POISE: 5 P's of Professionalism

In this series on Professionalism I wanted to do my best to de-mystify and deconstruct the essential qualities and characteristics of "being professional."  Some may find it interesting, strange or crazy that talent does not make my description.  This is not to say that one need not be talented in order to be successful.  You need the raw skills, the drive, the love, the projection, etc, but I've learned that many are talented and not all are professional.  Jobs, roles and successful careers often come down to the "intangibles." Intangibles that I've discussed briefly in the other P's of Professionalism series.   (punctuality, passion, preparation and personality).


In one of my Studio session last week, I shared excerpts of Jane Lynch's brilliant commencement speech with my students as a jumping off point for the value and importance of the Yes, And principle.  While I could spend a whole new blog entry on the value of those two little powerful words, I want to settle in some other parts of Lynch's speech for this final P of Professionalism: POISE.  

For me, Poise is the ability to stand tall and unwavering through both adversity and success.  Some of my young actors use the phrase 'on point' when explaining something that is cool, good or tasty.  To me, an actor is poised or 'on point' when they learn to weather storms, pick themselves back up when they fall and discover that making it as an actor is often a patient marathon, not a blazing sprint.  Poise is all about perseverance and patience.  


We all know that the acting business can be grating and challenging.  You are going to need more than talent or "good looks" to get you through.  It's so much about networking, who you know, how you've treated them and spending your time and money on the right things.  It's also about dealing and coping with the stress with poise.  Jane Lynch mentions this in her commencement speech:     


"The trick isn’t to avoid these times or pretend they’re not happening; you can’t. What you’ll need to do is step up to them courageously and embrace them. Allow these experiences to permeate your being and weave them all into the fabric of your life. They will not only soften you and strengthen you, and you will open your heart to compassion. You will not be powerless in this."


We spend so much of our lives trying to avoid conflict instead of "bucking up" and facing it head on come hell or high water.  I love when she speaks to these moments by saying they will "soften AND strengthen you."  So often we look for the strengthening aspect or learning about what will make us tougher without embracing the humility and power of being "softened" by trials or hardships.  The dings and dents open us "to compassion" or the ability to understand others with a sharper sense of reality and focus.  This is the perseverance aspect of POISE.  


Patience however, is not something that many Americans (humans?) are adept at.  We want things now yesterday.  We expect things fast blazingly fast and complain when things take longer than expected.  Is it any wonder why so many fizzle and burn out in the acting business?  So many people look at our famous actors and creatives and think that they literally must have been born that way but this is just not the case.  So many actors started in small towns just like (or even smaller than) York, PA.  I mentioned in my first blog post on success about how I love showing my students famous actors' imdb filmography section to get a sense for the actor's particular journey/timeline.  These famous actors make it look easy, but their filmography and biography often suggest otherwise.  It takes time. This is the patience aspect of POISE. 


Jane Lynch is one of these famous actors who makes it look easy.  She hosts awards shows, stars in hit TV shows and iconic films and has looked like she's done it for years.  The reality of that perception is quite different.  Lynch speaks about the importance of patience in her commencement speech:


"I was in my late 30s, terrified that the parade was passing me by. The thought of writing a show by myself and for myself began to bubble up to the surface of my consciousness, making me very sick to my stomach.
 So with a big “YES AND” and chutzpah I didn’t even know I had, I created something where there had once been nothing for the very first time in my life...I was never more proud of myself, and it blew wide open the doors of my self-confidence. I emerged, in my humble opinion, an artist and a changed woman. I was now one poised for, and deserving of, the next level. I met Christopher Guest shortly thereafter and was cast in Best in Show. I was 40 years old, and I was finally in the game. I could never have planned this."


To summarize briefly, Lynch looks to when she was 40 as her watershed "in the game" moment.  While we all know that this is not the case for all actors, it is encouraging to those of us in our late 20s-30s for us to keep at it and equally inspiring to young actors to know that there is time to make it.  That should never mean for young actors to get lazy or "wait" on working towards success.  It means that it is important not to lose sight of the value of remaining what I call "actively patient" throughout their careers. 


Do you love acting?  Stick with it.  Do it because you love it.  Do it because if it was taken away from you a part of you would go missing.  Do it this way, and success and professionalism will always be a part of your acting equation. 


Want to be a professional? Want to be considered a professional? Have a positive PERSONALITY, be PREPARED, PUNCTUAL, PASSIONATE and POISED about what you do.