You get an audition, and you start working on it, feeling this desire to reach a place where you’re fully prepared. You want to ensure there’s no room for mistakes, that you’re ready to deliver exactly as planned, without surprises.
When you watch my training below you will discover that this need to control is about wanting to know how the scene, the tape, or the play is going to unfold. You don’t want to risk making mistakes, falling flat, or not accessing the right emotions. You want to be good, better than others, and book the part. In short, you want to be in control. And it’s understandable. You have invested a lot of money, time and passion in your career. So when an opportunity shows up, you really want it to go really well, to touch everyone and to book.
Also, when you are not in control, you may feel a lot of stress, panic, doubt, and an intense desire to avoid that discomfort at all costs.
As a result of this, you may find yourself chasing teachers, new techniques or acting books to feel less afraid and more in control. However, despite all the hard work, you might realize it doesn’t bring fulfillment. Acting becomes less fun, less alive. You’re in your ego’s needs, not in your character’s needs. The audience isn’t impacted because you’re not truly present; you’re stuck in trying to control the outcome.
Here’s the catch: when you let go of control and embrace vulnerability, you allow yourself to be present, to be truthful in the moment. Vulnerability means showing up without a strategy, without knowing how it will go, but trusting that your aliveness is more interesting than control.
Art isn’t about playing it safe or meeting expectations. It’s about stepping beyond the norm, beyond what feels safe or expected. When you’re vulnerable, you might fall, you might fail, but at least you’re alive and real. As Meryl Streep says, the difference between a good actor and a great actor is the willingness to go out on a limb, to be vulnerable, to take risks.
In the work we do, we focus on undoing the habitual behaviors that have conditioned you to control, so you can reclaim your truth. When you show up as your true self, art happens. It’s effortless, authentic, and impactful. The world needs realness, not more control. When you embrace your vulnerability, you become an awakener of truth, reminding people of what it truly means to be human.
Watch my training to hear all my thoughts on this topic.
After you watch the training, I'd love for you to join in the conversation happening in our private Facebook Group THE INSTINCTIVE ACTORS' SOCIETY. You can get answers for your specific situation directly from me and connect with THOUSANDS of like-minded actors across the globe, so we can move things forward faster together.
If you're not already a member, be sure to request to join ASAP here.
See you there!
Jo Kelly
Creator, The Reset Journey From Resistance to Freedom
P.S. Whenever you're ready, here are three ways I can help you:
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