All of us would love nothing more than to find consistent work as performers: transitioning from one show to the other. The reality is that only a very small percentage of performers are able to do that. And so rather making yourself wrong or talking yourself down for not finding consistent work as an performer, ask yourself: what do you want to do when you not performing?
Another way of looking at it is: how do you feed the monster?
Performing is the outward expression of a deeper desire, whether it is the desire to find acceptance, to find love or to spread your message. So rather than just focusing on performing, start to think about what it is that drives you to perform. Ask the "WHY" question.
And I use the term "monster" because it is something that I feel extremely driven to do. It forces me to ask myself what I want my artistic practice to stand for. And most importantly, if I don't feed it, it will start to feed on me.
I will be spending the next 3 weeks working in simulation-based medical roleplay where we train hospital personnel (from senior consultants and heads of departments to junior nurses) how to have powerful high-stakes interactions with the families of patients in their care. While there is an element of acting because we play families of hospital patients in various scenarios, the most important aspect of this work is in education and in empowering medical staff to take care of families on the worst day of their lives.
The "WHY" for me here is in using my artistic practice to change the lives of these medical staff so that they can in turn go out and (literally) save lives. How's that for feeding my monster?
There are other facets of my artistic practice - acting, creating new work, education, coaching and activism - that all help to feed my monster. Constantly asking myself the "WHY" makes it much easier to decide where I spend my time and energy.
So what do you do to feed your monster?
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My name is Eu Jin. I recently embarked on a career as a professional actor after 20 years in the corporate world. A big supporter of personal growth, I also dedicate time and energy in performing arts education, specifically in the arena of practical approaches to inner health because I believe that lays the groundwork for a sustainable career as an artiste. If you would like to find out more or share your thoughts, please leave me a message on the "Contact" page of my website. Thank you very much!