Tag Archive: build confidence


Act Better

Filed Under: build confidence
May.03, 2010

Post written by Dharini Woollcombe

How to Act Better:

  1. Know that you are utterly UNIQUE
  2. Remember that we are all in this TOGETHER
  3. Learn to keep LEARNING

——-

I came across a bright pink sticky note marking a passage from an article I had read a few months ago. I believe it is well worth sharing.  Although screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski is referring to his experience in the world of writing, what he says is completely translatable in to the world of acting:

“The problem is that often writers think we’re all in competition with each other, which can lead them to be awkward when someone else does well, but I’ve never believed that. We each represent a unique point of view; we each stand on a piece of ground occupied by no one else in the world. No one else can tell a “fill in the name” story like “fill in the name” can. But not everyone perceives that, and that is unfortunate.

Then there are some people who, the more they accomplish, the louder they get. I was that way at the start, desperate to convince people that I had done what it takes. In later years, particularly the aftermath of Changeling, I’ve gotten quieter and calmer, more at rest in how I relate to people. I put all that misspent energy into challenging myself creatively, looking for new techniques and experimenting in new forms.

Every day I discover something new about storytelling or acquire a new tool for the toolbox. And that’s really the key metaphor: When you start out as a writer, at most you have a screwdriver and a rusty pair of pliers in your toolbox, and there are only so many things you can build with them, and only to a certain minimal level of quality. If you pay attention, if you work at your craft, you begin to acquire more tools that allow you to make a more diverse range of things with greater finesse and skill.

But those tools don’t just come to you unbidden: You have to listen and look for them and be open to new tools even if they scare you.

…When someone hires you to write a script, they are paying you a compliment of unimaginable proportion. They are paying you to make black marks on a piece of paper. They’re saying, “Here’s a bucket of money…tell us a story.” If you can find something more amazing than that, let me know….”

- Creative Screenwriting (November 2009, Vol.16, No. 6)

Mr. Straczynski says it like it is.

We are all unique, and no journey is ever the same. So why try to emulate some one else’s path and why resent them for the choices they make? Focus on your own path, discover it, take chances, and take leaps of faith. Get involved in your own journey.

We are all in it together. So why not find, create, and promote community. We actors spend a lot of time off on our own when not working on projects. So why not get out there, spend time with your colleagues and friends. Learn from each other, support each other. Go get basket of fries and shoot the breeze.

When someone experiences accomplishments and success, they should be able to share these things, not worry about being greeted with resentment, and envy.

But resentment and envy come from dissatisfaction in one’s own life. What can you do about that?

Be proactive in your own life and (yes, you’ve heard me say this before) create the life you want.

Make choices and take action.

Find your way to process, and learning, and growth.

This will keep you active, engaged, stimulated, and excited about things in your life…as opposed to sitting around feeling sorry for yourself, jealous about your friend, and wasting your life away in negativity…I mean really, who wants to do that?

Not you?

Ok!

Then do something about it – because the more Action you take in your Life, the more Life you bring to your Acting.

Tags: , , , ,
read more

Eat For All You’re Worth

Filed Under: feed your Actor
Feb.12, 2010

Post written by Dharini Woollcombe

How to Achieve the Ultimate Actor’s Body Through Food

  1. Remove refined sugars, processed foods and as many packaged foods as you can from your daily food intake, and replace with wholesome, healthier alternatives.
  2. Eat things that are as close to their natural state as possible.
  3. Watch the fruits of your labor: better energy, better skin, balanced weight.

———

What you eat enables you to function. So it makes sense that you are what you eat.

So what does that make YOU?

An Actor who is part of the fast-food chain?

An Actor who is considered easy, fast and cheap?

An Actor with no real substance? (Please say no.)

It makes you think doesn’t it.

What we eat shows in our bodies, inside and out. I worry about my weight, my skin, and my over all appearance. How can I not? As an Actor it is near impossible not to worry about these things to some degree. What we look like is a big part (like it or not) of what we are selling. We are our product.

So the question is how do we improve our packaging? There are three key ingredients that will immediately create a New and Improved quality:

Regular Exercise

Good Sleep

Real Food

Real Food. I am a little obsessed with this one these days. Let me tell you why.

