What if I told you, dear actor, that you have a huge last minute audition tomorrow morning, and if you book it, you will go straight to set that afternoon? However, you’re not going to get the audition notification until 8pm tonight.
What if you knew that tomorrow was the day you were going to meet one of the people who become the biggest influencers and champions of your career?
The fact of the matter is that either of these scenarios are entirely possible in this career that we’ve chosen. We may have months of radio silence – no auditions, no new projects, and nothing airing. And then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, work presents itself (although we all know that in reality, it is a result of seeds planted months or even years ago).
If you had KNOWN that a huge opportunity was presenting itself tomorrow – what would you do today? How would you prioritize your time?
Here is some of what my day would look like:
- Working out. Moving my body ALWAYS makes me feel good. It helps with nerves, restless energy, and general peace of mind. I would probably do some stretching/yoga, and then go on a hike to get out in nature.
- Eating well. I would make sure that I’m putting healthy, whole foods into my body to both fuel my efforts as well as make me feel good physically.
- Working on my craft. If I know I have an audition, I would work on the sides and put myself on tape. I would run scenes with actor friends. I would hire an acting coach for an hour of private coaching.
- Filling the Well. I would prioritize doing the things that make me happy. I would spend time having tea with friends, or walking through my neighborhood, or reading a good book. Even binge watching a new Netflix show with my fella gives me great joy.
- Getting good sleep. I know myself, and I’m not someone who functions well on little sleep. I would definitely make sure I had no technology before bed and I would go to bed early to ensure that I could be refresh and focused the next day.
Looking back on this list, that looks like a pretty good day. Shouldn’t I spend every day like that? Because it could absolutely be true. I could get a same day audition. I could get asked to shoot something last minute. It’s happened before, and it’ll happen again. Being an actor in this industry means always being ready, always being as prepared as you can be, because your life could change with one phone call.
So when I’m feeling uninspired, I like to tell myself “tomorrow is a shoot day.” Because for all I know, it could be true =)
“Waking” photo of Sarah Eagen by Dawndra Budd http://www.photographsbydawndra.com/