"I could have been better"

I don’t know about you, but there were many times I left an audition (It didn’t seem to matter whether it was a commercial, voice-over or film) and realized that I could have been better. Sometimes it was specific (louder, faster, funnier) or sometimes it was just a general feeling of, “not good”. Usually I would beat myself up with the “inner voice” saying things that made made me feel even worse. I did this for many years and did nothing to prevent the self-destructive nature of my work. After all, the audition is really just part of the job description and should not be separated from the job itself. Anyway, I eventually decided to stop this. Here’s how; I performed the audition full out before entering the room. Sounds simple. It didn’t matter that I was embarrassing myself in front of other actors. What mattered was that I felt fully rehearsed and the audition was the final performance. It was only then that I could completely let go of my self-defeatest attitude and walk away feeling that I did my best. Even this new process needed to be practiced (classes and workshops helped). Letting go helped me move on. Give it a try and tell me how it went! Cheers…Jeffrey Dreisbach