ActorSelfCoach: Recent Episodes
Judith Lightfoot Clarke
Of course All The Humans Matter. But the family of artists who primarily work in the theatre Know Some Things. This podcast is a short reminder that as our culture, our political climate, our very planet changes, erupts, evolves, what we do matters very much.
Theatre Folk. We know what we do. Here's to Us.
There are things, people we love and have loved, places and more that we have acquired in our Actor and Human Lives. Or invited in. Or sought.
We have spent for them, and certainly on them.
Our time, energy, money.... did I mention Time? This podcast goes into When It May Be Enough Already.
Actors, check the parts of your life that may be on auto renew. And Ask. Do I want this thing, this person, this place... Today?
If you do, ask yourself if your reason is better than... because it cost so much already.
Not about Quitting. About Choosing.
In these weeks of Strikes, SAG AFTRA and WGA, there are opportunities for us all. To participate. To negotiate. To get Creative about solutions.
And...
To worry. To feel Desperate. If you notice that you are feeling a lot of negative emotions, this is human. But if the emotion is generally Desperation, you likely want to find one that feels better. Much better.
In this podcast, there is a strategy to interrupt the path your primitive brain will always revert to, and step into a Feeling you would rather experience.
Much better than Desperation.
Here we are. This is how we make progress in our industry. We work together, we organize together, and we strike. Together. And we will have Thoughts about this. About our career. Our industry. Our bottom line. Some thoughts will be negative. That is OK. We are always ready to be ready. This is what we do.
Take a moment. Look at the thoughts. And then decide how you Want to Feel going forward. The SAG-AFTRA strike is a fact in our lives. A circumstance. What we Do with that fact is up to us.
Use this time for You. Decide how you are able to support the union, if you are a member. And decide that the union will be stronger on the other side of this.
So will you.
There is immediate pleasure. For sure, that is fun. And there is delayed pleasure... gratification that derives potency from the very fact that you have to ... wait for it... We Humans, We Actors, need both. This is certainly the case with auditions. The work we put into them may pay off immediately. A job is booked.
Or. The work may pay off later, in unexpected ways.
We never know how any work will be received. Or when we might benefit. So it can be beautiful to enjoy the doing of the work itself. And try not to judge any path to pleasure, especially our own.
The pleasures of our work are just a part of the whole of us. We are built for these, and much more.
We often go outside ourselves for answers. This podcast is an invitation to go inside and use your internal wisdom. No one knows you better than you. The simple questions here can open up any feeling you are experiencing, tell you Why you are Feeling This Way, and give you direction.
Use your Power. Find your Own Wisdom. Then, ACT.
Every actor has a Zone of Genius. This is the space in which you deliver excellence. You know when you are 'on'. You know when you are 'in the zone'. Take the time to Recognize yours. Knowing, with confidence, where you excel will be immeasurably helpful when life circumstances, casting, rehearsals, call backs, performances, don't go the way you expected. It is not helpful to get down on yourself. You can note what worked, what didn't, and move on. But if you find yourself lingering there, in a negative space, go to what you know. Your zone of Genius is with you.
Regardless.
There is a zone where suddenly, all of your senses are heightened, and you feel more alive - you can tell that something, once possible, is now much more probable.
You are in the space where things matter. Actions matter. The consequences, the stakes, the engagement. We don't live there -- that would be exhausting. But you know it when you're in it. And it is a gift to yourself and your work to know how to get there when you need to. It's where the excitement is. It's where you surprise yourself with what you can do.
Not just for sports fans, the RED Zone is for actors, and for any human who doesn't want to settle for ordinary, when extraordinary beckons.
There are things, in acting work and off stage life, that we ignore for so so long, even when they bother us... We tolerate them. And when these things, relationships, habits, linger on, tolerated, the combined weight of all of them brings our our energy and desire down.
A broken lamp. The time suck of setting up for a self tape. Old resume shots. A tired relationship...
We can do better. Lighten the load you carry - of the unnecessary and unhelpful. And find more headspace for what you really want.
There is no judgement about how often, or how much you drink. Not here.
But there is a path to drinking less, if you don't like the results in your life. Actors can seek a number of ways to release the tension of the day, or hold onto the high of a performance, or avoid our negative feelings when work (or life) is not going our way.
Be onto yourself. And just decide. Why do you drink the amount you drink? And is it working for your life?
We can overcomplicate things. We can be dramatic.
Learn the 2 simple steps to drinking less. And just start there.
