Fear is defined as “a distressing emotion aroused by a threat, whether the threat is real or imagined.”
As actors, most of our fears are more imagined than actual physical threats, but it doesn’t make them any less debilitating. While eliminating fear may be impossible, you can learn to utilize it to your advantage. You might not even be aware that it’s actually fear you’re feeling as it can be disguised as procrastination, doubt, indecision, or even caution.
Let’s use a simple phone call as an example. Say you want to reach out to an agent for representation. You don’t really feel “ready” to make the call so you go out to Starbucks, find yourself on Facebook, or suddenly notice how badly the house needs cleaning. (Procrastination.) Maybe you wonder if your reel and résumé are strong enough. What if they already have enough of your type? (Doubt.) And is this really the right agent for you? Perhaps you should do more research. (Indecision.) You finally decide to make the call, but now you’re concerned about the time of day. You want to be careful not to annoy the agent by calling when they’re busy with the breakdowns. (Caution.) Sound
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