It all started about a year ago. My husband began reading about food. He read books about how various animals are bred, fed and farmed. He read books about how and why vegetables have changed in size and nutritional value over the years (money and politics). He read books about why industrial corn (it’s chemical by-products) is found in practically everything that is packaged (money and politics). He read books about why processed foods exist (money and politics). He continues to read everything about how our food comes to be.

What started as summer reading has become a lifelong goal and has dramatically changed our lives. We now eat whole foods, as much local and organic as we can, and have seriously cut down on refined sugars. The differences we’ve felt in mind, body and soul are incredible: I have better stamina through the day with no afternoon slump, my skin is clearer and softer, I tend to be less moody and irritable, and I am at a healthy, easily sustainable weight. (And yes, I still enjoy treats.)

See, you don’t need to repackage yourself…just make sure the ingredients are high quality.

Think about how this translates into every day living, into minimizing our carbon footprints, and even into our Auditions and acting work.

The best part? You can start this change all by yourself. I swear. No gadgets, no powders, no supplements. “How?” you ask. Just read an article, or pick up a book.  And then read another. And another. EDUCATED EATING changes our understanding of the most basic necessity for life. Eating for your body begins by educating yourself about where your food comes from.

It’s that simple…and interesting!

Educate yourself and choose how you want to feed yourself. Trust me, if you read some of the stuff we’ve been reading, you can’t help but change your food choices. Some of the things that happen to our foods before we put it in our mouths are morally wrong and some of them are absolutely disgusting .

So why finance pharmaceutical agendas and “cheap and easy” politics?

Why not support the struggling, local farmers who offer unprocessed and non-altered foods.

Why not go to the market and get fresh vegetables and meats, and raw, unprocessed honey or maple syrup.

Why not experiment and try out good whole foods for a few weeks  and see what happens.

Why not ask about the real, fundamental differences between organic and non-organic.

Why not learn about what you’re actually putting in your mouth and  inside your body, and make an educated choice.

Knowledge is power, they say. So why not empower yourself with the information to make that choice. Seriously, WHY NOT.

Our bodies are all we have in this lifetime. There is no warranty and no money back. This vessel is it. And the Actor that eats real food glows with HEALTH radiates ENERGY, CONFIDENCE and WELL BEING. Who doesn’t want to work with that?

Educate yourself about food, make choices and change how you feel about yourself. The first step in taking care of our Actor Selves is by feeding our bodies responsibly.

So fuel up on information on how to feed your Actor Self and eat!  Eat well.

Tags: , , , ,
read more

Wait No More

Filed Under: build confidence
Jan.14, 2010

Post written by Dharini Woollcombe.

How to Stop Waiting:

  1. Identify feeling unsatisfied, helpless, frustrated, and that nothing seems to be happening.
  2. Make a list of things you could do such as -  administrative tasks, physical activities, artistic projects, and acting, voice or movement practice.
  3. Pick one thing and DO IT!

———
Waiting sucks.
It does.
It leaves you in a kind of limbo. The only way for the situation to change is if someone shows up or something comes along.

You’re up on a wall with no way down. You feel helpless.
Sound familiar?
This is a situation in which we actors put ourselves, way too often.
So I ask you…why wait?

You heard me: why wait?
You do have a choice here. Really.

You can wait for that phone call from your agent, or you could call your agent and tell them about the acting class you’re taking.
You can wait for a job to appear, or you could get together with friends and read a play aloud.
You can watch re-runs on TV, or you could rent that classic movie you’ve never gotten around to seeing.
You can hang out with a friend in a diner, or you could check out an art gallery together.
You can sit around and feel sorry for yourself, or you could hunt around for a new monologue or a great book on acting.
You can look at gossip magazines, or you could go to the gym.
You can track your friends’ careers, or you could work on your demo and introductory letter.
You can complain about the industry, or you could get involved with your union.
You can feel sad, or you could write a poem.
You can pig out on junk food, or you could take a walk.
You can sit on the couch, or you could drop in to a dance class.
You can hang out on YouTube, or you could email a teacher or friend for advice.
You can do absolutely nothing, or you could do something.

