1.  Like Yourself

Turn off that picture of yourself at the front of your head of you as: too young/old/plain/fat/silly/boring/daft…

2. Believe you can do it.

Keep hope, optimism,courage, confidence.

3. Keep Networking.

Make that showreel. Keep writing letters. Talk to people. Join the Actors Centre etc.

3. Trust your Instincts.

Follow direction when given but don’t suppress your own gut reactions. Take brave choices. Don’t play safe.

4. Find your own projects.

Write that script. Do that one person show. Paint those pictures. Get on with that novel.

5. At auditions give yourself permission:

To take the time, to be in that world, to believe in that world, not to ‘decide’. (To sparkle!)

6. Trust you ‘as if’ is enough.

Be a text detective and uncover the differences between the role’s life and yours. Work on facts that create feelings – not the feelings themselves. Store memories by acting things out. Know what you want, your relationships. Then forget all that and just ‘be’ in that world. You ‘as if’.

7. Don’t lose YOU.

Keep your intelligence, humour, life.

8. Make time for yourself.

Go to workshops/gym/walks etc.

9. Work on breathing and voice.

Don’t underestimate the importance of the inter-connectedness of everything. You have to be centred. We use breathing/voice and movement every day in our own lives. But nerves, learnt lines etc. get in the way. You are training for a marathon!

10. have fun.

Don’t let it get to you. it’s a game – a wonderful game. And there’s a real life as well…