1. Keep Your Word
Your word is your bond, so follow-up and follow-through. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Do what you say you will do. Don’t gossip. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. Speak freely and openly about your life and career, but walk your walk. Remember, actions speak louder than words.
2. Mind Your Own Business
Bette Davis once said, “I do not regret one professional enemy I have made. Any actor who doesn’t dare to make an enemy should get out of the business.” The opinions of others are, quite frankly, none of your business. Do not allow yourself to be distracted or discouraged by what others think, or say, or do. Yes, accept advice and feedback, but never forget that no one knows you like you do.
3. Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously
When you take yourself too seriously, you create unneeded stress, worry, and disappointment. Your best work comes from a place of freedom and playfulness. When you adopt a make-or-break attitude, you stifle your creativity. Though it may be tough to hear, no one else takes your mistakes or questions as seriously as you do. You are not as important as your ego would have you believe. So, take a chill pill, set your ego aside for a bit, and play with possibility.
4. Connect the Dots
Contrary to what you might think, every aspect of your life is connected. Think about it. When you exercise, you feel energized and confident. This confidence helps you in audition or performance situations. An organized desk leads to peace of mind and more freedom. Your relationships with others reflect your relationship with yourself. The way you do anything is the way you do everything. It’s your job to connect the dots. Appreciate how your day job serves your artistic vision. Understand how keeping a balanced checkbook affects the balance in your life as a whole. Realize that now is the time to live the life of your dreams. Treat yourself like you’re already there.
5. You’re Here to Work
If you desire an income-generating career as an artist, you must also respect the business. You cannot thrive by just being an art-eeest. It just doesn’t work. Sure, you can be creatively fulfilled, which is fantastic! That’s kinda the point, isn’t it? If that’s all you want from your art, then step out of the business. Stop looking for an agent, stop attending workshops, and stop any marketing you may be doing. Instead, put up incredible plays, do a lot of great writing, paint, travel and create whenever you can. You’ll be happy you did.
But if you want to make money and have a career in show business, you must be informed about your industry. You must be well trained. You must network, read the trades, and market yourself. Otherwise, you’re not here to really do business.
6. Live Dangerously
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. Do the thing you think you cannot do. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.”
Take risks. Live Boldly. When you feel fear, ask yourself, “What’s the worst that might happen if I take this risk?” The answer is that you’ll move past your fear. You’ll survive. You might even get somewhere.
7. Don’t Think
Most artists spend a lot of time thinking about what they want rather than acting upon their instincts. Don’t think your life away. Follow your instincts. Listen to your gut – it’s telling you something. When you wonder whether or not you’re making the smartest move, you’re likely to think yourself right out of taking any action at all. Every step you take brings new results. Those results determine what comes next. So, you simply must take action in order to achieve your goals. Don’t think. Just Move.
Respected as one of the entertainment industry’s leading experts, Dallas Travers teaches actors the career and life skills often left out of traditional training programs. Her groundbreaking book, The Tao of Show Business, has won over five awards including first prizes at The Hollywood Book Festival and the London Festival along with the National Indie Excellence Award. She has helped thousands of actors to increase their auditions, produce their own projects, secure representation and book roles in film and television.
If you’re ready to jump-start your acting career, get your FREE Thriving Artist Starter kit now at http://www.dallastravers.com.
