Audition Sabotage: We all do it, but how can we fix it?
Being a performer is tough. You don’t get to chose when an audition pops up, you don’t get to chose if you get the role, you actually have very little control over a lot of factors in this line of work.
What you can control, though, are your thoughts.
This is the one thing that casting directors, the panel and other people vying for the opportunity can’t take away from you.
Here are 4 mistakes that performers make when heading into an audition and some tactics to stay on top of your game and in your happy headspace.
I have done ALL of these and I tell you…if you DON’T want the job, go ahead and follow these, step by step. 😉
1. Judge yourself against others in the waiting room.
The worst thing you can do before entering the audition room is to waist your energy judging the people around you.
Thoughts like “wow, is she really going to wear THAT into the audition?”… “or she’s a great singer she’d be perfect for this part” are sure fire ways to count yourself out of a gig even before the panel has a chance to see you.
COUNTER THIS
Reaffirm your strengths and redirect your focus on your character and the preparation that you have done for this role.
2. Treat preparation as time to socialise.
If you want to waste your precious time and space preparing your thoughts and focus right before you get in the room than go ahead and gossip and catch up over the last month with your friends.
I’ve done this one over and over. It took me a while to get a grip on that face that my time and space are important to me. Sometimes you need to say a polite “Nice to see you, I’d love to catch up afterwards if you’d like?”
3. Push fear away and try to stamp it out
It’s been said that what you resist, persists… and it’s so true when it comes to nerves before your audition.
We are socially conditioned to believe that our fear is bad and so our relationships with fear are for the most part pretty dysfunctional.
The more we push it away and say “oh no, you’re there, go away”… the more it grows and the less our authentic self is ale to shine through. When we stop running from fear we actually dissipate its power.
COUNTER THIS
Acknowledge your fear and give it permission to be in full force for a whole minute or two. Tell it to do it’s best and acknowledge that it’s FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL then bring the focus back to your breathing and positive self talk.
4. Play the “If I land this job…game.”
Heaping expectations on yourself right before you walk through the doors to audition is a dead end road.
I’ve done it and I’ve walked away without landing the job time and time again.
The game goes like this…”If I get this job then I’ll be on prime time TV and everyone will know me! YAY!…”If I get this job then I’ll have finally proven to my family and friends that I am talented and special”…”If I get this job, then I’ll be closer to making the movies I want…”
All this does is future project the crap out of the moment and you go in to the room with an energy of this huge expectation heaped on your shoulders that the panel can sense a mile off.
COUNTER THIS
Say to yourself “This… or something better” and stay in the present moment.
This is the space where your authentic, flawed and imperfect perfection shines through.
Saying to yourself that “this (gig) or something better is around the corner” allows for a lighter feeling and a sense of detachment.
