We just spoke with Los Angeles-based actor Hilary Ward on the podcast, and the takeaway for me was that Hilary is very clear about what she wants and where she wants to be going. Our first workshop is about preparation and integrity. Talking with Hilary reminded me that before anything, we need to have some internal clarity to use as guideposts. Even if we can’t predict the outcome, and many surprises both pleasant and unpleasant are bound to arise, our choices and reactions can be clearer if we have identified and articulated how we see ourselves as artists and people. Most of the time, how we treat ourselves is how others will treat us. Hilary talked about how she made the choices she has made along the way, from going to grad school, to where to live, to how her theatre company would approach its work, to choosing representation. I highly suggest listening to the conversation.
The guiding principle I heard a lot from Hilary was “What am I worth”? (And spoiler alert - its a lot, but it still needs to be said and repeated often). She also said, “It’s not personal." How we show up as actors for our training, for our auditions, and ultimately for our booked work depends on what we expect from ourselves and for ourselves. We have to have a realistic understanding of where we are now as well as where we want to be in the future. Surrounding ourselves with people who can respect and share that is a great way to choose our community, using that as a way to decide what to say yes to, what to say no to, and what the next “right” move is for each of us. Once we have that vision we can look at what the work is that needs to be done to keep ourselves in line with it - whether it is spending some time to address fear-based beliefs we might be bringing along with us, how to relate to the people we work with, what classes to take, or simply what the workflow needs to be.
In some ways, it is deeply personal. Ironically, defining our own personal value and making decisions based on that helps us let go of putting other people in charge of it and taking things personally. So, I hope you will join me for Workshop #1 where you will take some time to articulate your goals, what you are at your best, and identify what you need to do to stay as close to that as possible as you navigate your career.
This new podcast will be dropping next week!
With loud applause for all of you...
xx Tessa