Creating Powerful Auditions

10 Actions To Take For Your Career Right Now

By Wendy Braun (01-11-2012)

I’m all for dreaming, visualizing, and goal-setting as the New Year begins, but it is taking action that will really set things into motion. Here are 10 things you can DO for your career right now.

“Often we are caught in a mental trap of seeing enormously successful people and thinking they are where they are because they have some special gift. Yet a closer look shows that the greatest gift that extraordinarily successful people have over the average person is their ability to get themselves to take action.” Anthony Robbins

1. List Your Accomplishments for 2011

That’s right! Before you begin the next chapter, it is helpful for your mind, body and soul to take a look at the progress you’ve made in the last year. Make a long list of your “wins” in 2011. They don’t all have to be career related. You could list that you found a new apartment, learned to cook braised short ribs, cleared your clutter or fell in love! Make a list of 20, 50, or 100 things you accomplished or experienced in 2011. Looking at what you HAVE done instead of what you haven’t is a great way to align your energy for a new beginning.

2. Update Your Actor Profiles

Have you updated your profile on the following websites?

1. Now Casting

6. IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base)

Also, ask your agents which database(s) they use to submit you and make sure your pictures, resume, videos, representation information and statistics are up to date. Make sure all of the people who might want to hire you are seeing the most current version of you!

3. Update Your Website

If you have a website, make sure any “current news” isn’t outdated. And if you have a blog, make sure you’ve posted an entry within the last month to keep those who visit your site up to date on what is happening in your career. If you don’t have anything to promote at the moment, try creating a “25 Things You May Not Know About Me” List (as seen in US Weekly) to give those who are interested a bit of trivia about you. Who knows, it may actually come in handy later if you should ever need to do a list for US Weekly!

4. Polish Up Your Bio

Have you read your bio lately? Was it written in 2007? Have you worked since then? Then it is time to give it a once over and polish it up with any new credits, skills or awards.

5. Review Your Demo Reel And Resume Clips

This is the number one tool an actor needs to get to the next level. Does your current demo reel represent your best and most current work? Is it linked to your profiles in all the right outlets? Have you created resume clips? Instead of having people view your entire reel, you can set up clips of credits you’d like to highlight. This is a great tool to help casting directors, producers and directors see specific work. When they don’t have to guess that you can play a certain character, but they can instantly view a clip of a role that is similar, it can help get you in the door.

6. Write A Personal Note

Take time to write 10 people you’ve worked with in the last year a personal note of gratitude, and maybe a wish for a successful 2012. Now that all the holiday card madness is out of the way, yours will be a welcome and genuine surprise.

7. Watch All Current TV & Film

This is where all the clues lie as to who is working in television, films, commercials, and voice-overs. If you watch and listen closely, there is a lot you can learn. You can research the look and the tone of a show, the acting style, the director’s style, who is casting what and on and on. This is your business, and the more prepared you are when opportunity knocks, the luckier you will become.

8. Use Social Media Wisely

Facebook and Twitter can be amazing tools for actors, if you know how to use them. Remember that everything on the internet is written in permanent marker, so keep all your comments professional, and think twice before you start ranting about anything in a negative way…it could come back to bite you. On the flipside, begin to develop a list of CD’s, directors, producers, agents and friends who you have worked with and reach out to them in a professional manner. Connect with them by being interested in what THEY are doing. Then when you are appearing in your next television, film or theatre production, you’ll have a strong list of people with whom to share your great news!

9. Make A CD Target List

Choose 5-10 Casting Directors you would like to meet this year based on the type of projects they cast and the type of roles you play. So instead of marketing yourself to “everyone,” you are being selective. Focus on connecting with them through your marketing or meet them live at a workshop.

10. Learn To Master Your Mind

You can have a lots of talent, a great headshot, know tons of industry people, and have a great website, but if you don’t know how to walk into an audition and master the thoughts in your head that may be sabotaging you, then it will be harder for you to book work. Creating a powerful audition is a huge part of the actor’s journey. Make this the year you master your thoughts and expand success expand.

My best wishes to all of you that 2012 is your busiest and best year yet! Here are some affirmations to get you on your way….

