Hell I don't know, what do I look like, a life coach? Seriously though, I was wondering what others do to not go crazy with the day after day grind trying to get work. For me, it was having other hobbies & interests that kept me sane. Music was a good outlet because as a drummer I could drum out my frustrations. I could always turn to music if I was feeling a little down, and also if something wonderful happened. After a few years being rejected constantly, just missing out on big jobs after callbacks, even just realizing that my job was a life of job interviewing all week was taking a toll on me. I had to have outside interests because I was burning out fast. When it comes down to it, what an odd career choice, we’re professional job interviewers. In the 80's when I had enough credits I moved to LA, and started looking for new hobbies and activities to help keep my head right. Everything from gold panning, to horseback riding at Griffith Park. The adult ed colleges offer a host of fun things at reasonable prices. Most of the classes were about $40. Just in the process of finding fun things to do, I got to be a pretty fair rider and added it to my skills on the ol’ res. I didn’t think much of it, but I started getting auditions for cowboy roles. I never imagined myself as a western character, but I ended up booking a number of cowboy jobs. Almost all of them involved me being able to ride horseback. That simple addition to my resume opened up a whole new character range, and more audition opportunities. Plus it was kind of cool. Even though I was usually the dopey sidekick and being laughed at, it was still a lot of fun. Had I not added that, I would have misses out on a lot. So I guess the moral is: Find things outside of show-biz. For a few years I was caught up in the 24 – 7 thinking about acting, and it’s not healthy. I realized quickly that if I had some mental baggage going on, I wasn’t going to book that job. The same goes if I was desperate for work. The camera picks that up no matter how much I tried to disguise it. Once I got my head right, I worked steady SAG jobs for 14 years. Try to develop new hobbies and interests. They may not all go on the resume, but they might help you stay sane, and you never know. The cowboy thing was just dumb luck and a little skill. I reckon. I would love to hear other ideas and thoughts on ways to avoid show-biz burn out.
Acting : Audition Burnout & Ways Not to go Crazy in Show Business? by Shannon Ratigan
Audition Burnout & Ways Not to go Crazy in Show Business?
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That's a great topic Shannon! I think it's so easy to get caught up in it all and before you know it you are living, breathing, eating, etc. the industry...it takes over. Currently, I have a full time job so right now the acting keeps me from going crazy from that! Eventually, I would like to become a full time actor (with plans to move to LA) but I would like to volunteer or get involved in something related to what I do now which has nothing to do with acting. It's a nice balance so far. Auditioning can be exhausting and very disappointing. I find it helpful to have actor friends who know what you are going through. People outside the business don't really understand what it's like, so it's nice to get some validation from those who do.
@Erin It's Interesting that you say that. I didn't know anybody when I moved to LA, so all the friends I made the 1st few years were actors. Understanding & supportive, but I think having friends & relationships outside the industry is important to keep a balance in your life. The one thing I learned to avoid is negative actor friends. There's enough of that surrounding us already. On the other hand, I tried to make friends that were more successful than myself. In my case, it was pretty easy.
Yes, I agree...a good balance is very important all around! :)