How Do I Straddle Both Worlds?
There is only one world, the world of You.
How many times have I heard... if you don’t give up everything for your art you will never “make it”… you have to be ready for your “lucky break.”
This message implies that you must hang out over a precipice waiting for the world to open up and save you as you fall… Clinging to this idea is like clinging to a tiny branch over that endless drop. It can keep you continually unbalanced, which is not a good place to work from as an artist.
It seems there are opposing worlds… the acting world and the one I have to survive in.
Stability in life allows you to step fully into your art.
Don’t give up your day-job. But don’t give up on your dream job either. Always keep seeking... stay open... discover how everything you do, and feel you have to do, is connected.
Continue to sharpen your goals in all ways.
Make that job at the bank feed what you love most. Let it nurture your artistic soul.
While you’re there, observe the “role” you’re playing, the “scene” you’re in, how you’re thinking and feeling and why. Central to the work of the actor is observation of everything around us.
Keep exploring what you love about being human and how acting is an expression of that.
If I have to get a job to support myself how will I ever commit to acting?
We are always straddling. Life on the planet is to straddle. But it does not mean that we dissect ourselves into different worlds, throw away one for the other.
We must strive for wholeness. To be an actor should not be a punishment that we starve for.
In the film, Phantom Thread starring Daniel Day-Lewis, newly discovered Vicky Krieps plays his muse. When asked how she felt about “making it” she dismissed the question with her response, “It doesn’t feel like anything. It hasn’t happened yet.”
Even established actors go in and out of jobs. They don’t know what their careers will bring. They don’t know if they will get the next audition, or when they will get their next role.
By generating stability, you can weather this ever-changing and potentially destabilizing current.
Reframe your thinking and establish your basic security.
You have already “made it” by embracing what you love.
Keep your world stable as you plan your next course of action. Let that commitment propel you from solid ground.
Then design the wise and grounded choices that will move you toward your creative goals.