Affirmations For A Magical New Year

I am worthy.
I enjoy taking action each day. I’m on the right track. I keep moving.
Look at how far I have come.
I am good at what I do.
Everything I want comes to me at the right time in the right way,
I figure it out as I go.
I don’t need to see the entire road,
as long as I continue to take the next step.
Everything always works out for me.
I’m going to stop being so hard on myself.
This is going to be my best year yet. I can feel it.
I relax and allow good thing to flow my way.
All is well in my world.
I trust and enjoy the process.
I am looking forward to a year filled with wonderful surprises.

I’ve been hearing from actors all around the globe ( from Hollywood to NY to London to Austrailia) that my guided meditation CD, Creating Powerful Auditions is helping actors to feel more calm and confident in their auditions and they are booking more work! I would LOVE to hear from you too! Feel free to comment below!

Wendy’s inspiring guided-meditation CD, Creating Powerful Auditions has helped actors at every level turn audition anxiety into positive energy and positive outcomes. (and she donates a portion of the proceeds to charity).

Wendy has inspired, educated and empowered actors through her website www.ActorInspiration, as a workshop leader, guest speaker, private coach and guest column writer for BackStage and other publications.

To receive more inspiration, tips, and insights, sign up for Wendy’s FREE NEWSLETTER at www.ActorInspiration.com

To receive uplifting affirmations and information that inspire, follow Actor Inspiration on TWITTER at http://twitter.com/actorinspirit

For more about Wendy Braun’s acting career, go to www.wendybraun.com

Expanding Your Career: Top 7 Marketing Tips

As things slow down a bit during the holidays, it can be a great time to take inventory on what you’ve accomplished the past year and figure out how you would like to expand in the New Year! I’d like to focus on the one area that many actors get intimidated by, and yet, it is a vital part of building your career…Marketing.

Let’s first look at how you view yourself in relation to your career. Do you realize that you are the CEO of your own company? What does your company sell? You! Essentially, you are the product and the brand. You are also the Vice President of Marketing/Advertising, Publicity, Finance and Public Relations. Your agents and managers are the VP’s of Sales and help sell you to potential buyers. (And if you don’t have an agent yet, then you are VP of Sales for now, too!) At first, you probably have to do most of the work in order for your small business to get off

the ground or even to grow to the next level. As you become more successful you will hire people in these areas to assist you.

So, now that you are thinking like a CEO, how many hours a week are you putting into your company? If you think going to the gym and checking your e-mail on your laptop at Starbucks is a full day’s work, then you will probably be beaten by the competition. If you want your business to succeed, you must let the buyers of your product know who you are, what you’re selling, and how to find you, all of which requires good marketing.

TOP 7 MARKETING TIPS

1. Know your niche now and be versatile later.

Casting directors like to categorize actors, which can work to your advantage if you really know what you play. Successful actors know they’re niche. So often actors fight against playing a certain type or a certain age at the expense of great success in that category. Be honest with yourself and how you are perceived! For example, if you can accept that you get cast mostly as a “young mom” (even if you aren’t one) and that you rarely get called in to play the “hot chick,” and you start to embrace this in your marketing materials, you’ve opened yourself up to many more opportunities just by knowing your niche. Once you become more successful, then you can use your marketing to change people’s minds.

2. Know your marketing goal.

Your goals will change as your career changes. Ask yourself, what message do I want to get across? In the beginning, you want to let people know you exist and what you play. Once you are getting out, you want to inform them of what you are up to, and keep up good relationships. Once you are booking jobs it is important to let everyone know! People want to hire actors who other people have already hired, and you are in charge of creating that buzz through your marketing. Or maybe you’ve changed your image and you want to be seen in a different light. Social Media is now one of the most effective marketing tools for getting your image seen and to keep up business relationships. Keep it professional though. Your comments on the internet are written in INK! Post your reel, your bio and always mention upcoming projects!

3. Have something to say.

It’s your job to remind casting directors, producers and directors that you are acting! If you are working on your craft, then you should almost always have something to say. And if you don’t, then get busy! If you don’t have an agent yet, then do a play, a short film, and study somewhere reputable. Make it your goal to have something to announce. Then when you do, update your Social Media, (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) connect with those you have worked with, or even send a postcard. Postcards get noticed now more than ever, since fewer actors are sending them, although they are more costly than the internet. Even if you do have an agent, you can’t expect them to let every casting director in town know what you’ve been doing. That is your job. Work begets work, so let them know of your latest tv episode airing, current commercials, a quote from a great review in a play, recent film roles, if you’ve changed agents, or drastically changed your hair or your weight through updated pictures. Use the method that feels best to you, and ultimately puts you in the front of their minds.