Please note: This episode is not for people with chronic or debilitating alcohol dependency. If you suffer from the effects of alcohol, please seek medical attention and get the support you need.
Anxiety is a part of many actor's lives. And the more we get used to it, the more we say 'I have anxiety', the more of a habit it can become. There are simple concepts you can use to reduce anxiety in your acting career and in your life.
Anxiety should not rule your life. If you think yours is keeping you playing small, or inhibiting your personality, or stifling your growth, it is time to change your thoughts.
The world needs you to be you.
If you struggle with chronic or disabling anxiety, please seek professional help. For additional resources, please check the sites on the ActorSelfCoach.com Resource page.
Resources for Actors
Actors often resist Planning. It seems like too much structure in a career that is fluid and creative. But consider this: The work is fluid, but the structure Planning provides gives you support when you don't know what's next. This can be a beautiful gift to yourself.
So take an hour and get excited about your Next Great Year!
For those who need help financially, you can start with the link below, formerly known as the Actors Fund.
Entertainment Community Fund
We can dramatically increase our ability to bounce back, to Recover, from any difficulty. Rejection, reviews, comparisons, disappointments - all part of our lives. And all come with Thoughts and Feelings we can handle.
Learn the Model for Thought work that can guide you through any problem work or life hands you.
The episode mentions some examples, outlined below:
EXAMPLE 1
Circumstance (Or Event): I am cast as Jean
Thought: I am miscast
Feeling: Uninspired
Actions: I don't make strong choices, cycle in worry, complain to other actors, I don't Work on creative ways to feel right in the role. I don't use my time efficiently.
Result: I am not believably Jean
EXAMPLE 2
C: I have not received an offer in 7 months after 27 auditions.
T: I will never work this year
F: Dejection
A: Not taking care of my body to be ready, not working as thoroughly on auditions, buffering (watching TV shows other actors get to do) – overeating or drinking, consuming.
R: I don't book work this year
EXAMPLE 3
C: The critic in the Daily Sun Times wrote “The Actor playing Charlotte seemed unsure and vague”.
T: Everyone will read this and believe it.
F: Embarrassment
A: Rethinking my choices during the play, loudly proclaiming ‘I don’t read reviews’, compulsively rereading the review, and buffering.
R: I pull back from the show.
Before you work on handling money differently and even before you reframe how you want to give and think about giving, spend a few minutes on wanting what you Have.
Abundance doesn't come from your paycheck, or luxurious items. The feeling of Abundance comes from Wanting What You Have. And deciding to keep it.
Be Generous to yourself first. Then the Abundance will flow freely to others.
We are performers who work with a different sense of time than many.
With all the amazing opportunities we have in our careers, our minds will sometimes focus on the gatherings, holidays, celebrations that we do not attend.
What do we miss as Actors? Is it worth it? And how do we handle the emotions that arise from that Thought... I am Missing something. My family doesn't understand. My friends don't get it.
Get clear on why you miss what you miss. And Like Your Reasons.
There is a difference between our image of ourselves as actors and the branding we do to sell our work. Get clear on who you want to be as an actor and step into that today.
This episode references Ann Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare. Click below for the blog on why we don't know what she thought...
Anne Hathaway's Bed
If you know your compelling reason to be an Actor, to stay an Actor, you will have the resilience you need for a long career. Don't use evidence from your past to decide what you are about to do.
Your why may change over the years. Make sure you still want to do what you do. You don't need to hang onto a past version of yourself if it is not serving you.
Wanting more is not about Greed. It's not about being dissatisfied with your life today. It's about evolving as an actor. Evolving as a human. Go get what you want.
Your three currencies, the fuel for the life you want, are Time, Energy and Money. Give your brain the same attention you give your body and learn how to harness them.
From Thespis in the time of the ancients, to every brave actor who breathes and centers before entering the stage, our emotional health has been guided by the 2 parts of our brain. Explore why we behave the way we do. Understanding this helps us be onto ourselves. It also gets us deeper into the roles we play.
Think about what you achieve when you are happy. And what you achieve that you are most proud of, galvanized by. Are they the same? Here are some thoughts about feelings we have as actors and how to channel them for our evolution.
This episode introduces Professional Actors to the tools and concepts that promote emotional well being. Our careers are rarely stable, and often as dramatic as our roles. Learn why you should manage your mind to solve your problems with compassion and clarity, on and offstage.
Learn a clear way to manage your mind around working as an actor with compensation, and valuing your time, energy and money when you are seeking work. There are 3 work flow lanes and each one offers a wonderful opportunity to evolve as an actor and a human.