What got you here won't get you there

I read the book “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” by Marshall Goldsmith years ago, and its lessons have always made me aware and cautious of resting on my laurels, but never as much as in the last 6 months on tour with ‘The King and I’.

When I first landed a role in ‘The King and I’, I could not stop talking about how crazy and unbelievable it was to have found work so soon after I had left the corporate world.

“So soon after I had left the corporate world”

There was always that reason, that caveat - as if I had to remind everyone - and myself - that somehow it was a more significant because of this big, monumental shift I had made in my career. I couldn’t simply be happy with having gotten a job based on my abilities, potential and fit. And I would revel in how amazing I felt for having accomplished some “special” feat.

But it has been slowly dawning on me with increasing certainty that if I am to truly flourish in this new career, I cannot rely on my old one. What got me here won’t get me there. This is not to say that I don’t use the full arsenal of skills and experience I have amassed. On the contrary, my experience in handling conflict has probably been the reason why I have been able to successfully navigate the challenges of the last 6 months. But it cannot be the reason why I am successful.

It is not that I am not proud of where I came from. I am. But if I don’t stop talking about how successful I was in the corporate world, I won’t have to hold myself fully accountable for what happens in the future.

This may be my first show, but it’s not my first rodeo. And sometimes, I forget that.

So perhaps the lesson for me here is to stop wallowing in the fact that ‘The King and I’ is my first professional job; perhaps the work here is to stop relying on some presumption of a “free pass” simply because it’s my first. Perhaps what I am actually afraid of is not delivering, and then having a convenient and well-rehearsed excuse that “this is my first show”.

I already hold myself to a very high standard in private, so perhaps the lesson here is to have my words and actions line up better with that standard.

-

My name is Eu Jin. I embarked on a career as a professional actor after 20 years in the corporate world. I am a big advocate of personal growth in the performing arts. I dedicate time and energy in performing arts education, specifically in the arena of practical approaches to inner health because I believe that this lays the groundwork for a sustainable career as an artiste.

If you would like to engage in a conversation about a healthy inner life practice, please leave me a message on the "Contact" page of my website and a way to contact you. Thank you.

Learning from the Greats (Part 2)

“Greatness” has little to do with how old you are, how long you’ve done something or how many accolades you have received. To me, “greatness” has everything to do with how you treat others and how you help others become better versions of themselves.

In ‘The King and I’, there is a small group of cast and crew who hold me up to a standard higher than I hold myself. They don’t do it consciously and it’s not something I asked them to do. Also, what they have taught me has little to do with how to act, sing or dance better. What they have taught me is how to expect more generosity, more kindness and more courage from myself.

They have become part of the moral fibre of my experience of this tour - because it can be a challenging environment to navigate. In production, I see and speak to them multiple times during the course of the day and every interaction is a reminder to be a kinder human being; it is a reminder to step into the shoes of others, to not simply focus on my own selfish needs, to challenge my assumptions and to find a path big enough for two.

And all they do is go about their lives completely oblivious to how much I rely on them. I won’t name names, but I will say this much - these people are incredibly good at what they do, they let their work do all the talking and the most important quality that they possess? They aren’t afraid to care. To me, that’s what makes them great.

-

My name is Eu Jin. I embarked on a career as a professional actor after 20 years in the corporate world. I am a big advocate of personal growth in the performing arts. I dedicate time and energy in performing arts education, specifically in the arena of practical approaches to inner health because I believe that this lays the groundwork for a sustainable career as an artiste.

If you would like to engage in a conversation about a healthy inner life practice, please leave me a message on the "Contact" page of my website and a way to contact you. Thank you.

Are you keeping safe that which is sacred?

Recently, a dear friend shared with me that he was considering taking a break from theatre work to get a 9-5 office job. He was burning out and beyond the financial considerations, there was a big emotional toll he bore daily. At first glance, this sounded like something that every performing artist goes through - sometimes throughout their career. But my friend - whom I know to be wise - then added that he wanted to create space so that he could focus on writing new work, and to then re-engage with the arts on his terms.