4. Know your target market.

If you know what kind of television shows you’d like to work on, what film directors you want to work with, and what theatres you’d like to perform in, you can focus your marketing more often to those casting directors, producers and directors. You can begin to compile your own database that is specific to your career goals. The more often you market to them (when you have something to say) the more often you will be on their minds, the greater the odds of meeting them and eventually adding them to your fan list.

5. Compile a fan list.

Your fans are any casting directors who have called you in, called you back, or hired you on a job. Of the thousands of actors out there, just getting called in these days means your marketing or your agents have done something to make you stand out from the crowd. Keep in touch with them! What about directors and producers you have worked with? Often they go on to work on other projects where they might have an opportunity to hire you again. Why not keep them abreast of all the work you’ve been doing? They may end up requesting you for a job with a casting director you haven’t yet met. Keep your fans informed! This list can be very helpful when you go to change representation and they’d like to know “who knows you?” You can confidently hand them your fan list!

6. Be consistent and persistent.

So many actors do one or two mailings (or status updates), don’t see any immediate results and call it quits. How many Bed Bath & Beyond coupons did you collect before you went there? How many times did you see a movie trailer before you decided to go see the film? Advertisers know the importance of repetition, and so should you. Eventually your name and face will be a brand that casting directors know, think of and rely on often. Get to know the CD”s who know you on a deeper level. Check out what they are in to, and get interested in them in an organic way. If you like to do postcards, every 6-8 weeks is a good time to do a mailing, as long as you have something new to say. If not, get busy!

7. Don’t let the coupon expire.

This business is all about personal relationships with your agents, managers, casting directors, and those you work with on the set. Keeping in touch with people in a positive way is something every CEO would do for his/her company. Keep in mind that you have a certain amount of time to say thank you, get the word out on your next project, or contact someone who offered to assist you. Don’t let the coupon expire. Make a plan, set a date and get busy marketing yourself! It’s not bragging, it’s just good business.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this complete statement with it:

Actress Wendy Braun, has enjoyed over a decade of working in TV, Film, Theater, Commercials and VoiceOver. She has inspired, educated and empowered actors through her website www.ActorInspiration.com, as a workshop leader, guest speaker, private coach and guest column writer for BackStage and other publications. Wendy’s new guided-meditation CD, Creating Powerful Auditions (http://www.actorinspiration.com/store.html) has helped actors at every level turn audition anxiety into positive energy and positive outcomes.To receive more inspiration, tips, and insights, sign up for Wendy’s FREE NEWSLETTER at www.ActorInspiration.com For more about Wendy Braun’s acting career, go to www.WendyBraun.com

10 Ways To Be Great On The Set

You’ve trained for years, auditioned for many roles, and finally booked a job! Congratulations! But in all your training, has anyone ever taught you what to do and not do once you’re actually on the set? So you don’t have to learn the hard way, here are my top ten ways to be great on the set…

1. Arrive Early

Arrive at least fifteen minutes BEFORE your call time. If you are shooting on a studio lot, you will probably park in a structure and have to walk to the set. If you are shooting on location, often cast and crew parking is further away from the set and a shuttle bus will transport you there to check-in. The goal is to arrive on SET (not at parking) before your call time. Commercials, television, and films all have million dollar budgets, and if you are late, you are costing them money, not to mention starting out everyone’s day stressed. Respect their time and yours. Set 3 alarm clocks if you have to, bring a book if you are way too early, but NEVER be late! There is no excuse.

2. Check In With An AD Immediately

Always let someone know you have arrived, and ask for the 2nd AD (Assistant Director) to check-in. If you find your trailer, and they don’t know you are there yet, they could end up calling your agent at 6:30am wondering where you are! Let them know you are on the set, and where you are headed at all times. Depending on where they are in their shooting schedule, they will usually encourage you to get breakfast, and then show you to the make-up & hair trailer.

3. Check Updated Script For Recent Changes

Often, scripts can change overnight. It is your job to double check the working script for that day and make sure you are aware of any changes. Dialogue may be rewritten on a daily or even hourly basis, so be sure to ask for a current script and begin memorizing any changes. If you are shooting a commercial, check out the storyboard to get an idea of the whole project. It’s best if you understand the entire concept, even if you are in only one piece of it.

