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Knowing Your Purpose: Why Become an Actor?


We always hear the saying that being an actor is like wearing other people’s skin. And it is. Portraying a character can require not only wearing make-up and costumes because for a character to be effective, he/she also needs memories, personal thoughts, culture, beliefs, etc… but we’ll get on to that in another class. For now, let’s get to know yourself. As a first step towards your journey to becoming an actor, I need you to ask yourself two important questions.

(Photo by Jon Tyson, unsplash.com)

 

1.       What is your own definition of an actor?

Forget about Webster definitions. In your heart and in your own words, define what an actor is? What makes it special to be one? What purpose does it serve? Write it in your acting journal and once you’re done, I need you to ask yourself…

 

2.       Why do you want to become an actor?

Write down why you are passionate about it, what personal goal(/s) you have that is in-line with this career you are pursuing. What can you bring to the community by becoming one?

 

3.       What are your small wins for today?

This can be as simple as learning something new or being more confident. Write this down in your journal too.

 

Practice 1:

Stay in a quiet area where you feel comfortable and away from distractions, close your eyes, and meditate on those three questions.    Answer the questions in your mind, one at a time. Focus on the emotion it brings whenever you visualize your answers. There is no length of time required for this practice. You can start with the questions once you are completely focused on your thoughts and you can stop when you feel you are done. You may also play music in the background if it will help. Remember your answers and remember your feelings during this practice. Did it make you happy or excited? Hold on to these feelings and thoughts for these are yours and yours alone. And these will serve as your own foundation to help you stay motivated despite setbacks.

I recommend you do this practice after every performance as a way of taking-off the character’s skin you put on and a tool to help you go back to the original you. This is also a form of self-care for you to remember why you love what you are doing and what keeps you going no matter if you feel you had a bad day at work or if you feel unsure and losing confidence. We all start somewhere and keep in mind that even those who are doing acting works for a very long time do experience bad days from time to time too. And so we need this kind of practice of tapping to our foundation in order to take care of our well-being and remind us of our goals and motivations.




#actinglessons #acting #actingtips #Beginner'sGuideToActing #ActorsInThePhilippines

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