Talent Is Common; Workmanship Is Rare: An Article For Beginners and Professionals

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'his article contains a (sample menu( of the main ingre)ients of (artistic workmanship*( +orkmanship is (the pro)uct or result of labor an) skill, work e-ecute)*( 'he artistic workmanship re.uire) to be a professional actor an) singer is where most aspiring performers (an) professionals& fall short* /o to any open call au)ition an) it0s clear most performers in the waiting area have little artistic training or mastery of the workmanship of being a professional* "n) what1s worse2 most of them have no i)ea they have no i)ea* 'he below sample menu is meant to inspire3 4t is i)ealistic an) )uring some phases of our lives2 unrealistic* 4t shows how much )e)ication an) commitment it takes to cultivate raw talent2 establish an) maintain an artistic career* 'his work has a si)e effect of being life changing in the most won)erful ways* +e0ll keep the below list simple2 because a book coul) be written about each item* "t 'he Jason Bennett "ctor0s +orkshop2 you stu)y whatever you nee) from this list* "ll this applies e.ually to film2 television2 theater or musical theater5 1* %ou e-ercise for at least 67 minutes2 five times per week* 2* %ou know all about the latest views on nutrition My two favorite health sites2 base) on years of research2 are )rmercola*com an) lef*org* 8* %ou get enough sleep* 'he vast ma9ority of people in in)ustriali:e) nations are sleep )eprive) an) ignorant of how essential a)e.uate sleep is* ")e.uate sleep2 proper nutrition an) a comprehensive e-ercise routine are re.uire) for optimal talent e-pression the highest levels of creativity2 emotional e-pressiveness2 memory retention2 immune health2 fat burning2 muscle buil)ing2 energetic en)urance2 intelligence2 etc* Books are written about these sub9ects an) their relationship to creativity* 6* "t least three )ays per week2 you free write for 20 minutes everything* ;ave the intention to really e-press yourself on the )eepest levels2 but it )oesn0t have to be smart2 seem talente) or be profoun)* 4t clears you an)

helps connect you to your highest intelligence an) creativity* See Julia #ameron0s2 'he "rtist0s +ay* 7* %ou keep a 9ournal by your be) an) write )own any )reams you can remember, an) you note any )ay)reams you have* 'his connects you to your talent because your )reams <are< your talent* =reams solve your acting problems an) life problems when you learn their language* +e stu)y a)vance) )ream psychology in our school because it lea)s even the most establishe) performers to higher levels of fulfillment an) creativity* >* 4t shoul) be a habit to know an) e-press how you feel on the )eepest levels* Most people go through their )ay with no i)ea what is really going on insi)e* ;ow )o you feel? $o2 really2 how )o you really feel? "re you e-pressing it? @in) a safe way to e-press how you feel physically an) vocally* "ctors an) singers must be free3 'his shoul) be )eeply ingraine) in you* Spen) at least five minutes a )ay improvising with soun) an) movement2 e-pressing how you feel* A* #ultivate )eep listening an) communication* Most people )on0t listen to each other* Really listening means feeling another1s energy, listening to the nuance an) many layers of their voice, very specifically observing their bo)y as they communicate, hearing the wor)s2 but also sensing the intentions an) feelings un)erneath the wor)s* 'his takes specific training to increase energetic2 sensory awareness an) communication for most2 because our culture is communicatively retar)e)* @or the great actor an) singer2 )eep listening an) communication is automatic an) the result of years of work* "n)2 we work on staying open our entire lives* B* %ou take si- hours of )ance or movement classes per week2 specific to your nee)s* C* %ou take at least eight hours of acting classes per week2 specific to your current nee)s* 10* %ou vocali:e2 whether you0re a singer or not2 at least four hours per week* %ou take group voice classes for actors for four hours per week2 an) i)eally at least one private hour with a voice teacher singer or not* 11* %ou stu)y yoga* Dripalu yoga is the best yoga for performers* 'his is a conclusion reache) after 1A years of my stu)ying )iverse yoga metho)s* 12* %ou are always rea)ing a book about acting the newest2 most comprehensive books* #onsi)er books about acting an) the business by Eric Morris2 Farry Moss2 Seth Barrish2 Brian G0$eil2 Haul Russell an) others* 'he newest books about performing are far more sophisticate) than the ol)* My own book will be publishe) in a couple years*