4. Never Gossip About ANYONE On Set

Sets are a tight-knit family. These people have usually worked with each other for years. You are a guest in their home. You don’t know who knows whom or who is related to whom, and the worst way to find out is to badmouth someone on the set, and find out it’s the director’s niece. Keep in mind the P.A. (Production Assistant) is often a friend of someone higher up on the food chain. They have walkie-talkies and word travels very fast! Not only that, but if you start complaining or gossiping, you can best bet everyone on the set will know about it within minutes, and it will make your time there difficult, or worse, it could even get you fired.

5. Stay Positive And Happy

On the flipside, people notice an actor with a positive attitude, who is happy and grateful to be there. In all honesty. no one likes to hear an actor complain. The crew doesn’t get paid residuals, and thinks we’re overpaid at times. Keep in mind that most everyone on the set got there long before you arrived and will leave long after you are wrapped. You may have plenty to complain about, but unless it’s something violating to your work as an actor, keep it to yourself. Even if everyone on set is complaining, don’t get on the bandwagon. On the next project, YOU might be the only one who is asked back!

6. Make The Best Of The Part You Are Playing

Remind yourself of how fortunate you are to be acting for a living! You get to PLAY and get paid! You may have been chosen among hundreds of actors to do this job. Feel how wonderful that feels and be grateful. No matter how small the role is, remind yourself that everyone you saw at the audition would happily trade places with you right now! And remember small roles can lead to bigger roles. I have a friend who worked on a hit show as a wacky neighbor with one line, which was “hello!” She was excited to be there, easy to work with, and created a well-rounded character, despite her one word of dialogue, and they ended up bring her back as a recurring role with ample dialogue in 6 more episodes! Make the best of where you are, and where you are will get better! And keep in mind, there are no small roles, only small actors.

7. Take Nothing Personally

You may be asked to do a take over and over again, and have no idea why. Don’t begin to doubt your abilities, but know it is the director’s right to request you to work as much as he/she finds necessary. You don’t know what is going on behind the scenes. The director gets all kinds of comments from the writers, network, ad agency (if it’s a commercial) to do things differently, and doesn’t have the time to tell you that it’s not you! If he/she seems moody or unfriendly, choose to not take those actions or emotions personally. A director is usually under immense pressure to get things done right and quickly. Often getting no notes after a take, means you were great! As an actor, you were hired to be flexible, adaptable and professional, no matter what the circumstances.

8. Monitor Your Craft Service Visits

Keep in mind you need the stamina and energy to make it through a long day, and your performance needs to be consistent. Don’t overdo the caffeine or sugar and then crash half way through shooting. Pace yourself with the right foods and drinks that will maintain your energy throughout the day. In other words, skip the donuts and chocolate, and opt for the protein bars, and fresh fruit. Keep in mind that just because it’s FREE doesn’t mean you have to eat it! Emergen-C packets are great to add to water and keep you hydrated and energized throughout the day. If your bored while waiting to shoot, bring a good book or take up a meditative hobby like knitting, not eating.

9. Leave Graciously

It’s a good idea to thank everyone you see on the way out. They’ve all been working very hard, and rarely get any accolades, especially from actors! Be the exception to the rule, and maybe their perception of actors may change. Once you are wrapped, if they are moving on to another shot or location, it is best to immediately thank the director (and anyone else you’d like to) before they move on to the next set up. It will be much harder once you leave set, and change, to return and try to say your goodbyes. You never want to interrupt them, as they are trying to beat the clock and stick to budget. Thanks them quickly, yet personably and be on your merry way.

10. Write Thank You Notes

It is so rare these days for anyone to send, much less receive, a hand written thank-you note. Everyone likes to be appreciated for their hard work, and a little accolade goes a long way. Take the time to hand write a note, sincerely thanking those you appreciated working with for their time and for hiring you. If you make sure to get a call sheet from the production office while you are working, you will have all the names and addresses you need. You don’t need to gush to everyone, but a simple and sincere thank you to the director, writer, producer and even the casting director (for calling you in) will set you apart from the millions of actors who don’t think of anyone but themselves. You can then add these people to your “people I’ve worked with” list and send them a postcard to announce when you are working again. Pretty soon, you will have a contact list that might even get you rehired! And if you really want to shock someone, write a thank you note to your agent!

