Volume 5 Issue 11                        Jill Place, Publisher                           jill@actingintuitive.com

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When is Enough Enough?

When is Enough Enough?
BRANDact is BACK and I WANT YOU!

Dear [[FirstName]]

I'M JAZZED!!!   My brand-new column for for Now Casting, Art and Soul, comes out next week in Actors Ink.  I'm going to explore the spiritual side of acting in it, which is my first love.  And share with you an inner perspective on acting that'll ignite a deep belief in yourself.

So you'll not only get sneak previews of the column but innovative Acting Tips and Intuitive Tricks to give your career and your acting a competitive edge.  Ideas like guided imagery scripts and physical imagery which I call "Acting Out" that will eventually be available as CDs and MP3 downloads.  But you'll get them first here!

I love to hear about BRANDact successes!  One of the most recent BRANDactors, Melinda Augustina, e-mailed me excitedly just yesterday.  Her short, "Three-Fifty", has been screened in three festivals in 30 days!  If you'd like to see the trailer, go to http://www.myspace.com/threefiftythemovie.  Not only that, she was on the brink of having new pictures done when she took the workshop.  And here's the result.  It fulfills the three qualities crucial for a headshot:  it looks like her, it shows her soul, and you can tell a story by looking at it (i.e. no-nonsense thirty-something takes on the world.  Or  plucky divorcee opens her eyes to a new and better life, yadda, yadda).  Congrats, Melinda!

If you have some BRANDact successes, please write me so I can share them with everyone.  And . . . heck . . . I'd love to share your successes with the world even if you're not a BRANDactor.

And, by the way, DON'T UNSUBSCRIBE JUST BECAUSE THE eZINE COMES SCRAMBLED!   Try as I might, the program I use to publish it just doesn't suit every type of email.   Acting Magic is also available online on my home page, www.actingintuitive.com.  Simply click on the link that says "To read the latest issue, click here" to the left of my picture right under the subscription form.  Thanks in advance for your diligence!

Success in acting . . . and in life . . . depends not only upon your talent but in a deep belief in yourself. My first column, which was sparked my expereince with these three actors, is about how feeling enough can make or break your acting career.

When is Enough Enough?

One of my students, Demetriss Moore, called me in a funk the other day. "I read for this agent", she said, "and she expected me to play the scene the same way the actress did in the film". I suggested to her that she wouldn't want anyone this short-sighted representing her. It didn't help. I could feel her doubt brewing. And knew that she didn't believe me. Instead, she began to think of herself as not good enough.

Why is it that we never feel enough? And why are we so willing to embrace the negative instead of the positive. Being enough in your life and your craft is one lesson that's crucial for actors to learn if they're going to succeed in ShowBiz.

I recently worked with an actor to create his brand. He had some solid credits and a super demo. He also had a great relaxed film presence. And there was no doubt in my mind that he could work a lot. But, two grueling hours into the branding process, he still couldn't describe to me what he did best as an actor. And nixed every effort I made to do so. Naming what you do best is one key to claiming your "enough-ness". In addition, when we viewed his reel together, he sucked in a deep breath in discomfort. And mumbled "whadayathink?" over and over. The whole experience just made me sad. Because I know that ShowBiz is just too tough to negotiate with this kind of indecision and approval-seeking.

In contrast, another actor who trained with me for awhile finally fiercely committed to his career after many false starts. Even with a ton of talent, training and co-starring roles in features, he just couldn't make it work. He couldn't even find an agent. I think it was partly indecision. And partly because he never felt enough.

But once he did, everything fell rapidly into place. Together we named and claimed his acting with the best brand I've ever helped create . . . "Sophisticated Samurai with Ex-acting Edge". Within a month, he had an agent begging to represent him. He also snagged a national commercial campaign that aired in plum spots at top sporting events. And, just yesterday, he sent me pictures of himself at samurai bootcamp in Kyoto. He has a lead role in the BBC miniseries, Shogun, that airs in the fall. Obviously, he understands his "enough-ness" enough to transform himself into an actor that's in demand and going places.

