Private Coaching: Getting help to handle the problems that make us doubt our talent and abilities to act.
Not too long ago, I was working with an actor who had studied with me for a long time and had landed a lead on a very successful series. She wanted to do private coaching to bring new things to her character on the show, as she felt a bit stale.
As we began to talk about the show, I listened very carefully to what she had to say about how things were going with the stories in regards to her character. She felt she wasn’t given much to do and was getting lost in the shuffle. I could see her confidence had dropped and with that her drive and creativity had slipped as well. We tend to believe that if we’re a successful working actor on a series, all problems will disappear. That simply isn’t the case.
Problems are just a puzzle for us to solve and although they may change with success, they still exist. By definition a problem is an intention versus an opposing intention. Example: I want to be successful on this show (strong intention) but I’m worried about disappearing in the story lines (opposing intention) and don’t know what to do.
The opposing intention can really drain you as an actor as the focus goes on the negative and not on what you do best that got you the part—bringing yourself with your imagination, talent, and creativity to your work! If you keep the focus on that, you’re back to what brought you the success—your confidence in yourself and your choices. If you stick with that, it will help to right the other wrongs.
Sometimes as an actor you may doubt yourself and your abilities. All this does is shrink your certainty and ambition to succeed as it makes you careful about your choices. It can even make you begin to hide in your work, as you don’t think you’re any good.
The solution is re-ignite what you want to do as an artist, pull out all the stops, and kick worry and doubt to the curb and get on with what you do best—act.
It can be helpful to work with a private coach who can see what’s going on and can help to re-connect you to you, your talent, and what you love to do. The joy is in creating!
Call us now! (310) 274-1085
© 2015 Lynette McNeill Studios