Changing Your Beliefs

Have you noticed what you say to yourself at an audition, in the waiting room, on the way out, on the set, or even driving around in your car? Is your inner dialogue filled with ridicule or praise? Your inner thoughts are reflected in your outer world. So, if you change those thoughts, your experience will begin to change.

“Whatever you’re thinking about is literally like planning a future event. When you’re worrying, you are planning.When you are appreciating, you are planning…What are you planning?” ~Abraham-Hicks

It seems like the biggest thing that gets in actors’ way of their own success is not the competition, the casting director, their agents, the amount of time they had with the sides, but rather, the thoughts and inner dialogue that goes on in their head. Most often, the only thing that is keeping you from your own success is YOU! That can be hard to hear, but also exciting, because it puts you in charge!

“It’s not what you are that holds you back, its what you think you’re not.” ~ Denis Waitley

Only you can control the thoughts you think all day every day. As you change your thoughts, your beliefs will change, your actions will change, and your experience will change!

In order to create a garden of blossoming beautiful experiences, you have to plant positive seeds of thoughts and tend to them each day. Think of your life as a garden, and in it are all the experiences you are having. Some experiences may be beautiful flowers, others may feel like dead weeds, and others may be buds about to blossom. What is the seed of thought and self-talk that needs to be planted in order to grow the experience you want to grow? Another way to think of it is to begin with the end in mind. Think of it like this….if I woke up tomorrow, and everything I wanted were my new reality, what would my thoughts and inner dialogue be?

So if you want to grow new experiences, you have to plant new beliefs. What are beliefs? Beliefs are just thoughts you keep thinking…a daily, habitual thought you keep telling yourself over and over again. In fact, your consistent thoughts have brought you to where you are right now. So, change your consistent thoughts, change your experiences!

The great news is you can dig up the dirt at any time. You first have to acknowledge and be aware what is in front of you, take 100% responsibility for planting it there, decide to release it and then you can begin to change it.

5 STEPS TO CHANGING YOUR BELIEFS

STEP 1: DISCOVER YOUR BELIEFS

Take some time, quietly by yourself and think about all the areas in your career that might be frustrating or concerning you. Your goal is to uncover your beliefs in each area such as success, age, credits, representation etc. Make a positive and negative column under each category, and begin to list all the positive and negative beliefs you have in each area. Add as many areas as you’d like to address.

STEP 2: ASK YOURSELF, IS THIS BELIEF 100% TRUE?

Writing your beliefs down on paper helps it get out of your head where you can see it, acknowledge it and face it head on. Seeing it on paper also allows you to make it tangible, and you will be amazed how that helps to diminish it’s power. When you look at the negative beliefs, ask yourself, Is this belief 100% true? The answer might surprise you, because it’s most often NO! This belief has just been a lie you have been telling yourself that isn’t true! It’s a story you’ve been telling yourself (and others), sometimes for years! Maybe it’s a story that was told to you by a parent, teacher, friend or colleague. Just because a story was handed to you doesn’t mean you have to accept it as true! Now it’s time to let it go.

STEP 3: RELEASE WHAT YOU DON’T WANT

Once you acknowledge a belief, you can let it go. One great way to do this is to go to the mirror, look yourself in the eye and say….I now release any old beliefs that do not serve me. I let go of everything I do not want or need I let go of old programming that keeps me stuck in old patterns. I give myself permission to release any blocks that have been holding me back.

STEP 4: AFFIRM WHAT YOU DO WANT

Take each negative belief and re-write it as a positive affirmation. Turn “I don’t have enough credits” to “I can get to where I need to go from where I am right now. I have enough credits for where I am right now and I continue to evolve. All is really well.” Below, I’ve written out affirmations to help you tell yourself: “I ACKNOWLEDGE MYSELF”

STEP 5: PRACTICE YOUR NEW BELIEFS

What if you practiced daily to change your thoughts? As you continue to practice your new thoughts and beliefs, and take action from this new, improved place, you will feel different and your experience will begin to shift. What if every time you began to think a negative thought about yourself, your life or your circumstances, you reached for a thought that felt better? What would your garden look like at the end of the month of planting better thoughts? At the end of the year?

What if this were your inner dialogue for the next 30 days?

