Hi guys! I love helping actors uncover that missing piece that will help them go from good to GREAT, from just going through the motions to being in the zone, becoming undeniable when you act.
I polled my Instinctive Actors' Society last month, and the #1 topic that was most interesting to you was finding a good agent, which we already covered (you can catch up here). The second most requested topic was how to become more instinctive.
And I understand why... The most inspiring and touching performances are the ones that are completely instinctive. It's the performances where we don't know where they're going to go, the ones that are unpredictable, that are the most exciting to watch. And that is because they rely on instinct.
What I often hear actors say is this:
“I see other actors being really instinctive and in the zone, and it really seems easy to them. I just have no idea how to get there myself”.
“I do sometimes feel completely instinctive, and it's so fulfilling and wonderful, but at the same time I have no idea how I got there. So, I’m incapable of reproducing that level of instinct when I need it most."
The biggest comment of all: "I already know what there is to know about acting, and I know being instinctive is the missing piece, but I just can’t do it."
I 100% get it. It's why I started Instinctive Actors' Society.
Instinct is where the gold is, it is where the difference is.
Everyone can be good and controlled. Everyone can act, but it takes something else to be instinctive. It's a rare and hot commodity nowadays. And once you're an undeniable actor, you know you'll feel happier and more fulfilled (plus you'll be booking so much more work!).
But getting to that point is where actors stumble.
Some sign up for a ton of different classes, thinking that there is something wrong with them, and they just need to learn it out of their system. If they could just be "better", if they could just “fix “ what's “wrong” with them, the problem would be solved.
Well, as you might have experienced for yourself, no matter what class you try - cold reading, acting in front of the camera, scene study, method this or that, singing, voice, etc. etc. - it’s all nice and interesting, but it does not buy you instinct!
So, I hosted a LIVE training session and Q&A to give us a chance to discuss it and define it once and for all, together. The video is normally just for members of my private online community, The Instinctive Actors' Society, but today, I’m sharing it with you.
I firmly believe that if you want to be an instinctive actor, it’s actually really easy.
Let me rephrase this: I know for a fact and therefore I declare that if you want to be an instinctive actor, it is the easiest thing to do, and it is much easier than trying to control your performance.
Here are a few highlights we covered:
First and foremost, YOU ARE AN INSTINCTIVE BEING. Yep, you are. You were born instinctive. That is the real authentic you. Look at babies, for example. They are feeling emotion after emotion in a very unpredictable way, and they are captivating because the moments they live are pure moments - impulses and instinct.
You have been wired out of your instincts. Your parents, school, and society ...all of that has wired us to recognize good versus bad and right versus wrong and in order to survive, we drank the Kool Aid. We have been reprogrammed to do as we are told FIRST, in order to stay safe and loved, rather than to do what we feel. You're molded and educated to fit, not to BE. So of course, if you're an actor or singer, and you've been trained out of your instinct, your default is not to hear that instinct anymore. You've learned to ignore it and push it away.
The good news: you can restore that connection with your instinct. How do you do that? Well, you have a lot of resistances that are keeping you from being in touch with your instinct. For example, you go to an audition, and you're afraid. You are thinking: “I shouldn't be; I should feel confident”... Your very thinking here is preventing you from being instinctive. Now, it's pointless for me to tell you not to kick your emotions away; you've been wired to do that.
The way to undo that wiring and redo your natural instinctive wiring is to work through your resistance with specific exercises. If you haven't already, I'm inviting you to register for the free Instictive Actor webinar, where I will give you a couple tools and exercises to rewire instrument in order to tune in to your instinct again and build that muscle that you were born with back up.
Just click the image below to access it now.
Once you have worked through your resistance, you'll be able to see, hear and feel your instinct. When you can feel it, reach it, tap into it, you'll be able to muscle it up and strengthen the connection.
So, Action Point #1 - Be aware and acknowledge the fact that you are an instinctive being by default and by design.
Action Point #2 - Restore the connection to that instinct because no one can do it for you. It's not the result of another class that's going to teach you or fix you. It can only be accomplished by working through your resistance, your blocks, your fears to your instinct.
The result of that is that you'll be an instinctive actor! And then the sky's the limit. There will be an ease that you can rely on because it's all inside of you. It's so fulfilling, it's so magnificent as a feeling when you perform... and it's definitely undeniable, which means that people want to see you again. They want to call you back and book you. They want to work with you because again, it's a rare and hot commodity to be instinctive right now.
So when the industry sees an Instinctive Actor, they want a piece of it. It just feels alive and that is much more interesting than acting.
When you watch the video, leave me your questions in the comments to make sure we can take the discussion further and address your specific needs.
Be sure to take action right away and watch the webinar if you haven't already (click here to grab a seat).
Alright, that's it. Looking forward to a phenomenal 2019!
Jo.
Whenever you’re ready, here are TWO ways I can help you:
1. Join my free Facebook Group, THE INSTINCTIVE ACTORS’ SOCIETY,
exclusively for actors who are ready to go from good to great and become undeniable.
REQUEST TO JOIN: facebook.com/groups/instinctiveactorssociety
2.Get on the waitlist for my course, The Reset Journey From Resistance to Freedom, and stop struggling to access your natural, authentic talent in the audition room or on set. You’ll learn how to reset your instrument to be 100% instinctive and free in just 33 days.
GET ON WAITLIST: tobeornottoact.com/waitlist