You see? The choices are endless.

And who cares why you’re being lethargic, apathetic, lazy or whatever you want to call it. The point is you can change the situation with minimal effort. Your Actor Self might be whining about being useless or untalented and “what’s the point”, but it is your job to take charge and lead your Actor Self into action.  It is your responsibility to find the confidence that our directors and producers are looking for. It is up to you to give that Actor Self something to feel good about. We are creators and we feel good when we create. So create your life by doing something with it.

You’ve only got one life. It’s all yours. What are you waiting for?

Do one thing. Do it now.
Get over yourself and take action.
Before you run off to do errands, or go to your joe-job, do one thing for your Actor Self, and stop waiting.
Because not waiting, doesn’t suck.

Besides which, you might actually get out and see people, experience something, open your mind, find your confidence or even…wait for it…. enjoy life in some small way. Can you imagine that? – An actor enjoying life outside of acting and not drowning in the depths of depression?
What a concept, I know. But it is possible. All you need is the wish to feel good, the desire to feel stimulated, and the yearning to be in control of your own life.

The action of choice will change your life.
So stop waiting and go do something already!

Tags: ,
read more

Simple. Change.

Filed Under: build confidence
Dec.24, 2009

Post Written by Dharini Woollcombe.

How to Change What Is:

  1. Look at what is.
  2. Look at what could be.
  3. Do one thing to close that gap. Repeat.

———

Walking into an audition is about what you bring in to the room.
We’ve all heard that phrase. It means that all the worry and insecurity that sits in our bodies walks in to the room with us. It also means that all the warmth, and curiosity, and magic we each possess walks in with us too. So how do you keep that bright part of yourself alive, audition after audition? Spend time on things you love, and find opportunities for change.

One small change can have huge results. That one change will lead you to a moment of  inspiration that will change your monologue forever. That one change will allow you to identify what is not working for you in your auditions. One change will make you feel as if you are actually in charge of your own life. Which you are.

YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF YOUR OWN LIFE.

YOU, not your agent, not the casting director, not the director, the producer, the writer or the assistant. YOU. It’s all you, baby.

You are in charge of what you do (or don’t do) with your time. YOU are in charge of YOUR life.
And if you don’t feel this way, one change will change that.

So, how about an experiment:

1. Think of one thing – not work related – that you enjoy doing.
What do you enjoy doing? Do you like to read, walk, run, play video games, cook, knit, work out, play with your cats, or visit friends?

2. Set a goal for a week from now.
For example: In one week I will – finish a book, walk 4km, improve my running time by 30 seconds, beat my best score on my favorite video game, cook at least 2 new recipes, make sure I do coffee with 2 different friends, play with my cats for 15 minutes a day every single day, finish knitting that darn scarf.

3. Observe the choices you make.
At the end of the week take note. What kinds of choices did you make to fulfill your goal? Was it doable? Did you have fun? Did funny things happen? How did it affect your approach to your acting work? (rehearsals, classes etc.) Did you have new anecdotes to share?

You see it’s not so much about achieving the goal, it’s about the fact that you made choices for yourself about something you wanted. Having that one simple goal for yourself changes the choices you make, which changes what you do and how you feel. And you know what?  – You are what you do, and you look how you feel.

Imagine fulfilling this goal, and having an audition during the same week. What would you walk into the audition room with:

  • a sense of accomplishment and capability
  • a quiet sense of pleasure and excitement
  • new surety in yourself
  • joy at your accomplishment

You will feel all this, because you have spent a week fulfilling yourself in some way. The Auditioners will see a confident, happy person, who seems interesting and who has a lot going on within. They will see someone they would like to know better, and would love to work with.

Spending a little time doing things we enjoy, outside of work, is so important to maintaining a balanced life and healthy state of mind. It also helps us find new inspiration and creativity, which in turn makes us feel more fulfilled. It nurtures our Actor self and feeds the parts of ourselves that attract people to us. Which is why finding opportunities for change and fulfilling simple, personal goals will keep you shining, audition after audition.

Tags: , , ,
read more
Powered by Wordpress and Motion by 85ideas.