I acknowledge myself for all the good I have created in my life. I acknowledge myself for who I am, and who I am becoming. I am proud of myself for my perseverance, resilience, and willingness to change and grow. I make peace with where I am right now. I release any judgement, self-doubt, and criticism about where I am. I am exactly where I need to be to learn the beautiful lessons I’ve come here to learn. I can get where I want to go from where I am right now. I make peace with my past. I easily let go of old patterns and old thinking. I have done the best I can with the knowledge I have. I acknowledge all the baby steps I have taken to get to where I am today. I know that I am on the right path. I trust in the future that I cannot see right now. Everything is unfolding in the perfect order and the perfect way. I can relax and allow more abundance in my life. I no longer have to push or struggle. I acknowledge all the wonderful people and experiences I have attracted in my life. I love myself. The more I acknowledge myself, the more the Universe mirrors positive experiences back to me. I am proud of myself, exactly as I am right now.

Print these out and post them in a place you can read them every day. The key is daily practice. Add to the list by writing your own.

Need more help with mastering your thoughts? Our new meditation CD, Creating Powerful Auditions, has helped actors at every level turn audition anxiety into positive energy and powerful performances. (and a portion of the proceeds goes to charity!)

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include this complete statement with it: Actress Wendy Braun, has enjoyed over a decade of working in TV, Film, Theater, Commercials and VoiceOver. She has inspired, educated and empowered actors through her website www.ActorInspiration.com, as a workshop leader, guest speaker, private coach and guest column writer for BackStage and other publications. To receive more inspiration, tips, and insights, sign up for Wendy’s FREE NEWSLETTER at www.ActorInspiration.com For more about Wendy Braun’s acting career, go to www.WendyBraun.com

5 Ways To Stay Up During The Down TImes

It seems one of the most common problem actors face at any stage in their career, from the beginning actor trying to get agent, to the actress who had ten auditions, several callbacks, but no jobs, to the working actor whose series just got cancelled, is finding a way to stay “up” during the down times. It is as useful a skill to an actor as crying on cue, and you will need to master it for yourself (and your sanity), because in almost every stage of your career there inevitably will be down times.

As the fall TV casting season starts back up, I’m sure every actor can relate to the roller-coaster of emotions we all feel on any given day. It’s easy to be happy after getting a call from our agents that we have an audition, or after a great callback. We’ve all been that elated person on cloud nine, because in that moment it seems like our dreams are actually possible. We are excited to be in the game and have a chance to get up to bat! So why does that elation last for only about an hour or at best, a day, until time passes, and if we didn’t get the job, we base our self-worth on the current score of the game and instantly feel like we’re losing? How can we lift ourselves back up? Here are five ways to feel better!

1. ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR FEELINGS

You’ve chosen a tough career, and you need to make it safe to feel your emotions regarding disappointments, setbacks, and days without auditions. It’s normal to feel angry, frustrated, or even a little depressed at times, and expressing your emotions will help you to release them and move forward in a healthy way. Writing in a journal about how you feel is a great way to get your emotions out of your head and down on paper, which can help you to uncover what is really bothering you. If you have a good friend who you feel you can share these feelings with, let them know that you are feeling down and would love to just be heard. Sometimes all you need is to give yourself permission to express your true feelings. Be good to yourself. Take a nap, eat some ice cream, have a good cry. Indulge, but don’t over do it. (Be aware that stuffing down negative emotions with food, alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex or excessive shopping can easily become addictive behavior and a quick fix for feeling good that never lasts. If you feel down for several days or weeks, or have noticed self-destructive behavior, please seek professional help). Find a positive way to release your emotions.

2. DISCOVER OTHER PASSIONS

Do you ever feel like you are trying really hard and getting nowhere? Have you ever tried to chase a cat around the room to pet it and gotten nowhere because it keeps running away? Does your career feel like that? Like you keep trying harder and harder and getting less and less results? Odds are, people can see how hard you are trying and it is coming off as angst or desperation. Have you noticed that when you relax, get your mind off “chasing the cat” and busy yourself with something you enjoy, the cat will actually crawl right up on your lap. Now, I’m not saying that you can sit at home, do nothing but pet the cat and have a successful acting career, but if you have been doing the work, the classes, the auditions, the mailings and things aren’t working right now, maybe it’s time to take a break and do something else you love. Taking your attention elsewhere can provide the release you need to allow good things to flow your way. Pleasurable activities can relieve depression and stress through distraction. Harrison Ford discovered carpentry. Marcia Cross earned a Master’s Degree in Psychology. You never know where the discovery of another passion could lead. Make a list of things you love to do or always wanted to learn. Circle one to start this week.

