Reflect with me…
We did it! We’re almost at the end of 2024!
We’ve hit the slow down period where auditions trickle to a stop, making space for holiday festivities, rest, time with loved ones, and of course, some retrospection. This is a great time of year to celebrate our progress and reassess what’s possible for our auditions in 2025.
Auditions are, and always will be, stressful. There are so many factors outside of our control that stress us out, like whether we get cast, who is in the room, whether it’s a required call… And then there’s whats in our control that stresses us out, rearranging our schedule, prepping the packet, performing the most climactic moments in the story… Sometimes audition stress gives us an artistic edge and help our performance, and other times, it really distracts us.
When stress distracts us, it disconnects us from the story. It makes us feel not like ourselves, snatches all of our focus and energy, takes control over our bodies, and more. I can’t tell you how many auditions where my heart was beating out of my chest and I forgot about the story completely because all I could focus on was how to make it look like my heart was not beating out of my chest.
Yet as quickly as stress can disconnect us, we can also reconnect just as fast. We performers know how the smallest adjustment can open us up a world of possibilities. How that tool, that tiny step, that shift in our gaze, that drop in our diaphragm, all those small adjustments can drop us right back into our craft. And the work I do with folks is turning those tools in our audition toolbox into a practice of reconnecting.
At the end of my workshop Making Auditions Less Stressful, I always ask participants a self-reflection question. It’s a way to tap into that world of possibilities. When audition stress overwhelms us, it is so hard to believe that any of those adjustments are possible for us, that any tool will actually make a lasting difference. Stress can disconnect us from even imagining what might be possible.
So part of my intention with asking this question is to reconnect with our imaginations, with the possibility, even if it’s just a small part of us that’s curious. There’s no wrong way to answer, some people journal, others draw or collage, others even put on music and dance it out. I invite you to reflect in whatever way excites you:
If you could trust that you could always reconnect to the story, no matter the stress, how would your relationship with auditioning change?
What would open up for you? How might your work be different?
The possibilities folks share are always inspiring, from the confidence to take greater artistic risks, to performing with more joy, to bringing our authentic selves into every audition room, to less time and energy dwelling on mistakes… What was your response?
No matter how we might answer, this question resets our energy and highlights the intention we want to bring to 2025. I’m looking forward to making these possibilities a reality with you next year. Until then, wishing you rest, care, and joy this holiday season.