Sometimes It's Just Nice To Hear

As an actor one has to be open to criticism and critique, but sometimes it's just nice to hear from someone that you are doing a good job, or that you are on the right track. It's not something that we expect from our audiences, or something that we have to hear because that's not what acting is about- but, just like in any job, it is nice to hear when you are doing your job right.

Today, in my Scene Study class my professor congratulated me after class, after I had just "opened my emotional door" while performing an emotional scene for the class. I have been working on it for the past two weeks and I had not been able to actually cry during the scene yet, or reach that emotional peak that I was aiming for and that the scene is asking for. But, I did it today! And, like I said, sometimes it's just nice to hear that you are doing a good job from someone else.

They say as actors we are our own harshest critic...sometimes it's true. Sometimes I feel like am beating myself because I can't get a certain part right, or a certain line, or I don't feel that I am actually in the world of the character... But, then sometimes, when you are doing it right, you can feel it! You can feel the world of the character around you and everything looks new and different! You can relate to the emotions of your character and allow them to channel through you! When you are truly playing the character and immersed in their world I cannot explain to you how wonderful that feels!! It is exactly what we as actors strive for- not fame, not loads of money, not for our picture to be on the cover of People Magazine... but for actually, fully achieving our goal as actors!

Now I am going to go "study" some acting while watching a movie! (It's true though- whenever I watch a movie or a television show I am watching the actors and how they work at their craft.)