To Be, or Not to Be (An Actor)

We interrupt our regularly scheduled broadcast to bring y'all something a little different. Today, instead of addressing our beloved tribe of ninja Dojo actors, this one's for those debating whether the actor's path is even worth setting out on. Which, by the way, is an absolutely valid debate to have.

For our amigos already en route and momentarily dancing with doubt, this read has yo' back.

For our homedogs currently soaring like badass albatrosses (smooth mix of animal references, we know), keep doin' what you're doin'.

But for our new friends, here are our thoughts on whether to be, or not to be, an actor.

The reality

The times have changed: the days of having one job for life have well and truly passed. Research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows we'll hold an average of 12.3 jobs from ages 18 to 52.^[1]

If we take a moment to sit with this – the normalcy of traversing several professions – the idea of test-driving a new road instantaneously becomes far less intimidating. Moving into the actor's lane for some time just becomes one of 12.3 lane changes we're likely to make. If we don't like the view, we simply change lanes again. We'll probably be flicking the indicator another 11.3 times anyway.

So why not?

This is usually where the brakes are pumped. The radio seems to scream, "The competition! The struggle! The rejection!"

We get it.

But homies, every industry has competition. Every career has its struggles. Every path has encounters with rejection. It's incorrect to think this is an artist-only experience. Law is competitive. Teaching can be a struggle. Human existence invites rejection. Whatever path(s) we choose to embark on, we'll need to find ways to make peace with the less sparkly aspects.

So – to return to the question – why not?

The experiment

We're going right back to high school chemistry with this one. We're going proper scientific method to ensure we do ourselves and our potential new adventure justice.

1. Define success. Those new to the Dojo will be blissfully unaware of how much we harp on about a personal definition of success. It's kinda the whole jam. It's probably unreasonable to expect we'll see this manifest within the constraints of this specific experiment, but it will provide us with a destination to head toward so we can get a feel for the road.
2. Set the timeline. All good experiments have a predetermined start and end date. We want to be super duper crystal clear about the concentrated window of time we'll be giving our all to this endeavour. Doing so will sharpen our focus, deflate some of the overwhelm, and hold us accountable.
3. Schedule the actions required. Working backwards from our personal definition of success, we want to list the actions we imagine would be required. We're all just making educated guesses up in here, but we can ask a friend or teacher (or this groovy lil' place called The Actor's Dojo) for advice if we'd prefer. That said, don't discount the value of a radiant beginner's mind.
4. Begin. A perk of being an actor is that we – and only we – can bestow our "actor-ness" on ourselves. So, when the start date rolls around, we need to consciously step into our new identity as an actor. And, #realtalk, if we're approaching the actor's path with this kind of clarity and commitment, we'll actually be waaay more of an "actor" than many who already claim the title.
5. Evaluate. Finally, when our experiment comes to a close, we analyse and assess the results. This will entail reflecting on whether we actually enjoyed driving in the actor's lane, or just the idea of it. There's no objective right or wrong – only what's right for us at this moment in time.

Regardless of what our experiment reveals, take a second to celebrate taking this dream for a spin. Most people never will – doing so demands a rare courage and discipline. Even if the actor's path no longer appeals, you're knighted an honorary Dojo actor for displaying such extraordinary legendary-ness.

TL;DR?

No worries. Here are the three key takeaways:

• The landscape of work has shifted – we're more likely to have 10+ jobs than hold one for life. As a result, we can afford to be a little less intimidated by the idea of a career pivot / change.
• Competition, struggle, and rejection are part of the actor's path, but they aren't unique to it. We could encounter these three in countless modern professions.
• We have little to lose from running a contained experiment to test-drive whether we enjoy the reality of being an actor or just the idea of it.

‌Citations

^[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20200408223932/https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/nlsoy.pdf, p. 1

Cite us!

IG: @theactorsdojo

APA 7: Norrish, T. (2022, June 21). To be, or not to be (an actor). The Actor’s Dojo. https://www.dojoactors.com/to-be-or-not-to-be/