As actors, we’ve been made very aware of our bodies. We've been told our body is our instrument and we must keep every part well oiled. We focus in on very specific elements of ourselves with endless techniques to daily clarify and perfect our diction, tone and resonance, postural attitude, facial expression, text analysis, emotional recall; we are forever developing. We are “athletes of the heart” that must always continue training with specialized professional coaches who spend their lives invested in a single aspect of any given discipline.
But there is often overlooked a very important element of an actor’s body which is necessary to exercise everyday if you wish to get into and through the experience of professional acting. And only you can teach yourself to use and maintain it. It's in every performer. Somewhere lodged deep between the heart and mind, and often just on top of our impulses. It is the infamous Get-Over-It muscle. Or as I call it, the F*ck-It rotator. And no matter your discipline or focus, it is the most important tool in getting on as an artist at times.
With a well-tuned Get-Over-It muscle one can easier shake off the feeling of giving a bad audition, or the feeling of not hearing back from what you thought was a good audition. Sure you're still upset, but with a strong Get-Over-It muscle you get past beating yourself up so you can focus on which areas of your process you may need to improve. Yup, the F*ck-It rotator. It allows you to skip judging yourself and get quicker to evaluating.
Another reality in this business is you will be surpassed by people who had it ‘easier’ than you. You will have friends who ‘achieve success quicker’ than you. A well maintained F*uck-It rotator is crucial in these moments for going from self-loathing and jealousy to celebrating (and networking) with them. So, it’s vital to work every day on your Get-Over-It muscle to be able to swallow your pride and keep up your craft.
Don't always agree with a skilled director’s point of view? Flex the Get-Over-It. Don't feel as if a costume choice flatters you? Rotate the F*ck-It. Tonight's audience didn't respond the same as they did opening night to your consistent performance? Get-Over-it. Find a way to get past the unpleasant initial emotional reaction so you can get quicker to analyzing the situation and making any necessary changes to step up your game. Sure it may seem harsh, but so is missing out on the next opportunity because you’re still ruminating.
Again, this is one of those characteristics of a professional you must learn to develop and execute yourself. No one can really help you with your uncontrollable thoughts. One thing I've found useful is keeping a journal of these thoughts as they pop up, and jotting down what I think a positive action could be. I feel many modalities from the holistic world can be beneficial as well. Any of the mindfulness or awareness techniques from chanting to meditation to yoga (of course I’m a big fan of Alba Emoting) might be helpful for you. But it is up to you to integrate them into your preparation. Knowing yourself will always be a large part of your own process. So instead of getting stuck, learn to just suck it up, force a smile and repeat the sacred mantra; F*ck-It.
#acting#rejection#reaction
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