So how do YOU transform all that doubt you might have right now about your career into "enough-ness"? Well, it's a process. But it IS doable. Here are some ideas:

1. Be the best actor you can be! Nothing makes you feel enough like knowing you're the best at what you do. So train as hard as you can and practice cold-reading every day to get competitively sharp. And even if you don't have that part today, you still have the joy of your chosen work to sustain you till tomorrow!
2. Energy flows where attention goes! This now-famous saying derived from ancient Hawaiian spiritual principles is right on. If we focus on what we DON'T want, that's what we'll get. I was horribly insecure about my looks in my acting days. Still am. So I thought that anyone skinnier or more gorgeous than me had to have the audition in the bag. Instead, I should have sent out a signal to the cosmos that I was the best actor for the role. When I did, I always got the part. So notice when your head is running all that negative self-talk and rescript it on the spot into positive statements. Or put the focus where it ought to be. And do me a favor and tell yourself what a great actor you are before you head into that room!
3. Breathe! Nothing sets that critical committee of voices chattering in your head more than not being relaxed. Before long, all that negative self-talk will take over. And then you can't understand why you finally get into the audition room and choke! So breathe while waiting go in . . . I like to fill my lungs about 3/4ths full, hold the breath a couple of beats and then exhale. Breathing through your nose also stimulates the relaxation process better and faster than mouth breathing. Reminding myself to breathe saves my life daily!
4. Happily visualize that you've already gotten the part! Your mind doesn't know if images you feed it are real or not. So use visualization to see yourself giving an award-winning performance and being told you're the only one they want. I use my little digital recorder to record and replay visualizations while I'm driving. Or in the tub. In addition, use your senses to more fully conjure up the scene. All this powers up your inner magnet and aims it directly at the Universe to attract what you want. Also, feeling good is crucial while you're doing these processes. If you white-knuckle it, you're sending mixed messages to the cosmos. Instead, you have to surrender to the joy of the experience. And what's so bad about that?
5. Be grateful for what you've got! Nothing shifts consciousness better . . . and sends those good vibes to the Universe more effectively . . . like gratitude. Thanking the cosmos for that part as if you have it already makes it come even faster. As well as consistently being grateful for all those things that make you you, like your talent and compassion. I often do my gratitudes in the morning before I get out of bed. Along with visualizing my day the way I want it to unfold. The key, however, is to let go of how it's going to show up. For example, I know you want that regular role on that hit sitcom. But you're just going to have to trust that the Universe will give you exactly what you need. And, hey, a great part in that long-awaited series starring your childhood idol ain't bad either.

Haven't you noticed that the Universe keeps sending you the same lessons over and over until you learn them? The ones above are vital for your acting success. So get going!

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In the Next Issue:  Guided Imagery for "Enough-ness"

BRANDact is BACK!
Sunday, June 13th
Don't miss this career and life-changing experience.
When you brand yourself,
acting magic begins to happen in your career!
Click here for more details
Click here for a FR^EE branding eBook

I WANT YOU as a Student!

If you're lost in large classes and frustrated that your acting skills aren't yet what you want them to be, this is the place for you!  A couple of years ago, I took a class filled with more than 30 actors.  And was appalled that I spent alot of money (almost $60 a class) and alot of time (3 to 4 hours) every week to do a 10-minute scene and be told I wasn't comfortable yet.  "Of course I'm not comfortable," I kept saying, "I haven't acted in twenty-five years".  It wasn't fun or helpful.  And I think I lasted six weeks.

Instead, I never work with more than eight students per class.  I've also been blessed to attract good committed actors who support each other.  And you not only do scenes . . . sometimes more than one if you want . . . every week.  But you'll also discover the way you work best with my dynamite Act Intuitive training.  A way that gets you noticed and gets you work.  This technique plus the intimate, supportive environment allow you to act better fast.  And, with my intuitive talents, I can spot personal blocks to expression and help you remove them so your skills grow even faster.

The classes are in flux right now so there's still plenty of room in the Wednesday class. And the Saturday class, which was full for a couple of weeks, now has two spaces. The new Sunday class is on hold till the end of June.   Now's a great time to start as there's a bit of a casting lull until the episodics crank up mid-June.  So join us!  Oh . . . and did I also mention how reasonable my classes are?To find out more, click here.

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