4 Things Acting Taught Me About Myself
There’s a huge misconception that acting is just playing pretend. I think it’s easy to think this way. To look at actos and see them as artists that get to pretend to be other people as a job. And while part of that is true, it’s not the whole story. There is a lot of learning, understanding, compassion, and above all self reflection, that goes into playing a part.
One thing that most people don’t expect is the amount of self knowledge and awareness goes into “pretending” to be someone else. Making a character authentic requires you to understand who you are as a person, what makes you similar or different to the character, and what makes them unique. There is a lot up to interpretation but it’s that interpretation that captures the character, their story, and their voice.
Having played different characters in my own films and in other projects, I’ve developed a process of getting to know the stories I’m telling. Over the years, this process ended up teaching me a lot about myself that I hadn’t realized before. It’s kind of like when you get to know a new friend and they end up teaching you new things. At the end of the day the relationship you hold with the story you are telling and the character you are embodying, tells you a lot about your own life, visions, goals, and more.
- Playing with gender expression. As a black woman, most people expect me to live within a set of feminine expectations. I was never one that felt comfortable with the binary and was always willing to play with the idea of gender. However, once I started acting I started feeling more confident dressing differently, embracing masculine looks, and truly playing with my gender expression.
- Celebrating my quirks. There are few jobs that allow you to celebrate that which makes you different. There is something about acting that helps you to accept and love your quirks. You play characters that are loved because they are weird, nerdy, and goofy. In a weird way to allow you to love yourself for those very same reasons.
- Importance of working with a team. I tend to be the kind of person that likes to do things on their own. I know I’m not the only one who always did the work in group projects. It really came down to the idea that I can only trust myself to get things done. I have a hard time letting go of that control. However, acting requires you to learn how to play well on a team. No project can come alive with just an actor. You need directors, producers, cinematographers, etc. It taught me that I can let control go and trust others to do their job.
- Self Worth as an artist. When you first start out in a creative field it’s very easy to just take whatever jobs float your way. In my time acting I’ve learned that I need to be careful where I put my energy. I’m not a good fit for every movie I audition for and I’m not going to sacrifice my values and creativity to fit into certain roles. My artistry is unique and has value. Because of this I started my own production company, Blaqq Productions
Acting might seem like a superficial job, but when taken seriously, it’s not. It’s a beautiful journey filled with so many voices, characters, friends, and self realizations.
