Why did the chicken cross the road?
Sadly, to pick up Leslie’s shattered iPhone.
Yep, I did it. I dropped my iPhone AGAIN!!!! and this time it responded by ceasing to operate. I guess if someone shattered my head four times, I’d conk out too. So it was time to buy a new one!
As I stood there in the Apple store with the #cuteassociate, I shared with him that I’ve only owned two iPhones... the one I bought the very first day the iPhone came out (yes, I waited in line 10 years ago and NEVER dropped it or cracked it) and the one I’d shattered four times over the last year.
He was shocked that I’d only had 2 phones in 10 years. But he was more impressed that I never once dropped or cracked my first phone and I had it for six years. Whereas, the one I was there to replace, I had cracked it numerous times, dropped it in the toilet, lost it in a snow-covered field (and found it over an hour later dead) and in general, terrorized the poor phone!#snowfreeze
Why do you supposed that is?
I feel like I take the same care of my phone as my first one. But maybe I don’t anymore. Maybe it’s become such an appendage that I barely notice its “special-ness.”
Has technology gone so far that it is unimpressive and commonplace now?
Good question!
But, you might be wondering how in the heck this relates to show business and your acting career.
But, it actually has everything to do with it because our industry has become an on-line industry.
Producers now care about your #socialmedia following. We now MUST have video of our performances on-line so casting directors can look you up, and for the final callback for my current Ragtime production, the choreographer couldn’t be there so she Skype’d in to watch our auditions.
This amazing ability can indeed increase our reach, but often that can also DECREASE our actual human interaction time.
Because of all of that, a lot of actors are falling into the trap of thinking that just focusing on social media and marketing is going to get them work. Let me be clear… it is TOTALLY POSSIBLE to get work from social media these days. But it is NOT the only way. And even if you you make a connection on-line to book work, if you can’t show up and do your job when you do, then you are not going to get another job.
So today, take some time to look into your life and NOTICE how technology has dehumanized it, and make a change. Spend some time this week actually calling people on the phone, or seeing them in person or simply picking up the phone if it rings, instead of sending it to voicemail. #connection
Find ways in your acting career and your life to bring back the human touch! Reach out, gather a group of friends together, and build community. And most importantly, get back into class! Meeting friends, good teachers, casting directors, etc through class work, is a great way to humanize your acting career! I think you will enjoy the result! And I’d like to encourage you to tell me about it in my free Facebook Group! Come join in the fun at the Organized Actor Alliance.
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Leslie Becker is an award-winning Broadway actress, writer, and creator of The Organized Actor® and is passionate about inspiring, entertaining and educating others. Sign up below for more tips for workin’ your acting career and your life. www.OrganizedActor.com.