This whole series is dedicated to exposing the myths about perfection and providing some perspective shifts and tips on how to manage a successful and satisfying career as a creative artist.
I love that many of the comments we have received have been from photographers, actors, artists and writers. The drive for perfection is not just an actor's problem. It is a human one. We all want success. We all want that flawless, smooth final product. We don't always want the work that comes with our art. We don't often like waiting for it either.
This week's post is all about stepping back and realizing that being an actor or artist is a journey...it is a process that often takes YEARS. There are no guaranteed end results. There are plenty of no's, closed doors, dead ends, and missed opportunities in this business. But that shouldn't stop us. The shortcomings and failures should not stop us from moving forward with our growth. There is no "end" to our training or growth as artists or humans, other than death itself.
The best artists would argue that they NEVER stop learning, growing or studying. They don't settle for success. They know it's not about being flawless or perfect: perfection is an illusion, so why seek it? The best artists work. They work hard. They keep their joy and love of the art alive. They study. They learn. They fail. They improve. They are patient with themselves. They are patient with others. They are patient with the process. They understand that it is about being patient, finding process, and letting go of the obsession with the perfect result.
Wonder Russell shares Part 3 of the Perfection Points series this week. Enjoy.
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PART 3: Be Patient. Not Perfect.
by: Wonder Russell
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| The truth about success and growth |
So why do you feel like you're not getting anywhere? Where's the prize package for Most Improved Young Actor? Doesn't your hard work merit some notice, with a guest starring role, perhaps?
It should. It really should. What a different world this would be if one's hard work - often in solitude, usually behind the scenes and unnoticed - had a quantifiable, scientifically measurable result on what roles they landed. I would love that!
So you want to be an actor. But do you want to be in it for the long haul?
My coach Steven Anderson told me, "Everyone gets the same amount of breaks in life; some come at the beginning, some in the middle, some at the end - and sometimes all at once, but everyone gets the same amount of breaks."
Your career is like a fine race car that never knows when it might leave the garage. It's your responsibility to make sure it's finely tuned, well cared for, and ready to rally. Our line of work is weird, unpredictable, full of nepotism and cronyism, often frustrating, and just as often, exhilarating. There's no straight line to the top, no guaranteed ladder you can climb the way you might be able to in a corporate environment.
You've got to be in it for the long haul. You never know when the call to race will come. You never know when your break will hit. Be patient.
I firmly believe that the only way to hang in there long-term is by falling in love with the process of acting, not the result. You've got to care more about that silent work behind the scenes, than you do how you look on the silver screen. When you're running lines in your apartment instead of meeting your friends for dinner, or going to bed early so you can audition in the morning before racing to your day job, the result (getting cast) isn't going to sustain you in the doldrums between gigs. The process always will.
That's why writers return to the blank page once they type "The End," it's why avid climbers don't just climb one peak and then retire, and it's why you and I prioritize process above the outcome.
You will always be a success if you love the process. Showing up is most of the battle, whether you're talking about going to the gym, starting a new job or school, or doing your actor homework. Be there for the work, and the work will reward you. You will get so much more joy out of one fully prepared audition than you will out of trying to hit it big.
Acting is feast or famine; you'll have times when you are slammed with work and dancing in joy as scripts rain from the sky. Then you'll have months where you audition over and over only to keep getting bypassed and you'll want to quit. Part of being successful is being consistent and patient. It's more than being successful - it's being a professional.
A couple of years ago I really felt this revelation download into my body after a particularly strenuous acting class. I realized that if that's all the acting I ever get to do, and no one ever casts me again, it will still be enough. I love the process. I'm not in it for fame. I'm certainly not in it for the money! In my process as an actor, I become a more open, compassionate human being. This is a life long pursuit.
So you want to be an actor. Do you want to do it for the rest of your life, even if nobody notices? The good thing is, you don't have to answer that. Your path will unravel before you as it is meant to, as long as you continue to pursue the things that make you come alive. You will learn that success is a very odd process of continuously being at the beginning again. Like an athlete, you're always hitting a plateau and then pushing through it with something new, and it takes just as much effort as it did just get up off the couch all those years ago.
Stay with it. Remember your breaks are coming. Keep the race car in winning form. Be patient.
And above all, let your love of the process be your success.
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