When I spoke at the ARTS talent showcase recently, I told the story of a dad. In 2011, we had just had a life-changing, inspiring week attending the ARTS, and Tia had had the time of her life. As we were leaving, I overheard a dad say, to his little girl of about 7 years old, “Well that’s that. You didn’t get anything, so we’re never going to do anything like this again.” Her little face…my heart broke for her.
It’s completely understandable that we want to see a return from all the time and money we put into something. But here’s the thing: if you entered your 7 year old child into a swimming competition, and she didn’t do so well, you wouldn’t say “well, that’s it – you’re never going to the Olympics.” And if you’re an adult, who’s barely done any swimming before, you wouldn’t say after one race, “well, that’s it. I just can’t swim.”
We get it in our minds that acting is natural; that you either have the talent or you don’t. Everyone’s an armchair critic; and those critics all think anyone can do it. But acting is just like any other art or discipline. We could all make noises on the guitar, but it takes some smarts and some learning, to make sense of those noises. Acting is just the same, and it all takes time.
So what do we do when we get discouraged, when we don’t book the role we want, when the agent we wanted to work with doesn’t want to work with us, when the pilot doesn’t turn into a series, when we didn’t get any callbacks, when you get a bad review? What do you do, when you desperately want to be the lead, but you get cast as a tree, or a bunny?
Option 1 – quit. And try finding a happy place elsewhere. Option 2 – just keep swimming. Remind yourself that it’s a journey and a process, not an instant win. Surround yourself with people who will encourage, teach and mentor. Look back on what you’ve already done and realise it’s more than many people do in a lifetime.
Any performance, any showcase, any time you put your talent out there for the world to see, you are working! And if you’ve been wired with a love for, a talent for, or a drive for being in this industry, there’s not much that’ll make you happier than working in it. Don’t give up – you’ve started this adventure, if you just keep at it, you’ll find your place.