Yes, phobia, that weird thing that we have in our language that is listed as such: pho·bi·a (pho·bi·as), strong fear or dislike; an irrational or very powerful fear and dislike of something such as spiders or confined spaces (a phobia about traveling in elevators). Since the day I FOUNDED what became, The Actors’ Network, it was and always has been about the core of a Power Group meeting. That meeting contains people, actual humans sitting before one another, talking, discussing their specific goals, accomplishing tasks, as well as assisting one another with our valuable experiences. Yet as the 21+ years of TAN’s existence have progressed it has become more and more apparent that this “concept” is literally a phobia. Yes, you may be reading this and you may be one of the TAN members who is not only in a Power Group but also loves it and “gets it, but that just means reading this matters just as much if not more.
So take a moment if you would, sit with yourself, and ask this question: “At the end of the day what is there really to be afraid of in sitting with my fellow peers ONCE A MONTH?” I have always wanted my community to find more “happiness” in the PURSUIT. It is easy to be happy with booking jobs in terms of our ego or family and friends approval. But so often those results are so terribly few and far between. Yes, it is an old cliché, but there has to be some LOVE ‘for the journey.’ Part of the journey can’t just be the auditions, the classes, the stage shows, the callbacks and the meetings. Again, it is Show Business, and that second word has been inherent in Hollywood LONG before me, you, TAN or even people like Robert De Niro or Meryl Streep.
So as much as you may hate it, be afraid of it, and wanna avoid it…it is there, and time will just continue to pass in your life with little results unless you FACE it. One of the most intelligent ways to face it, is to get in, stay in, and stay ACTIVE in a Power Group. Do it, use it, learn from it, and stop judging it or yourself within it. Just get active ASAP and stay that way. If you’ve taken a long “break” from pursuing but still have yourself active with LA Casting or Actor’s Access…what are you hoping for? Again, I get the passivity that is allowed in our industry but it doesn’t create success. It just isn’t how life works, and as the years go by, make a decision to DO it instead of “waiting for it.”
From our Power Group “Manifesto” I am listing the 10 things you need to do to fully realize the potential of a TAN Power Group. These were written by 12-year PG Facilitator, Kristine Oller, inspired by being a member, actor and learning from Founder – Kevin E. West! 1. TAKE TIME TO WRITE DOWN YOUR ACTIVITIES AND GOALS. 2. MAKE YOUR GOALS SPECIFIC AND ACTION-ORIENTED. 3. GET TO THE GOOD STUFF FIRST! 4. BRING INFO TO YOUR POWER GROUP. 5. PRESENT YOUR BEST SELF EACH MONTH. 6. YOU MAY NOT DISMISS THE THEMES/GOALS OF THE YEAR/MONTH.7. WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE (Meaning using negative or destructive words). 8. LISTEN CAREFULLY AT ISSUE TIME. 9. USE THE NETWORK. 10. STAY IN AND CONTRIBUTE TO POWER GROUP OR LEAVE, BUT DON’T JUST COME OUT OF HABIT.
If you commit to this, commit to a PG, get away from a Phobia or Fear that has NO basis and really start to USE our Power Groups to keep you active and fueled at all times it will have an overall effect on your day to day career. Maybe more than anything else, the more accountable you have to be on an every 2-week basis, the more you have to WRITE down your monthly activity, the more you have to perform our monthly Goals, then the more you will actually be forced to STREAMLINE your efforts and goals. And when it is all said and done, this is what will make you successful. Not just trying to sling something at everything hoping that by submitting and submitting blindly…it will work. Trust me, I know.
My professional best and always on your side
@TheKevinE, www.actorbizguru.com, www.kevinewest.com, www.gettingthejob.com