I have a great showbiz story for you. This really happened. #showbiz
I’ve been in this business for well over 25 years and the other day when I was telling my brother about a series of callbacks I went on (and ultimately didn’t book the job), he actually asked me, “Do you get paid for those auditions?”
I almost laughed out loud.
When I said an emphatic “no,” I think it finally clicked in for him of how much money it takes to be an actor. Before that he had never actually thought about it. But once he started to add up 25 years in showbiz, 100’s of productions, and literally thousands of auditions later, I think he got it!
Pursuing showbiz is expensive. #hashtagduh
But, that doesn’t mean that EVERYTHING has to cost money or be expensive. In fact there are many things you can do to keep moving your career forward without spending any money at all. Here are my top six!
1. Vocalize. If you’re a singer, you should be doing this every single day. It is far better for the voice to vocalize every single day for even 15 minutes, than it is to vocalize for an hour today and not again for another two weeks. Do yourself a favor, be consistent. #vocalize
2. Put yourself on camera. We all have smart phones for self-taping. But how often do you spend time just putting yourself on tape to practice your on-camera technique? It is absolutely free to do it and it will help strengthen your on-camera auditions. #selftape
3. Reach out to some industry folks. It only takes a little time, and virtually no money to connect with industry people. Choose three today that you could just send a quick email to re-connect. #reconnect
4. Read a play. You can go to the library and get just about any play and read it in 90 minutes or less most of the time. The library is free. Reading is free. Do it more often. Read more scripts. #freereading
5. In-house workout challenge. Choose one work out move that you’re going to do everyday. It could be sit ups, planks, squats, push-ups, anything that doesn’t require equipment and do it everyday in your house. #workoutchallenge
6. Take a walk. Sometimes just clearing your head can do wonders for your psyche. Don’t forget in our business, it’s super important to take care of yourself, so taking time for self-reflection is super important. #takeawalk
These are just six little things you can do FOR FREE that will absolutely contribute to your career and your life. But there are many more possibilities too! What are your favorite free things to do? Comment below.
Leslie Becker is an award-winning Broadway actress, writer, and creator of The Organized Actor® and is passionate about inspiring, entertaining and educating others. Known as the #1 Empowerment Coach for Actors, her teachings have touched more than 300,000 actors in the past 24 years. To learn more, visit www.OrganizedActor.com. And don’t forget to join her FREE Facebook Group to be with serious and like-minded actors Organized Actor Alliance.