3. START MOVING

Whether it’s a walk around the block or an intense kickboxing class (I prefer the latter, when I’m really frustrated), this can be one of the best ways to relieve stress, and instantly feel better. Working out not only affects your physical body, but your mental state as well. Take pride in the body you have been given and make an appointment for your own self-care. Treat working out as a meditation of appreciation for your body and you will soon see your mood lift, and the added benefit of your body changing for the better! Instead of meeting a friend for coffee-ask if that person would like to go for a walk or run. They could probably use a boost too! Mark your calendar this week with an unbreakable appointment to work out.

4. GET OUT IN NATURE

Sometimes literally getting out of the house can be the perfect aide to getting out of your head, where it’s easy to wallow in your own self-pity. Spring is in the air and looking to the beauty in nature can serve as a great way to get the focus off of yourself. Nature gives us an effortless example of how to be at peace and have patience. A tree doesn’t try to grow, it just grows. A flower doesn’t check to see when it’s about to blossom, it just trusts that it will when the time is right. Allow nature to be a symbol, reminding you to detach from the outcome. A flower can’t control the weather, the chemicals in the air, or if anyone will think it’s beautiful or not, but with patience and perseverance, in even the most unfortunate of conditions, ultimately a beautiful bud blooms. Put your life into perspective by marveling at the ocean, the sky, and the stars. The vastness of our planet, and that your time here is finite can help you to start enjoying the beauty in your life today. Take time every day to appreciate nature.

5. CHANGE YOUR FOCUS

Where have you been giving your attention? Have you been coping with your frustrations by blaming, complaining, or comparing? These are easy ways to remain powerless and stuck in a cycle of what is not working. Remember that what you focus on expands. Comparing yourself to other actor’s success can instantly put you in a state of panic and lack. Find the joy in your own journey by appreciating how far you have come! As long as you are unhappy about not being “over there”, or feeling unworthy, dissatisfied or jealous of those who are “over there”, you actually can’t get anywhere near “there” because your energy is not a match. Trust in your own path, and know that you are exactly where you need to be. When you divert your attention from thinking about your problems, your mood actually has a chance to improve! Focus on your accomplishments and on what you appreciate about your life right now. Make a list and post it where you can see it. Begin a gratitude journal and you will begin to attract more things, people, and opportunities to be thankful for. List 10 things you are grateful for in your life. Make a new list everyday. Do this for 30 days (begin today!) and watch the energy start to shift in your life and career.

The best way to get to where you want to go in your career is to make peace with where you are. Here are some affirmations to help you on your path….

Actor Affirmations
I make peace with where I am right now in my career.
Everything is working out for me right now, for my highest good.
I acknowledge myself for all I have done so far. I am proud of myself.
I release worrying about how things will come to me.
I release and let go of defining my self-worth by whether or not I book a job.
I am so much more than my acting work.
I love myself more each and every day.
As I let go of trying to control how I want things to happen, I make room for unlimited possibilities and unexpected wonderful surprises.

Wendy Braun has inspired, educated and empowered actors through her website www.ActorInspiration, as a workshop leader, guest speaker, private coach and guest column writer for BackStage and other publications.

Wendy’s new guided-meditation CD, Creating Powerful Auditions (Click here) has helped actors at every level turn audition anxiety into positive energy and positive outcomes. (and she donates a portion of the proceeds go to charity!).

To receive more inspiration, tips, and insights, sign up for Wendy’s FREE NEWSLETTER at www.ActorInspiration

For more about Wendy Braun’s acting career, go to www.WendyBraun.com

How To Handle Rejection

When you don’t get a callback or book the job you’ve auditioned for, do you beat yourself up or do move on easily? It might be comforting to remind yourself that every successful person has been rejected along the way!

If you’d like some proof that every successful person gets rejected along the way, here are a few of my favorites rejection quotes….

“Fred Astaire: Can’t act. Can’t sing. Balding. Can dance a little.” - MGM Talent scout, 1928.

“You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son. You oughta go back to drivin’ a truck.” - Jim Denny of the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, Tennessee, firing Elvis Presley in 1954 after just one performance.

“You had better learn secretarial work or else get married.” - The Blue Book Modelling Agency in 1944 rejected a very disappointed Miss Marilyn Monroe.

