Brave Heart

I wanted to post a bit about the concept of bravery. I was struck by this recently due to a number of incidents of bravery that presented themselves in my life.

I am rather renown, at least in my own mind, for saying that life is all about showing up. And I encourage performers of all types to get out there and do just that, show up. At auditions, classes, gigs, show up. Be present, use the amazing talent you have been gifted with. I have never said it was easy, no, quite the contrary it is an enormous leap of faith to go expose your inner self to the often cold heartless outer world. But as artists we are called to do just that.


Back to bravery. Especially for auditions, can any other word truly describe what we do when we audition? When we throw down our talent as best we can against ridiculous odds? (To quote Han Solo, "Never tell me the odds"). If we focus on those odds, we would never go try out for anything. But we don't. We bravely go and focus on our work, and placing in before the Universe.

This came into my thoughts a lot recently. After 15 great auditions without any results, I found myself again auditioning. This time was the right one, the magic one. But I never would have made it to this one without the 15 rejections before. (And I know many of your reading this have higher numbers, more rejections, hundreds of them). But those don't matter, what matters was me showing up. Eventually, the world took notice of my work.

Also this week I watched a group of amateur singers take the stage to sing at an outdoor concert. Some were amazing, some were just OK, but that doesn't matter. What mattered was that they showed up. They bravely threw their gift into the great wide space. Really, that is such a mind boggling thing.

Best of all is an 8 year old girl who has never been involved in any kind of theater, insisting that her Mom sign her up for a summer theater workshop. Her Mom was nervous and afraid. but the girl, the brave girl, said, 'It is what I have to do". I know that feeling. I hope you do to, that it is what you HAVE to do.

So this post is a simple one in terms of theme. It is me cheering you on, telling you that I acknowledge how hard it is to go to the altar of the world and place your offering upon it. That that act, is an amazing act of bravery. It is a brave thing to do, you are brave to do it.

Be brave. Stay brave

                 J.T. TURNER, The Actors Sensei
Available for private Coaching in acting, audition prep, public speaking and sermon work.