Peace Out, Naysayers!

As a lot of you know, I am also an Acting Coach.

Something I find myself repeating A LOT to my students is that you gotta LOVE the craft of Acting and this Industry in order to pursue your dream.  Why?  Because it's hard as hell.  You get a zillion more no's than yes's.  A zillion.

If you're here to be a "star", then I suggest reality television. (the kind that everyone rolls their eyes at, not the kind that's heartwarming and helps people)  The Snooki's and the Paris's of our weird little world make millions of dollars a year and not for having any definitive talent that we can aspire to emanate. 

If you're here to be an Actor, Writer, Director, Producer, etc. etc. then you might wanna dig in and do the work needed in order to achieve what you came here to achieve. 

You have to have the thickest skin in the world to endure this stuff.

I've been told I was too ugly, too fat, too old, too skinny, too rough around the edges, not rough enough around the edges, too this, too that... You get the picture.  I've had reviews say my work is solid and great.  I've had reviews that say I absolutely suck and that my feet are too big and teeth too white.  (My shoe size is 6, by the way!  Really?)  I've been told I have the job and then the funding goes away. 

I've been told my representation totally loves me then they didn't return phone calls.  Every extreme of a compliment and every extreme of toilet bowl swirlies--I have been through a ton of them. 

Or how about the audition when the producer answers his cell phone RIGHT in the middle of my time in the room?  And then proceeded to yammer into the phone for ten minutes about how "There is no more money in the f'n budget for THAT!  No.  I am not doing this.  Listen, I have a damn actress right in front of me.  Let me get this over with and call you back."  True story!  It happened about a year ago.

Why am I sharing this hoo hah? 

Because I am still here.  Because I love this crazy craft and this upside down Industry enough to keep breathing through it.  I've certainly had my doubts--should I move somewhere else and be an underwater basket weaver?  Who knows.  But I am still truly IN LOVE.  And I firmly believe if you're truly and utterly IN LOVE, then there's something there worthy of a fight. 

That doesn't make me better than anyone or worse than anyone, it just makes me.. Me.

And in order to move forward as Artists, we have to leave the past behind. Leave the naysayers in the dust and keep reaching towards the stars.  When we go to auditions with the weight of the naysayers, we will never book.  We allow them to be right.  Why would we want to prove the douchebags of the world right, when we can let our own inner lights guide us on our journey?  When we can go forward with peace and love guiding our decisions, why would we want to let the "thems" of the world stand in our way?

We can choose to be our own light!