You might have caught yourself focusing on producing an emotion when you act, especially if it’s an intense one, because it’s written in the script, in the role description or because the director asks you to do so. As a consequence of this, you may feel forced and unable to be authentic, unique and free and to do what you want.
Therefore, you may not be impacting your audience, booking or getting the fulfillment you want to feel as an artist since you’re not present and alive. So in order to fix that and get the emotion that is requested, you may have tried a lot of acting methods and techniques and yet feel that you’re still pushing the emotion and not being yourself. This can be really painful since as an artist, you want to fully express yourself in your own, unique way.
When you watch my training below you will discover that the real issue is not the fact that you should respect what the director or the text asks you to do. The problem is that you try to please them before getting present into who you truly are in the moment. You try to satisfy external needs before connecting with your own needs and with what you want with your character. The reason why you do this is because you have been conditioned to always please others, behave like others and feel what you’re told. As a child, you were asked to repress your own emotions and impulses so you could get external validation and fit in. And since your survival and belonging depended on your parents, teachers and society, you drank the Kool-Aid and obeyed so you were not humiliated, shamed or punished.
As an adult, you transfer those people-pleasing mechanisms to your audition and force your emotions so you can be liked by the director or casting director. When you do this, you stop being present to your characters according to your unique perspective on them. However, your responsibility as an actor is to bring your uniqueness and life to your characters so you can show up present and unique. That’s what the audience and casting directors are looking for.
And in order to be present, first you need to undo that conditioning and people-pleasing mechanisms so you can pay attention to your needs and unique perspective as an artist.
Watch the training below to hear all my thoughts on this topic.
After you watch the training, I'd love for you to join in the conversation happening in our private Facebook Group THE INSTINCTIVE ACTORS' SOCIETY. You can get answers for your specific situation directly from me and connect with HUNDREDS of like-minded actors across the globe, so we can move things forward faster together.
If you're not already a member, be sure to request to join ASAP here.
See you there!
Jo Kelly
Creator, The Reset Journey From Resistance to Freedom
P.S. Whenever you're ready, here are two ways I can help you:
Get your FREE training on how to STOP TRYING TO BE A GOOD ACTOR SO YOU HAVE A CHANCE AT BEING GREAT
Get on the waitlist for my program, 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
