This will be a short but sweet update.
I was about to pull the trigger on a class with a major casting director with whom I have long wanted to establish a connection. But then something wonderful happened– I booked my next job!
I have developed a general rule that basically states I want to have something happening for me at any given time. The worst thing I can do for my career is nothing whatsoever. If I’m not working I’m training. If I can’t afford to train right now I’m working extra shifts at additional jobs so I’ll be able to afford it later. If I’m tired of training then I try to expand the number of casting director or agent contacts I have. If I’ve become disillusioned with the industry and “playing the game” then I create my own opportunity– a short film, maybe.
What’s great about my little rule is I never feel anymore like my career is going nowhere. I quite literally always have something in the hopper. More and more I find myself having to push back something to accommodate a booking. I feel like I’m in demand! This is enormously helpful in terms of my personal attitude and outlook. Once upon a time when I was totally dependent on the “waiting to be picked for something” system each audition carried with it lots of pressure. After all, if I didn’t do well I knew it meant more time sitting on my couch in a depressed funk waiting for the phone to ring.
But now that I always have something happening that pressure is gone. Rather than go into an audition desperate for approval (and work) I go in confident with the knowledge that even if this job doesn’t pan out something else is waiting for me.