Re-engage the arts on his terms. Wise words indeed.

I thought for a moment, then realized what he was doing: he was keeping that which is sacred - safe.

He knew that the work - the pursuit of the work - was taking a toll on him. It had started to eat at him, to tire his heart and to corrupt what needed to stay pure. And so he was doing something about it. Rather than letting it eat at him until what was sacred and pure was no longer sacred and pure, he was taking steps to protect it so that he could continue to engage in the work that he loved.

I started to think about my own journey and the journeys all the people I have had conversations with - especially over the last 10 days - and I realized that this is precisely what we need to be doing more of; this is what we need to be doing every single day: we need to keep safe that which is sacred.

And the very first step is to get to know that part of you that is sacred. Look at it, sit with it, understand it, love it, nurture it and become aware of it - because only then can you know how to protect it.

I know that there are events in the last year that have scarred a part of what I hold sacred. I am also aware that I work every day to heal those scars; I work every day to balance my head and my heart; I keep asking myself the difficult questions, and I gauge - from the responses I have to daily life - how to make minute adjustments to that balance so that I stay safe.

I won’t lie - it is hard work. But I want to stay safe. Don’t you?

-

My name is Eu Jin. I embarked on a career as a professional actor after 20 years in the corporate world. I am a big advocate of personal growth in the performing arts. I dedicate time and energy in performing arts education, specifically in the arena of practical approaches to inner health because I believe that this lays the groundwork for a sustainable career as an artiste.

If you would like to engage in a conversation about a healthy inner life practice, please leave me a message on the "Contact" page of my website and a way to contact you. Thank you.

Learning from the Greats (Part 1)

I have spent the last 4 months getting to know some amazing actors who have played lead and supporting roles in the International tour of The King and I. I have seen 3 actors play the King, 3 actors play Anna, 2 actors play Lady Thiang and 2 actors play The Kralahome. Combined, they probably have more awards than I have fingers and toes, and more than a hundred years of experience between them.

And I have not stopped learning from them - not because we sat down and I asked them for their top tips (eventhough I did ask Ken Watanabe about the beast of a waltz in “Shall We Dance?” and he gave Miiya and I an amazing piece of advice), but because I paid attention and I listened to what they said and did, what they didn’t say and what they didn’t do. I paid attention to how they prepare for roles, for shows, to how they create a safe space for themselves so that they can walk on stage focused with just the right level of energy, and I watched (again and again) from the wings as they brought the story of The King and I to life.

So not only did I get a lifetime worth of master classes, I also got to inhabit their world. I got to help them create the world of The King and I for the audience.

There are so many things I have learnt from them, but if I had to choose the ONE thing to take away, it would be this: to act is to be utterly human. To be utterly human is to never experience the same moment the same way (even if you’ve done it 1,000 times). To be utterly human is to never be afraid of your emotions, and to allow yourself to feel every single one of them fully and completely to their very end. To be utterly human is to find a way to hear your instincts and trust that they will never steer you wrong. To be utterly human is to demand that you show up for the experience of life every day. To be utterly human is to never wait for permission. To be utterly human is to treat everyone the same way you want to be treated - no excuses.

This is a life-long journey we’re on. There is no finish line. There is no competition. There is just progress, and there is gratitude. Every day.

And you know what the best part of this is? I get to spend the next 8 months continuing to learn from them and everyone involved in the International Tour of The King and I. I don’t ever stop telling myself just how fortunate I am to be walking among the greats.

-

My name is Eu Jin. I embarked on a career as a professional actor after 20 years in the corporate world. I am a big advocate of personal growth in the performing arts. I dedicate time and energy in performing arts education, specifically in the arena of practical approaches to inner health because I believe that this lays the groundwork for a sustainable career as an artiste.

If you would like to engage in a conversation about a healthy inner life practice, please leave me a message on the "Contact" page of my website and a way to contact you. Thank you.