The Great Acting Blog: “The Scarcity Of True Artists”
People who try to treat acting as a business are wasting their time. Why? Because acting doesn’t make any business sense whatsoever. No businessperson in their right mind would view an acting career as a choice investment opportunity. If we examined the life of an actor rationally, then none of us would enter into it in the first place. We do so because we are dreamers, we don’t live in the real world. We make choices out of love, raw ambition and the determination to make it work no matter what.
That’s why it’s so important to go for what you love, for what you are passionate about. Striving for money only, just isn’t enough. Eventually your mind will be ground down by the constant resistance actors face and will settle itself on an easier way of making cash, then it’ll be time to say your goodbyes. Go for what you’re passionate about, because it’s that passion which will inspire you to overcome the endless obstacles, to get up from the canvas one more time and to keep your generosity. Go for what you love and try to control as many of the steps as you can (yes, that means working long hours).
Life’s too short to compromise and settle for the half-measure, and it’s certainly too short to do as you’re told. If you’re going to do that, you might as well get a routine job with a contract and the consolation of regular pay.
Our culture has a surplus of people on the make, what we are short of however, is true artists.
Subscribe to The Great Acting Blog
gabrielablandy/ 25.07.2013
Lovely, inspiring piece! So sad but true about the shortage of ‘real’ artists.
James Devereaux actor/ 25.07.2013
Indeed it is sad, Gabriela, but there in lies an opportunity too.
Many thanks for your comment.
James
Kyle Duke/ 26.07.2013
While a mindful piece for sure, the topic would be much enhanced if you related a little more of what you see. This subject is obviously not unique to actors, but relates to all artists. There is also a strong undercurrent running counter to what this point.
[The answer, as in all things, is moderation, but consider. What acting schools are teaching now is Lethality in all aspects of an acting career. Making choices is acting must be hardcore, selling yourself must be done intelligently: the whole shebang is a business both the industry and the schools teach you. Commitment and a ‘street smarts’ of sorts are required to get you work, the artistry is the perk- we all know this.]
It would be nice to hear your voice here a little more.
James Devereaux actor/ 26.07.2013
I’mm not sure what you’re getting at, Kyle. My central point is that you can’t approach acting as a business (regardless of what is taught). You can say it’s a business, but is there hard data to back this up? No.
If you go into acting as though it were a business, you will not survive.
Kristina Hughes/ 30.07.2013
I James, you post in my ActorNation Group on LinkedIn often. I am not sure if you go back and read the replies, so I am leaving my comment here as well.
Hello James,
I often enjoy your posts and I understand on this one your point. However Acting is a BUSINESS…
It’s a BUSINESS to:
-the theatres producing your shows
-your agent & manager using their time & money to promote you in hope of getting you work
-the studios that are producing the TV & features that you are working in.
-the producers of your stand-up comedy show who have to cover rent, promotion and are obligated to get butts in seats.
Without BUSINESS in Acting, you have a HOBBY.
Perhaps you can take a look at PerformerTrack http://www.PerfrmerTrackc.om. I’d love to set up a walk-through tour for you over your computer. Then perhaps you might want to share something like this with your readers:
The Business Of…’You, Inc.’
By Holdon Log
http://www.holdonlog.com/pages/AN-YouInc0109.html
Most performers scoff when they are asked this simple question: “Do you have a performing business or a performing hobby?” The answer is usually a vociferous – “I have a…
http://www.holdonlog.com/pages/AN-YouInc0109.html
Sadly it seems every-other week an actor is outed for being bankrupt, often times after they’ve killed themselves are finding themselves going to court, etc. I’d like to combat that and your help would be great. You can have business with the craft and if you do, you’ll have a heck of a lot more balance in your career, that balance can lead to more career success and happiness.
Please consider encouraging your readers to “fight laziness”. When influencers like you say you don’t have to run a business, send a follow-up, promote your bookings, then actors don’t and that permission to not run a business seriously is the death of a career. I’ve seen this over the past 13 years with Holdon Log. It’s a pity when an artist can’t have their talent seen b/c they are out of money, out of business relationships, etc.
sweet jazz/ 07.03.2024
sweet jazz