I don’t know where I saw a quote recently-in a magazine somewhere or online-but it was such a beautiful and simple life philosophy that can be applied to all areas of your life-in dating, creating, career, acting.
But I’ve actually found that every life philosophy also holds true to acting because what is acting, really, but just a cross section of life itself?
This author mentioned two mistakes that hold us back. They’re themes I’ve discussed lots of times, but I thought the simplicity of it was wonderful because it deals with Starting Point A and Ending Point Z. We worry so much about all the stuff in between A and Z when it’s really just these two things that keep us from making things happen.
A: You’re not starting.
Z: You’re not going far enough.
We don’t start things-that great novel we have an idea for, taking an acting class that’s challenging and scary, getting new headshots, moving to a city where acting and creating opportunities are greater, asking someone out on a date, calling an agent, taking a dance class, asking someone for help.
We let our intentions lie fallow.
Then if we do start, we don’t commit. We think we’re going far. But then we stop. We give up. Or we don’t try at all, i.e. you’re not starting! We come up with excuses or rationalizations about why something isn’t working. Or we half-ass stuff. So we take steps, but don’t really do the full dance. We write the script, but don’t finish it. We put the deposit down for acting class, but don’t show up for the first session.
I think those two statements really sum up the human creative quandary.
Start. Don’t worry about how; the how’s take care of themselves once you get going.
Go far. We don’t know how far we can go-or what’s on the other side-until we jump all in.
So what is it that’s keeping you from starting and then going far enough once you’re in?
Get rid of the defaults, the excuses you give yourself, so that if you take them all away you would have nothing left but to commit.
See how that completely, radically, and simply can change your life.
*First published on Backstage