I don’t know a single actor in my life who hasn’t worried about whether their work was good enough at some point. It’s a natural part of any career, especially one that weathers the rejection rate that actors do. Imposter syndrome and self-doubt are feelings bound to pop up from time to time, but sometimes those feelings stick around. It’s no good to let them make a home in your head. That little voice of self-doubt will erode not only your confidence but your ability to judge your work with clarity. If the feeling of self-doubt has outstayed its welcome, it’s time to get to the root of the matter.
Insights: Tips for Overcoming Self-doubt
- Reflect on whether feelings of inadequacy are stemming from personal life stress, fear of rejection/success or areas where your acting skills may need improvement.
- Choose one acting skill to enhance at a time, through classes, workshops, or practice with respected colleagues, to build confidence and combat feelings of inadequacy.
- Take breaks to recharge when needed, reconnect with what you love about acting, and focus on your own path without comparing your progress to others.
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What is the Source of Your Feelings of Self-doubt?
If you can identify why you’re feeling like your work is subpar, it will help you determine your next steps. Sometimes it’s not even about your acting work. You may be stressed in other aspects of your personal life, and fixating on your professional life seems like something that feels more within your control. Or maybe you’re self-sabotaging to avoid rejection or (often more insidious) success. It’s also possible that you may just be rusty or green.
Feeling like your work needs improvement is not a failure. It’s just an opportunity for self-awareness, self-care and growth.
Are There Any Acting Skills That Need Improving?
If there’s work to be done regarding your acting skills, it can feel overwhelming. Try isolating one skill at a time. Do you want to work on auditioning? On-camera work? Basic technique? Take a class. If you’re unable to take an acting class at the moment, find colleagues whose work you respect and work on material together.
Getting down on yourself about your acting work solves nothing, and can be paralyzing and counterproductive to your acting career. Acting classes and acting workshops can be a great way to hone your acting skills and build confidence. If you don’t know what needs work, just choose something. You can even pick an entirely new aspect of acting to focus on. Simply stretching your acting muscles can help get the juices flowing.
If You’re Feeling Burnt Out, Step Away and Recharge
Artistic burnout is all too real and can be the culprit if you’re feeling stagnant. There is no shame in taking a break from your acting career when you need it. Stepping back and reconnecting with joys in life that are unrelated to the acting industry can be reenergizing, and great for your mental health. If this feels like a difficult task and you’re still experiencing persistent self-doubt, speak with a licensed therapist or mental health counselor.
Reconnect With the Acting Community
If your work feels lackluster and you don’t know where to start, it might be time to remind yourself what you love about acting. It will help you remember what inspired you to start your acting career. Ways to connect with your artistic community in ways that feel joyful and genuine include:
- Consuming good theatre and film.
- Going to opening nights with actor friends.
- Having movie marathons.
- Going to town hall meetings where policies affecting the arts are being discussed.
- Finding the things about the acting industry that invigorate you.
Don’t Play the Comparison Game
With social media and constant access to our fellow actors, it’s hard not to continually judge our work against the perceived successes of others. That can be a soul-sucking game to play, and it’s not even an accurate barometer of your progress.
Everyone’s journey in the arts looks different, and the stories that are curated for public consumption often leave out context and periods of struggle. Ignore the noise and keep your focus on your path. This career is a marathon, not a sprint. Take a deep breath, ignore the negative feedback loop in your mind, erase any fear of failure you may have, and spend time with people if you need to recharge your neural pathways.
The imposter phenomenon is real, and although we experience self-doubt from time to time, we can overcome it. Instead of listening to negative feelings or indulging in negative self-talk, focus on positive feedback from your amazing friends. It can be a nice reminder of why you chose to pursue acting.
There will always be work to be done and acting techniques to be honed. You can always dig deeper, and there will always be artists surrounding you who just seem to have more on the ball. Focus on your acting journey and on one thing at a time. Your work deserves just as much patience as it does drive and critique. As long as you’re working on propelling your acting career forward, you’re doing enough.
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