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Finding the Good: Compliment Work Even When It's Not Your Taste
One of the easiest, yet most often dismissed ways to cultivate a vibrant artistic community is simply to acknowledge and celebrate the creative work of our peers. And yet so many creatives I know practically refuse to tell someone they enjoyed their work if it didn't meet their lofty standards of excellence.
The Actor's Survival Guide: Mental Health Tips for Performers in a Post-Pandemic World
It's no secret that the entertainment industry is a wild ride, and the past couple of years have taken things to a whole new level. With the pandemic wreaking havoc on our industry and our mental health, it can feel like we're constantly walking a tightrope without a safety net.
But fear not, my friends—there are strategies you can use to stay grounded and sane in the face of all this uncertainty.
Stop Complaining About Nepo Babies and Start Acting Like One
We've all been there—feeling the frustration of seeing our most rivaled nepo babies in the entertainment industry succeed and getting all the juicy roles. But here's the thing: all this bitching and moaning isn't getting us anywhere. The reality is, we need to come to terms with a very simple truth about the world: people like to work with those they trust. And that's why nepotism exists, and why 'nepo babies' have had some level of success. If we want to succeed in this industry, we need to focus on building our own trusted name and establishing our own credibility—famous parents or not.
Retirement Planning for Performers: Choosing the Right Plan for Your Financial Goals
If we don’t start saving now, we may find ourselves in a difficult position in our later years, when we feel like we "have to work" rather than choosing to work…That’s why it’s important to start saving as early as possible so that we can have the retirement we want and deserve.
From Amateur to Career Actor: The Importance of Confidence in Marketing Yourself
Learning to market yourself is a key step in becoming a career actor. Getting your personal brand out into the world will take your acting career to the next level.
Financial Resources for Actors: How to Find Funds for Your Creative Projects
Want to self-produce your creative vision, but don't know where to get the funds? We've outlined step by step how to find financial resources for actors.
Burning Bridges and Building Businesses: How Artist Entrepreneurs Can (Actually) Make it Happen
Like actual entrepreneurs, artists face the challenge of selling their product to a valued consumer. (If you’re already cringing at the word “consumer,” this blog post is for you.) Unlike actual entrepreneurs, however, artist entrepreneurs have to sell their product (ditto cringing on “product”) without appearing overly salesy, pushy, or corporate.
How Showcases Can Kill Your Acting Career Before it Even Begins
The problem with the actor showcase is that it perpetuates the same disempowering fantasy that we’ve been told is true for all of us: get an agent or manager, begin auditioning immediately, book a few theatrical shows, move onto ongoing film and television projects, and watch your acting career flourish.
The Pomodoro Technique: How to Focus When the Pressure is On
We’re under constant pressure to create new work while promoting and maintaining current projects—all while juggling multiple auditions, callbacks and rehearsals / shooting at the same time. And let's not forget the social media maintenance that’s essentially required of anyone trying to make a name for themselves in this industry. What about your survival jobs or side hustle to sustain yourself in between gigs? With so many demands on our time, it's no wonder so many of us are feeling too overwhelmed and burnt out to hit peak creativity. Use this technique to up your productivity game and get more done.
Don't be a Scrooge! Holiday Networking Strategies for Actors and Performers
iI you still really need an excuse to reach out to your network, just look at your calendar—the holidays are around the corner! And there truly is no better time of year than this one to catch up on all the community cultivating you’ve anxiously postponed.
Relationships are Everywhere
No matter where you end up in the acting and entertainment industry, it's always important to remember the value of building long-lasting relationships. Whether you're walking into an audition room, rehearsal environment, live set, fancy premiere, or dinner party, you never know who you might meet and how that potential relationship could change the course of your entire life and career.
Why Actors Should Care About SEO
Less established creative professionals without the benefit of name recognition risk throwing thousands of dollars into content creation, press releases, and branded websites only to have it buried several pages deep in Google’s search results. If you’re generating all of this content but not giving it the SEO treatment, you’re squandering an opportunity before it can even materialize.