing up and saying, ‘here I am?”
Waiting Until You’re Ready to Show Up
This might be top of my list. No one wants to be caught with their pants around their ankles. I always feel like I can do better — I just need one more try — one more take, one more draft.
‘Now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.’ John Steinbeck
Being good is good enough. Perfection is an impossible goal anyway. Being good is subjective and it depends on other people’s opinions. Let go of the desire to please others — to be good — and you’ll be free, and isn’t that the best place for an artist to be?
Show up now, right where you are. You can do better next time. The worst thing is not presenting something imperfect. It’s not presenting something at all. Who you are and what you have at this moment is valuable.
“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” Oprah Winfrey.
You’re Not Complaining Productively
Complaining is important and, let’s face it, it’s something we all do sometimes and it’s not all bad. It relieves stress and can even bring us closer together with the people we complain with.
For example, say you and another actor at your agency bond over the fact that both of you feel like your agent could/should be doing more to get you work. That’s great! Glad you made a friend but now you need to take it one step further. By complaining about something you’ve identified a problem. Now it’s up to you to find a solution. Brainstorm the best ways to turn the negative into a positive.
You’re Making Excuses Why You Won’t Succeed
Actors make all sorts of excuses why they won’t succeed (and therefore shouldn’t try). “I read the breakdown and the director is looking for someone thinner/prettier/younger so why should I bother?” Or, “There are probably a thousand other people going for this part and I won’t get it anyway.” Be honest, if you haven’t said these things (or something similar) yourself, you’ve definitely heard someone else say them.
If for whatever reason someone else wants to put a roadblock in your way, I guess that’s their prerogative but don’t you do it. Don’t you be the one to tell yourself no.
Last year I had an audition for a worldwide Lidl campaign. Lidl is a huge chain of grocery stores just about everywhere except North America. I had already filmed three other selftapes that day when my agent called and I didn’t feel like making another one. Besides, the copy for the audition was in German and I have an accent (you see — there I was making excuses for why I wouldn’t succeed). Long story short, I taped my audition and I got the campaign.
This business is tough and we get rejected All. The. Time. So, it’s natural to want to protect yourself from the pain of it but you just need to get over it. You might be an absolutely perfect fit for a role but you’ll never know unless you try. And if you’re not a perfect fit, you’re not. So what? There will always be another audition unless you stop trying.