Your Superpower
Air Date: November 6, 2022
Lately, I’ve been thinking that there is very little to celebrate. I’m not sure if it’s the post Covid world, political upheaval, change of seasons or just my cranky pants inner kid showing up to kick my ass. I usually consider myself an optimistic, energetic, “let’s do it”, kind of guy so I am not speaking about mental health issues, like depression, but, rather, a sense that finding joy in everyday things seems burdensome. Not easy. It got me to thinking. Maybe actors have an ability that others don’t have to find joy within themselves. As creatives, actors can “create” a joyful response that others might not experience. Your superpower is today’s topic in this episode of Casting Actors Cast!
Disclaimer: I am not a therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, or psychic. I am not dispensing medical advice here. I would like to discuss human behavior from a layman’s perspective as it relates to actors in the creative arena.
Actors have the ability to tap into the following:
· Observational skills (study others’ behaviors, physicality, energy)
· Emotional vocabulary
· Adopting the personality traits of their characters
· Objectively embracing behaviors of the character, they are playing (acting is behaving)
· Connecting with others
The questions to answer are:
· If you have those abilities, can you adopt them for yourself?
· Joy of performance is tangible in an audition, why not life?
· “Being in the moment” can apply to non-acting roles everyday
A phrase found in AA really works for creative folks as well
· “ACT AS IF”-Changing your perception can alter your mood. What would happen if you were feeling nervous (before an audition, let’s say) and you decided that you would act as if you were confident. Would that “shift” be useful? My guess is that it would. Very much.
There is a connection between what we tell ourselves and what we feel. The superpower exists within the phrase, ACT AS IF. It can shift you into another way of thinking. It can reverse the negative self-talk that seems so easy to conjure these days. Next time you are experiencing the negative effects of the mundane, use your superpower, “ACT AS IF…” and see if your actor brain will appreciate the new outlook you will experience.