The Actor's Blueprint

Why choose a career in the arts? Every artist asks him or her self that question and that question is asked of every artist. The answer is as unique as each of the artists asked. The more important question to ask is how to achieve the satisfaction and success you are striving for.

A career in the arts is more complex than other professions. With most occupations a linear quality exists, education and training diligently applied results in employment. The reason is the ratio of qualified applicants to available jobs. As an artist the situation is reversed, many more people are competing for fewer opportunities. How do you take this challenge on creating a robust, financially sound and successful career?

One way to empower yourself with confidence and capability is by creating and following a Personal Foundational Blueprint. This blueprint will serve you in several ways. As a tool it encourages you to arm yourself with as much information you can gather to make thoughtful and strategic decisions. As a guide it helps you plan and create strategies moving your career forward in a practical and measurable way. Because this blueprint is flexible and constantly evolving it is a workout plan to readjust, hone and revise your goals and achievements.

What is this plan and how exactly does it work? Much like blueprints used by architects and builders this foundational blueprint allows you to build your career in the arts. Every construction plan from the simplest tree house to the most elaborate skyscraper starts with an idea. That idea evolves incorporating opportunities and circumstances supporting or challenging the execution of the idea. The initial spark of creativity precedes any action. The idea is transformed into tangible communication so you and others can create, develop and grow the idea from conception to inception taking it from the thought process into the planning stage. In the planning stage the idea is accessible to you and others in a more defined concrete manner. As planning defines the idea it moves closer to executable actions.

These actions, both large and small, determine the success of the final outcome. The result may not be what you thought but a series of steps evolving the closer you get to achieving the original goal. Many variable factors within your control and others not even on your radar, will determine what actions will move you forward, keep you in place or prevent you from being pushed back as you attempt to bring your idea to completion.

How do you take this idea of a career foundational blueprint and turn it into a functional tool to utilize?

How is success achieved in the world of entertainment?

Every successful artist will answer that question differently. Just like every building is unique in its design. There are however materials, methods of construction and physical limitations shared by all buildings. The same is true for success as an artist. To achieve success in Show Business there are common denominators. An acting career (and every other artistic endeavor) is a practice. Just like a successful Law Practice, Doctor's Practice, Dental Practice or any profession looked upon with deference and respect because of the work required for success, an artist's practice is no different in the approach to success.

A successful actor or artist will carry the same workload or more, encounter the same challenges or greater and reap the same rewards or more than any successful "professional". What is different is the path to that success. An actor's path is very personal and unique. An examination of the individual strengths and challenges must be undertaken to formulate a complete and comprehensive plan for success.

The foundational plan should be broken down into several different sections these sections should be mastered before attempting others. Just like building construction, the concrete trucks shouldn't show up before the trenches have been dug for the foundation. That doesn't mean however that you don't research and determine where the best and most cost efficient concrete company is and establish a relationship with them before a shovel breaks ground on the project! With that in mind let's break the blue print down.

What is the idea of your career?

When formulating the answer think in terms of planning. Most actors reply, "I want to star in movies, I want to work on Broadway or I want to be the lead of a hit TV show." There is nothing wrong with lofty goals but without a plan or means to achieve those goals they will remain in the idea stage. Without a sufficient plan of actionable and measurable steps in place ideas cannot become reality. One of the sections of your blueprint should be a long-term goal. You should know that these goals require a lengthy, diligent and tenacious approach and the statistical odds are weighed against you. A realistic look at the circumstances surrounding achievement of these goals should not discourage but inspire you to be disciplined and pragmatic in your approach to them. So you have determined your long-term goals.

How will you beat the odds and achieve them? Start by examining the steps or shorter-term goals necessary to complete in order to achieve the ultimate goals.

How have others achieved the goal you are dreaming of?

What UNIQUE qualities do you have bringing you closer to making dreams a reality?

What changes will you make short and long term to bring you closer to success?

Try breaking the changes, goals and inspirations down into lists…don't edit yourself let your imagination go there is always time for refining and editing. Some ideas, dreams and actions will be directly linked to your career, others will lean toward the life supporting your career and others will be a mix of the two.

Many actions supporting your ideas, dreams and goals will be repeatable; weekly classes, daily research and the like, others will be one time actions like moving to a bigger market Los Angeles, New York or Chicago.

Once you have your master list begin to break it down into achievable tasks. Just because a task is achievable doesn't necessarily mean it is easy. There should be a balance of tasks requiring different time commitments, investment and energy. You'll have daily actions that may pay off months or years from now. Other tasks will be performed on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly or other time increment.

The nature of these tasks will vary; some will be individual in nature, others will be with a partner or mentor, others may involve a class or creative consortium. Breaking the list down into the different achievable tasks is just the first step. After analyzing what you need to do then begin performing the tasks and measuring your progress. There will be moments of great progress, don't get too excited by these. There will be stumbling blocks set backs and hurdles, don't get too discouraged by these.

Whatever movement there is; forward, backward or even standing still…use each of those experiences to learn and grow.

However you create your blueprint, make it "user-friendly" to YOU! Be as creative and fun in the conception of your blueprint as possible. You will be spending time with it every day until your creative energy forces you to make it evolve as your career grow.

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