When people take up acting, they generally fall into three categories: they either view acting as a Profession, as a Fan or as a Path.
If acting is a profession, you’re focused on learning techniques. You’re focused on achieving results. Overall you yourself don’t generally change as a person, but a role is an opportunity to apply your skill set; integrating realistic behaviour, emotion and possibly character traits following the processes that you’ve learned. It is a profession like most others.
You work to do it correctly. It is a craft.
If you’re a fan, you are excited by acting. You are enthralled by the industry. You feel you’re lucky if you’re cast, like you’ve been accepted into an elite community. Your focus is on meeting the standards of the people whom you consider to be the experts. They’re the people who have the real knowledge and you are a beneficiary of their insight.
You are validated by it. It is a dream.
If acting is a path, it is your vehicle for self discovery and realization. It is your path for transformation and growth. For you acting is an art. You think of acting as an opportunity to deepen your understanding of what it means to be human, to be alive and in relationship with the world around you, to find your voice and your range of authentic self expression.
You own it. It is your path.
If you find yourself falling into the trap of relating to acting as a profession or as a fan, you can make the adjustments. Realizing acting as a path makes it a deeply meaningful and transformational adventure. And the adventure is completely yours. What could be better than that?
I can relate to this so much!
I came to Actorium as a shy fan. Then I got caught up in the idea of acting as a profession. Covid really shook that up for me.
Now I come to class to know myself. I come for character building, strengthening my emotional intelligence, and a greater understanding of/ appreciation for the human experience. Might I get a role one day? Maybe, if I pursue it. It definitely isn’t my focus.
I don’t want to imagine my life without acting. It is my path and I am so grateful for your lead Michelle.