No, this wasn’t a scene I was preparing for…this was last week leaving set after four days straight of twelve plus hour work days. Exhaustion, delirium and my nerves had gotten the better of me. Recently, I got into a car accident. It was shocking and very unnerving to have to incur yet another bill and my safety was jeopardized. Yes, it was that stupid and that quick. It all happened so fast I had no idea what to do…the panic set in and then I did something I never do in a stressful situation, I laughed. Hysterically. Why? A realization. After numerous auditions, casting calls and showcases there has been a common thread in the attitude of the actors I come across. While many come in to the audition rooms very positive and upbeat, I see it time and time and again: the decline in how long that positivity sustains, just a few minutes before they break. Why? What was that breaking point?
In my last article I mentioned the fact that I’ve been to auditions only to see other actors lose all hope after being in the audition room for more than 10 minutes. It’s as though after all the eye dagger stares and the nervousness builds they allow it to destroy them. No one genuinely enjoys the audition process. However, it’s a necessary evil and I commend those that have found the power to not allow it to enter their psyche to begin with, this is something I have yet to fully harness. But, we can all do something that is rarely discussed…that is not only to be kind to ourselves – I can’t tell you how many people advise me to be kinder to myself (I hear it from everyone) – but to find the positive in the audition process and any type of negativity, in any given situation. This is a life skill that will take you so far.
Finding the positive in any situation isn’t as easy, nor is it as superficial as it sounds. To start easy, you can begin thinking about a negative situation you may have been in and something outside of that situation that was relatively positive…you may have gotten into a car accident but putting things into perspective is key, we live in world with running water, clean air and access to medicine. In my country (Algeria), those things are not as accessible. Something that’s been very popular these days in social media is called “first world problems.” And it’s true, these issues are not life threatening, and while at the end of the day we are doing important work, we aren’t in a position to not have access to medicine or transportation…there are also ways to make a living, this is extremely limited in other countries around the world. There are so many things we can do to stay positive, including putting things into perspective and in relation to the rest of the world. We have it good, in America to be working artists….to be able to pursue the craft and I count myself extremely blessed to be able to do this America.
In my country it’s close to impossible to even attempt at a life in the arts, it’s more than looked down upon. Everyone is expected to have a career in anything but in the arts, it has stigma especially for women and I’ve even been insulted, but there is nothing that can be done about that and you just have to keep trudging through and stay positive regardless of the negativity that surrounds you.
The key, again, is perspective! Keep things in check, its a skill set in its own right, but a survival skill nonetheless, in my opinion. If you’d like to flourish, you cannot compare yourself to others’ success in the industry along with the other ‘crap’ that keeps happening called life. You can avoid all this simply by putting things into perspective.
– Rhym