It's that time of year when audition materials are being selected, college applications are piling up, and deadlines are right around the corner. Applying to college, especially for the performing arts, can be stressful. At Acceptd, we want you to remember one thing:
Keep breathing!
There's a lot of pressure when you're making college decisions. When you've decided to pursue a degree in music, theatre, or dance, it's easy to get overwhelmed. You might find yourself asking "Am I making the right choice?" VP Boyle, from the Relativity School, has a message for you: Trust your gut. Use this exercise from VP's book Audition Freedom to help affirm your passion and direction in the performing arts. Although these questions were written for theatre specifically, the exercise applies to any discipline.
Answer this list of 20 questions, but don't think too hard. Listen to your body and trust your gut. There are absolutely no right or wrong answers in this exercise. Just remember to be clear about your answer before moving on, visualizing a yes or no.
1. Do you feel talented?
2.Do you feel successful at this moment in your life?
3. Do you really, really, really love theatre?
4. Are you willing to do the work and enjoy the process?
5. Does the thought of performing on stage always make you smile?
6. Are you happy right now pursuing an acting career?
7. Can you imagine doing something theatrical twenty years from now?
8. Are your basic needs being met with regard to your quality of life?
9. Do you have a survival plan that you can live with when you aren’t working as an actor or are you willing to create one?
10. Do you feel prosperous as an artist?
11. Are you at peace right now?
12. Is there something you don’t want to admit to anyone that you would rather do instead of acting?
13. If you left the biz, would you feel like a failure?
14. Do you trust that you are in alignment with your creative destiny right here and now?
15. Do you feel empowered in the world as an actor?
16. If you were told the world was ending in five minutes, would you regret the time and energy spent on your theatrical endeavors instead of other possibilities?
17. If someone offered you a million dollars to never perform again, would you take it?
18. If you never become rich and famous, but steadily have opportunities to pursue your craft, would you feel content?
19. Is respect for acting and a career in the arts a deal breaker for your current or future life partner?
20. Do you feel bright, energized and happy right now having answered these questions?
Relax and keep breathing.
There is no scoring to be done—no report cards to burn. Just some space to breathe and think, breathe and not think. Just let all the answers dissipate and dissolve into a feeling in your gut and pay attention to it. Whatever you experience at that deep, inner place will be valuable to you and your future creative choices.
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About Acceptd:
Acceptd is the world’s largest arts network, connecting organizations with top talent and providing artists tools to help them flourish. Acceptd boasts more than 600 partner organizations, universities, festivals and other arts groups as well as more than 450,000 artist user profiles. From performers at Sydney Opera House to the marching bands in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Acceptd has had the privilege of working with premiere arts organizations around the globe to optimize their application process and connect with the right talent.
