Acting Coach

I have heard of acting coaches and life coaches and I never thought I would need or want one. I always thought  I could set my own goals, and motivate myself but honestly lately I realized  I needed help, I needed some one to help me figure out this world of acting and how to navigate, market and motivate. I started working with a coach from http://www.thesavvyactor.com/, there are 5 sessions. The first was good. I had homework....

Preparation:




1. Creat Your 20 Year Plan-Write down where you want to be in

· 1 month- I am settled into the new apartment. I am submitting myself for acting work via actors access, backstage, etc. I am getting my career in order.

· 3 months- I am working a flexible, part time job(s) and working out. I am being called in for auditions. I book a non-union paying commercial.

· 6 months –I am now regularly booking commercial work, and book my first national commercial. I am cast in a play that garnishes attention from agents/cd’s.

· 1 year- I am booking work in TV regularly. I am now booking a small recurring role on a nationally rated TV sitcom. My husband and I are buying property. We will start our family.

· 2 years- I am still acting in TV and Indie film. I act in an off- Broadway run with MCC. I am going to grad school for psychology with a major emphasis on drama therapy.

· 5 years- I am still acting in commercials and TV. I am a working actress, making 50,000 or more by my acting and creative endeavors. I open my own theater where I direct and produce work that inspires me and others. My theatre will have an educational component/and drama therapy center that helps children and adults heal through the art of laughter and love.

· 10 years- I am acting in theater, TV, and film regularly, I sometimes travel for my work-if I feel the project is worth while. I get to host SNL to promote a film I am in. My husband and I buy a second home on the beach in FL. I am cast in a Shakespeare in The Park production.

· 20 years- My theater company wins a TONY. I continue to act and create art, those around me inspire me and I inspire others. I love my healing work and my artistic life. My home life is wonderful, my husband and I are still in love just as much as the day we met-if not more- and our children are going to college. We are very proud of them and looking into a beautiful future.

We like to call these milestones. Be specific. (In order to market effectively you need to be as specific as possible in what you want. Create in the positive and in the present tense. Focus on what you want, not what you don't want.)



2. List Your Strengths & Weaknesses

· 5 strengths- Good Leader, Good listener, Organized, Compassionate, Focused,

· 5 weaknesses- at times narrow minded (overly focused, I miss the big picture), Egotistical, Self centered, head in the clouds, overly sensitive



3. Your Challenges-Write down any and all challenges you have been facing.

· Got so focused on “work” (this job sucked the life out of me and did not pay enough to make it worth the pain) I haven’t been acting. I am happy I left but now I feel unmarketable in work force because my job was in sales and I don’t want to do sales again.

· Debt. So much debt. My job was 1099 had to take out a loan to pay off taxes and will have to do again.

· Ill family members. Mother=sick and in hospital, Mother-in-law=sick and in hospital. Sister =divorce, Brother in law=mental illness, Brothers=financial hardship/bankrupt etc.

· My illness=TMJ


· Change is not easy for me—lots of change right now. My life is upside down. Stress of moving to another state-for my husbands work. Loss of job, friends, life.

· Financial hardship, since I left my job. My income is poof and it costs a lot of money to move, we have had to take loans out.

· I am really unhappy about this move.

· A lot of rejection on many levels-dealing with that.

· Regret—should have gone to grad school when I had the chance. Should have taken the stage manager job with the new group, should have gone to northern stages company manager, etc.



4. Be, Do, Have Exercise· Write down everything you want to be, do and have. Write about each one separately and allot 10 minutes for each. Write the entire time, no stopping, NO Judging. Writing in a stream of consciousness will help break your own boundaries! Think big and have fun. Examples below.

Be: I want to be a successful working actress. I want to be a mom. I want to be a published author. I want to be a business owner. I want to be a healer. I want to be a part of something bigger then myself. I want to be an award winning artist. Do: I want to inspire others. I want to act for a living. I want to say live from NY it’s Saturday Night (on SNL). I want to learn French. I want to sing. I want to learn guitar. I want to travel. I want to go to India. I want to go to Greece. I want to go to Rome. I want to go to the Rainforest. I want to see Yellowstone National Park. I want to heal others. Have: I want to have success in life, love, and health. I want to have a happy 50th wedding anniversary party. I want to have 2+children. I want to have a close knit loving family. I want to own our own home free and clear. I want to have financial security.I want to have my own theater company. I want to own a second home -near the ocean. I want to have a pool. I want to have a gazebo.



During the coaching session we looked at my goals vs. reality...

We set two 1 year goals for me.

1. to book a day player role on a tv show
2. to book a national commerical

and we brainstormed on what i need to do to make that happen.

• i need to work on my markeing materials like my headshot, they think my headshot doesn't look like me enough.
•  i need to do some seriosus reseach on the who's who in the casting world. I need to know who is casting and what they are casting.
• i need to network
• i need to do mailings and branding....

which leads us to our next session BRANDING/MARKETING

i am really jazzed up about this.....