For any struggling actors…
I understand your frustration and I get your pain, wanting to be an actor was never going to be easy but dreams aren’t meant to be easy. If you want to be an actor it’s because you are a dreamer, someone who believes that they’re capable of success, capable of achieving something many people don’t even bother to try at. Wanting to be an actor isn’t for the fun of it, it’s tough, its belittling and it can be the most lonely profession in the world but we continue. We keep trying because we cannot imagine any other life for ourselves. When I think of a life for myself all I see is acting, being creative, meeting like minded people who want to work just as hard as I do. Wanting to be an actor is never for the reasons everyone thinks, we don’t crave fame or desire adoring fans. Sure, we love the attention, we are actors after all! But we don’t choose this path for that, we choose this path because it is all we want from life. Life is too short to not try. Trying is half the fun, once you make it, that’s it. Trying to be an actor builds character, it strengthens us for the day when we truly need to fight for our dream. Nobody is going to hand it to us, nobody is going to simply walk up to you one day and grant you all your hopes and dreams. For any dream, you need to try, you need passion, you need desire. My veins are flowing with passion, every time I open my mouth passion pours out. Wanting to thrive and belong to a community who value me and my struggles, longing to meet people who understand me and only want the best for me. On the one hand, wanting to be an actor is lonely, you are the only person who walks into that audition and blows them away but, on the other hand, wanting to be an actor is a journey of self discovery and character building. The person you are today won’t be the same as the person you are tomorrow, every step you take to get closer and closer to your dream only furthers your growth. If you sent an email today, it was worth it, if you applied to a role today, it was worth it, if you got another rejection email, guess what? It was worth it. Every step, every moment and every effort is worth it in the long run. You may not feel it now but one day, you’ll look back and realise you did the right things. Striving for greatness is impossible they say, expecting perfection is simply futile, well I say fuck them. You dream, you dream big, you strive for the most impossible heights anyone could ever imagine. If you don’t try you won’t ever know.
Wanting to be an actor was never going to be easy, wanting to work in an industry which is forever changing and growing was never going to be easy. Wanting to immerse yourself into a world of negativity and ridicule was never going to be easy but, in time, it does get easier. Not easy, never easy but easier. I am writing from the perspective of someone who has the talent, I believe in myself and I know I am worthy of more but currently, I am at a cross roads. Unable to secure representation, unable to stand out in an industry who doesn’t want to listen. I am alone in this, I am the only person who can fight for me and I am beyond prepared to fight, forever. This may seem dramatic, it is, I’m aware how life or death this sounds. I’m an actor, we are dramatic creatures and proud. Nonetheless, this dramatic piece of writing is my heart pouring onto the page with my fingers unable to stop typing. When I start to write my emotions take over and I am prisoner to them. Emotion is human, being emotional is real and being dramatic is being present and aware of yourself. I am capable of success, I am capable of anything I put my mind to and I will never stop trying.
Today I may sit and panic for a moment, sit and stare at the wall thinking about the possibility of my dreams not becoming a reality. Today, I could work hard to make connections and try to further my career. Sometimes, your feelings don’t let you be productive and efficient, sometimes my head doesn’t want me to achieve anything and although frustrating, that is ok. Wanting to be an actor is a marathon, not a sprint, wanting to commit your life to the race is exciting beyond belief. If you need a voice of reason, somebody to tell you, it’s ok, you are ok and you are worthy of every goal you desire. If you’re reading this as an aspiring actor, or not, if you’re a creative or somebody who simply doesn’t know how they feel about their future. I am confidently telling you, you are doing well, you are amazing, incredible even and you should congratulate yourself on everything you have achieved so far.
It is so easy to look to the future for guidance, it is paralysing to look ahead and imagine what may happen but don’t. It’s a trap because you will sadly never know the truth until you arrive there. Don’t imagine what is in front of you, remember what has come behind you and embrace your accomplishments, no matter how big or small. Wanting to follow your dreams is an achievement in itself, a lot of people don’t even try.
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