Everyone has an opinion on what you should do to further your acting career, right? From well-intentioned family members and friends to acting teachers and other actors. Not only is there too much ‘advice’, but often the opinions conflict. How can we make an informed decision when everyone seems to have different opinion? Here is how to navigate the conflicting advice when it comes to a career in acting.
Scrutinise the expert
The first thing is to pay attention to the person giving the advice. Who are they? Have they achieved what you want to do? Did you ask for their advice, or did they just offer it. Is it from their learned experience or is it simply their ‘opinion’ or regurgitated ‘industry rules’? Is it even advice or is it a limiting belief handed out as a ‘fact’?
Who are the experts?
Neils Bohr* defined an expert as someone who “has made all the mistakes that can be made in a narrow field.” This may seem an odd definition of an expert, but we learn through failure, so the person who fails the most learns the most. Those who succeed without failing have nothing to teach you. They got lucky, had the right look or the right contacts. This is not teachable though. It is those who have failed many times and succeeded know both the path and the potholes.
The narrow field is important too. Advice that works in an LA market will not necessarily translate to a UK one. The amount of work available, the culture of networking etc. are all very different across the pond. Do not be fooled by the fact that we share a common language.
Take responsibility
When we find the expert who has overcome the challenges we face and has achieved what we want to achieve, in the same market, then we can pay attention. But, we are not going to advocate responsibility and let them make our decisions for us. We are still the CEO, which means the buck stops with us. Any advice we follow must come from this trusted source but it must also resonate with us and our values.
Our compass
My clients often ask “Should I do X?” or “Can I write Y?” A good rule of thumb is to as yourself how would you feel if you were on the receiving end of this email or action? How would you feel if you were the casting director or director? If you’d think it was fun, cool, interesting, neutral – than great. Do it. If you would consider it crass, rude or ridiculous, then don’t. When we act from our core values we are authentic and will attract those who think like us – our thought group.
One size does not fit all
Ultimately, one size does not fit all, so different people will respond differently to different approaches. Rule A might work for Actor B, with Casting Director C, but not in a different situation with a different person.. That is partly why there is all this conflicting advice. So we can only act, as we would like to be acted towards. That way, though it won’t fit everyone, but it will fit the people that are a match for us, and that is what counts. By attracting our thought group we can build relationships with likeminded people rather than put on a pretence that leads us to work with a team where we do not gel. The latter might get you a job, but the former will lead to a career, because people work again and again with those they get on with – i.e. their thought group.
Try. Get feedback. Adjust strategy. Try again.
Finally, the best way to know is to try. As actors we can be so afraid to fail. Yet fail we must. Athletes don’t win every race or match, but in each failure they get feedback and adjust their strategy accordingly. Also, when we know failure is part of the path, we take the pressure off making the right decision by knowing there really isn’t any such thing. There are just different opinions, likes and preferences. We cannot guess what is right for everyone so we have to take action, and learn from any feedback. Then take a new action.
The greatest danger is that we take no action, stuck in indecision, afraid to fail. This doesn’t mean we should act without thought or consideration, it just means we avoid paralysis by analysis. Choose your experts carefully, select the advice that resonates with you and your values, and then take action accepting that some choices may be wrong, but that you will survive, in fact thrive when you take that feedback and try again.
For more ideas and guidance taken from my journey, read my book, Talent Isn’t Enough, available on Amazon
*Danish physicist and Nobel Prize winner
Helpful as ever , even the bit about power dressing in charity shops