Ahhh the holidays.
The perfect time to sit back, relax with friends and family, and let your brain go fucking haywire contemplating whether it was a good year career-wise. FUN.
We are all guilty of this. In looking back at the holidays, Christmas time is usually spent with family who doesn’t really get what you do, so you spend hours explaining why you’re not on TV yet. Then New Year’s rears its {almost across the board disappointing} head and you’re supposed to evaluate your past year vs. your goals and then make new ones all while paying $75 for “A Champaign Toast at Midnight!”
Honestly…
Here is why this is a problem. 2018 was ROUGH you guys. No matter which way you spin it. But along with all the meme’s reinforcing how fucking bad it was, you’re still forced in that weird end-of-year way to review your victories…and reviewing career victories as an actor is REAL hard.
I used to define my winnings with big overarching things: a booking, a new agent, um….well that was pretty much it.
Yes, those are the best things! Hell yes, I want more bookings (maybe not more agents…) but counting those is like counting the number of times it rained in LA in the past year: totally out of your control.
We have to stop doing this to ourselves. I am just as guilty. I was on hold for a few things before the holiday shut-down and my mind immediately felt like it would be a MUCH happier Christmas if maybe just maybe I filmed something before I left town. Fun fact: I did not. Funner fact: I had a fantastic holiday regardless.
Here is what I am letting myself count as victories last year, to settle my mind and put me in a place of chill:
- Auditions: we disregard these if we don’t book, but SO MANY actors would kill to just go on an audition. Huge victory.
- Holds/Avails: holy shit, you not only did your job well, but you happened to fit into a role?? Congratulations, you are not only talented but you are also relevant to the acting work being made. Who cares if you didn’t get it (I know I know, I do too).
- Personal projects: did you make a short film? Write a script? Curate your Instagram? Yes, my friends, this all counts.
- Keeping your head in the acting game: headshots, updated reel, classes, workshops, dealing in any part with LA Casting via phone or email (do they know it’s 2019?) – working on your career without having a project coming up is EVEN MORE admirable in my opinion. It proves you are committed and growing AND that you belong in this crazy world.
Did you get some point on the scoreboard now? I bet you did. Enjoy that! Those are the small victories that will carry you on to an even better year.
We’re all doing FINE.