Success
Being a new, young actor a lot of the times doesn't produce a whole lot of "success" so when it starts happening, an actor can feel many things.
Though I haven't had any substantial success, here is my insight:
1. They can feel overwhelmed.
This is a bit of what I'm feeling right now. How does one handle recognition? It's funny because it's what I've wanted and have been working towards it for so long but now that it's starting to creep up I'm feeling nervous. I think the overwhelming feeling I'm getting is: 1) People are going to wonder how I achieved any of this because I'm not very good. 2) People aren't going to care, and think that I'm blowing up something small that doesn't really deserve attention.
Amongst these things that have been going on: photo-shoots, radio interviews, and magazine ads, as well as teaching drama at camps, drama at elementary schools, and private acting lessons I am almost embarrassed to tell people. And I find that when I am telling people, I hype them down so as not to come off as braggy.
In the world of acting, an actor cannot have a fear of rejection. It's just apart of the job. In the beginning this is really hard to understand and one person saying the wrong thing could turn you off forever. I knew someone who heard something from an instructor that was supposed to be constructive but was so upset by it that they dropped out of the department and didn't return until a year later.
But as you continue to grow and audition more, you get turned down so often that it doesn't even phase you anymore. But the fear of rejection still harbors in you and manifests itself into different shapes.
My fear of not getting cast is over, but it has taken another form in a fear of success. Fear of rejection is basically being afraid that someone is going to tell you that you are not good. Well fear of success is basically the same thing: you fear that someone is going to tell you that you are undeserving of the success and are indeed bad.
So there is this internal battle between excitedly tell people and humbling yourself and keeping it on the down-low. Nobody likes an actor with a complex.
Which brings me to my next point.
2. They can let the success define them.
We're always told to not let our failures define us. Not to let people tell us our worth. But what does the other side of that look like? Do we let people define us if they are saying nothing but good things? Is this a good? I don't have the answer to that, but it seems as though putting so much faith in a person or with persons puts too much faith in their word. What if they change their mind and decide you're awful? Well they were right when they were saying nice things, why not when they were saying negative things?
Letting other people define your success is a scary thing. It puts your happiness in the hands of other people. So whether relying on positive or negative definitions, it's not a healthy thing.
Life Lesson and Moral of the story:
Your success must be defined in Jesus
God has (and has always had) the perfect plan for you and for me. Some times- actually ALL the time, we step out of that plan and He makes use of our mistakes to better His kingdom.
When you trust in him and use your passion in His name, he is pleased!
You are fearfully and wonderfully made and God didn't put passions on your hearts just so you can ignore them and take a less risky and comfortable path. If everyone took the comfortable path, lessons would seldom be learned.
YOU are special and unique. And even if you feel like there is already a rockstar, a broadway actor, an accomplished chemist, or whatever you dream to be, already in your group of friends that does NOT affect you in the slightest.
Putting your success in Jesus is not just for the actor and not even just for the performer. It's for all of your dreams. Going against these passion is going against what God has planned for you!
From here on out, you must leave your success in Gods hands. You'll be surprised not only by the desires of your heart being fulfilled, but by the fact that your definition of success and achievement are different than what the world defines it as.
Despite my insecurities, I am proud of what God is doing in my life and I am humbled by what God thinks of me. By turning to God to lead me, I can ignore what other people might think of where I am and how I've gotten here.
Though I haven't had any substantial success, here is my insight:
1. They can feel overwhelmed.
This is a bit of what I'm feeling right now. How does one handle recognition? It's funny because it's what I've wanted and have been working towards it for so long but now that it's starting to creep up I'm feeling nervous. I think the overwhelming feeling I'm getting is: 1) People are going to wonder how I achieved any of this because I'm not very good. 2) People aren't going to care, and think that I'm blowing up something small that doesn't really deserve attention.
Amongst these things that have been going on: photo-shoots, radio interviews, and magazine ads, as well as teaching drama at camps, drama at elementary schools, and private acting lessons I am almost embarrassed to tell people. And I find that when I am telling people, I hype them down so as not to come off as braggy.
In the world of acting, an actor cannot have a fear of rejection. It's just apart of the job. In the beginning this is really hard to understand and one person saying the wrong thing could turn you off forever. I knew someone who heard something from an instructor that was supposed to be constructive but was so upset by it that they dropped out of the department and didn't return until a year later.
But as you continue to grow and audition more, you get turned down so often that it doesn't even phase you anymore. But the fear of rejection still harbors in you and manifests itself into different shapes.
My fear of not getting cast is over, but it has taken another form in a fear of success. Fear of rejection is basically being afraid that someone is going to tell you that you are not good. Well fear of success is basically the same thing: you fear that someone is going to tell you that you are undeserving of the success and are indeed bad.
So there is this internal battle between excitedly tell people and humbling yourself and keeping it on the down-low. Nobody likes an actor with a complex.
Which brings me to my next point.
2. They can let the success define them.
We're always told to not let our failures define us. Not to let people tell us our worth. But what does the other side of that look like? Do we let people define us if they are saying nothing but good things? Is this a good? I don't have the answer to that, but it seems as though putting so much faith in a person or with persons puts too much faith in their word. What if they change their mind and decide you're awful? Well they were right when they were saying nice things, why not when they were saying negative things?
Letting other people define your success is a scary thing. It puts your happiness in the hands of other people. So whether relying on positive or negative definitions, it's not a healthy thing.
Life Lesson and Moral of the story:
Your success must be defined in Jesus
God has (and has always had) the perfect plan for you and for me. Some times- actually ALL the time, we step out of that plan and He makes use of our mistakes to better His kingdom.
When you trust in him and use your passion in His name, he is pleased!
You are fearfully and wonderfully made and God didn't put passions on your hearts just so you can ignore them and take a less risky and comfortable path. If everyone took the comfortable path, lessons would seldom be learned.
YOU are special and unique. And even if you feel like there is already a rockstar, a broadway actor, an accomplished chemist, or whatever you dream to be, already in your group of friends that does NOT affect you in the slightest.
Putting your success in Jesus is not just for the actor and not even just for the performer. It's for all of your dreams. Going against these passion is going against what God has planned for you!
From here on out, you must leave your success in Gods hands. You'll be surprised not only by the desires of your heart being fulfilled, but by the fact that your definition of success and achievement are different than what the world defines it as.
Despite my insecurities, I am proud of what God is doing in my life and I am humbled by what God thinks of me. By turning to God to lead me, I can ignore what other people might think of where I am and how I've gotten here.