“Mr. Reynolds, you have no talent. Mr. Eastwood, you have a chip on your tooth, your Adam’s apple sticks out too far, and you talk too slow.” - A Universal Pictures boss said, dismissing Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood at the same interview in 1959.

Ok, so we ALL get rejected at one point or another in this business. The question is, what how are YOU going to react to it?

Rejection can easily make us feel like our bright future is somehow being detained. Yet, sometimes not getting what we want WHEN we want it is a great stroke of luck. What if you grew more trusting in your path, and believed that everything is working out for you exactly as it should? If you adopt this mindset, then when things don’t seem to go the way you planned, you can find the gift in it and move forward easily.

When you focus on what IS working in your life, you will easily attract more things to feel good about. I was planning on getting the perfect series regular role last year, but the bigger plan for my life with my husband was…I got pregnant! What a gift! What perfect timing! And I know that I will actually become an even better actress from the life experience of becoming a mom! My pregnancy helped me to slow down and truly trust in life’s divine timing!

So, try treating your next rejection as a gift. Let it help you build a deeper sense of trust in yourself and in the timing of it all. You never know what amazing experience is just around the corner for you!

5 Ways to Handle To Rejection

1) Take Inventory

Rejection can provide useful information and create a time for self-examination. Is there anything you can learn from the experience? If you can get feedback, it can sometimes be constructive….If there’s something useful, use it, and let the rest go.

2) Take Nothing Personally

Timing is everything. So they went another way on the role or the agent didn’t sign you, so what?! Why beat yourself up for NOT getting the role or the agent, when you have no idea what lies ahead! You could end up getting called in for a bigger and better role that you are even more perfect for or finding a better agent that will ultimately be a better match. So instead of wasting all that time feeling bad, skip it and keep going!

3) Everyone Gets Rejected

Even the person who booked the job when you didn’t gets rejected too! There isn’t an actor on the planet who gets every single job he/she auditions for. Know that rejection is part of the game, and everyone has to deal with it. The choice becomes in how you allow it to affect you. Don’t use rejection as an excuse to spiral downward. Use it as a learning opportunity that propels you forward!

4) Focus on The Positive

You may not have control over who hires you for what, but you do have control of your reaction to it all. It’s easy to spiral downward when you’ve worked hard on an audition, and you don’t even get a callback. Instead, focus on how good it feels to be in the game. Babe Ruth could not have been the home run king, without being the strike out king. It’s about getting up to bat. Appreciate playing in the game, and know, in time, it will eventually lead to a home run!

5) Believe In Your Journey

The best way to deal with rejection is to know that each job you don’t get, gets you even clearer on what you do want. Maybe some of the jobs you didn’t get you might not have really wanted anyway? Believe in the bigger picture of where you are headed. See it, visualize it and embrace the journey, and pretty soon it won’t matter which jobs you don’t get, because you so deeply trust and believe that everything is working out exactly as it should! A strong belief in yourself will always attract positive experiences–maybe when you lease expect it!

Here’s to the perfect timing of your success!

Actor Affirmations:

I trust in the timing of my life.

I trust in the timing of my journey as an actor.

I easily embrace every experience I have had along the way.

I know that everything is unfolding for me exactly as it should.

I embrace all the opportunities that come my way and trust that the roles I don’t get are leading me to something even better.

I know that everyone successful actor got rejected along the way.

I embrace rejection as part of the journey, and use it deepen my belief in myself.

I let go easily and move on with my life and my career.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this complete statement with it:

Actress Wendy Braun, has enjoyed over a decade of working in TV, Film, Theater, Commercials and VoiceOver. She has inspired, educated and empowered actors through her website www.ActorInspiration.com, as a workshop leader, guest speaker, private coach and guest column writer for BackStage and other publications. Wendy’s new guided-meditation CD, (http://www.actorinspiration.com/store.html) has helped actors at every level turn audition anxiety into positive energy and positive outcomes.To receive more inspiration, tips, and insights, sign up for Wendy’s FREE NEWSLETTER at www.ActorInspiration.com For more about Wendy Braun’s acting career, go to www.WendyBraun.com

Actor Inspiration Blog

A little something to uplift your spirits.

Expanding Your Career: Top 7 Marketing Tips

10 Ways To Be Great On The Set

Changing Your Beliefs

5 Ways To Stay Up During The Down TImes

How To Handle Rejection

How To Handle Rejection

Categories