18* %ou see one play per week2 whether you0re into film2 television or theater* %ou see one movie per week* %ou rea) two plays or screenplays per week2 written by awar) winning2 respecte) writers* 16* %ou0ve been in great acting2 voice an) movement classes for years* "n) so you warm yourself up at least three times per week2 using tools an) metho)s from all these classes2 for at least an hour* 17* %ou0re always working on a new monologue or song* 1>* %ou0re always learning about psychology relevant to great acting =ynamics2 integral philosophy2 'he Hsychology of Selves2 archetypal psychology an) humanistic psychology* Spiral

1A* %ou0re an e-pert on the business of acting* %ou wake up every )ay an) rea) the latest au)ition notices an) theater news at $%#astings*com2 Hlaybill*com2 Iariety*com2 Backstage*com an) more* %ou know who the castings )irectors are in $ew %ork an) Fos "ngeles* %ou get to know their personalities an) their likes an) )islikes* %ou know who the agents are an) who their ma9or clients are* %ou know all the significant theaters2 pro)ucers2 )irectors2 screenwriters an) playwrights* %ou stay up to )ate on how the in)ustry is constantly changing reels2 vi)eo resumJs2 hea)shots2 electronic submissions2 mailings2 showcases2 internships2 an) on an) on* 1B* %ou0re always practicing altering your state of min) an) being* 'he great actor an) singer is fascinate) by what it feels like to be all kin)s of people* +ho is that person? +hy are they moving that way? +hy )o they soun) that way? +hat are they thinking about? ;ow )o they feel? Gbserve it, embo)y it* 'his shoul) be a habit* %ou0re always in some kin) of consciousness training therapy2 spiritual workshops2 acting classes2 etc* 1C* 'he actor an) singer is )eeply informe) about what is going on in the worl)* %ou can0t feel a full range of energies )eeply unless you are connecte) to the worl) )eeply* %ou can0t have any artistic vision or know what kin)s of stories nee) to be tol) if you are not connecte) to what is going on in people0s lives on profoun) levels* /o to #ommon)reams*org2 =emocracynow*org2 ;uffingpost*com2 beyon) the regular corporate (news( outlets* Every successful performing artist knows that if the news is coming from a large corporation2 it0s mostly 9unk* %ou have to search to really fin) out what0s going on in this worl)* 20* /reat actors an) singers are curious2 skeptical an) open min)e)* %ou watch )ocumentaries that may2 at first2 seem absur) to you* %ou go places outsi)e your (bubble2( to all kin)s of churches2 to all kin)s of communities* %ou talk to an) spen) time with all kin)s of people* %ou can put your 9u)gments asi)e an) your upbringing asi)e2 so you are free to really e-plore all kin)s of worl)s2 people2 values an) cultures* %ou treat yourself an) others with respect an) love*

"s state) before2 this list is incomplete an) i)ealistic* $o one can )o all the things on this list each week* "n) there is a lot left off this list3 But2 the truth is respecte) performers have phases of their lives2 often lasting years2 where this is essentially how they live each week* So2 strive for it* But2 )on1t beat yourself up* 'he .uestion is5 "re you living in accor)ance with your priorities an) values? =o you feel creatively fulfille)? "re you really keeping your commitments2 to yourself an) others2 artistically? +ill you be satisfie)2 later in life2 by the level of artistic workmanship you achieve) )uring your lifetime? Many in the public have no un)erstan)ing of how )eep the commitment an) )iscipline of the most successful professional actors an) singers* 'o yiel) the immensely rewar)ing spiritual an) material success of a professional performer takes far more work than most career paths K far2 far more* "n) yet our 9ob is to make it all look like magic2 as if we )i) no work at all* 'he irony is that if you work with great teachers that go into the work containe) in this articleLan) work2 work2 workL 4n the en)2 your performing is most likely to feel an) appear mysterious2 magical an) easy3 4t feels that way an) it is that way* "n) this is when au)iences receive the most entertaining me)icine our little planet has to offer K your performance K the work of the actor an) singer who lives a Hh= in "rtistic +orkmanship3 +e are now interviewing for our fall classes2 workshops an) private coaching* 4f you have previous training2 please submit a hea)shot an) resumJ to infoM9bactors*com2 along with what you0re intereste) in* 4f you0re a beginner2 please call 212 AAA A>08* Fook through our web site for all we have to offer3 Jason Bennett is an acting an) voice teacher in $ew %ork #ity2 an) via Skype2 all over the worl)* %ou can rea) more articles he1s written by visiting JB"ctors*com2 N'he Jason Bennett "ctor1s +orkshop*O See more at5

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