The following shares how I felt after booking a job with one of my favorite Chicago theatres. It was originally written for Backstage.com. Read on, my friends šĀ Ā
Have you ever had an audition where you thought, āThereās no way Iām going to book this.ā
I recently had an audition for one of my favorite theaters in Chicago. I didnāt care that it was an understudy gigāit was my type and a chance to work with people I love. I wanted it.
After reading the script, a few thoughts came to mind, compliments of my inner critic. I call him Fred. Fred proceeded to tell me the following…
āThereās no way you’ll book this.ā
āYouāre so not right for the part.ā
āThat character they want you/me to read for isĀ howĀ old?Ā Oh god. Ha! Good luck with that.ā
I told friends I wouldnāt book it. I told my parents I wouldnāt book it. I figured this would just be a chance to meet some decision makers who would consider me down the road.
And then I booked the gig.
I was a little excited to work on this new Calamity West play!Ā
Iām fairly certain after reading the offer email that I scared away half the customers at the coffee shop I was working in. I was thrilled! I hadnāt even had my second cup of coffee yet but immediately knew it was going to be a good day.
Of course, it wasnāt long before Fred chimed in again…
āThey probably just had a low turnout.ā
āThis is just their B cast. They donāt actually expect you to go on.ā
āItās not a big deal. Iām sure the other friends you saw at the audition booked it, too. Youāre nothing special.
As a result of working with coaches who I believe to be experts at personal development, I stopped listening to Fred. Mentors including Courtney Rioux, Dallas Travers, and DaJuan Johnson have all helped me remember that I do deserve it and I am perfect for the part. Even if it was a low turnout and the rest of my friends booked it as well, Iām still awesome. Iām still enough.
Careful of your own Fred. He means well, but heās not as smart as you. You are awesome. You are enough. And you donāt need a standout resume for that to be true.
Let’s go get āem, friends.
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Thanks for reading!
By the way, Iām Tony. I live in Chicago. (Duh.) Iām an actor and blogger living right up the street from Wrigley Field.Ā
My blog is here to help others take control and live a more authentically positive life on their terms. Since working with a coach and learning more about personal development, Iāve started sharing my learnings with others. (I have a lotā¦)
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