Actors and Our Environment

We have several ways to view our Environment.

Primary is your mindset.  The environment, or space, you provide for your thoughts.

If you think about your mind as a clean space for a moment, imagine how focused you could be.  Your mental environment is elemental if you want to expand as an actor, as a human, as a global citizen.

This environment also includes your consumption. Of social media. Podcasts. Books. Shows you see. Plays and scripts you read. How you get your news.

Next are the people in your close circle.

We don't always get to choose.

There is our family. There is the population of our work.

Where we do have sway is where we establish our support group. Our chosen family. Our close friends. Our agents and managers.

And finally there is your physical space.

This includes your home. Your work space, which can be an office in your apartment or house, or your laptop in a comfortable chair.

When you are working, this absolutely includes your dressing room space. 

To feel the expansion in your life, the growing power within you to affect change in your life, and bring that evolution to the world, you must give some thought to your environment. 

If your life ever feels out of control, going back to one of these areas and aligning them with who you are will give you clarity toward a solution.

Start with one of these areas:

Mental space

The single best way to clear out the clutter here is Thought Downloads several times a week, and certainly when you have a problem to solve.  Fresh paper. Write down stream of consciousness about the issue weighing on you.

Separate Fact from Story. 

Then find one sentence, which is a thought, and decide how that thought makes you feel. 

That feeling is driving your actions. If you don't like your actions, work on finding a feeling that would propel different actions, more constructive actions. 

Look for a believable Thought that creates that feeling.

More on Thought Downloads on the website.  And seek coaching to explore this work in depth.

Close Community

Make a circle on a fresh sheet of paper and write (your signature) in the middle.

Around the circle, write the names of your family, the people with whom you live (chosen family, friends, or roommates), your agent/manager, people with whom you share a dressing room currently, people you see for longer than an hour a week in the same room.

Now, draw a line from your name to the names around the circle that fuel you, whether through love, inspiration, professionalism... you decide.

There may be people who don't warrant the line. And that's OK. They probably fuel someone else.  Maybe you fuel them in some wonderful way.  Decide if anything in any of these relationships hinders you in living into the life you want.  And if they do, consider how you might gently put them outside of your circle. If this is not an option, brainstorm ideas of how you can extend less of your valuable energy toward them.

Because the lines you draw, between you and these humans, is energy.

You get to decide how much to use. This is Your Environment.

Physical Space

Let's take two areas here.

Your work space. Take a neutral look at it right now. Does it represent you and the work you do? Are you motivated to work there? Do the colors and function please you? What can you eliminate, so your visual energy is not consumed by constantly surveying the space for information?

What do you need here to feel great about your work?  Whether it is paying your bills, reading scripts, filming self tapes, working on social media, journaling. Look at this space when the seasons change - take everything away, and add back what you love and need and use.

On to your dressing area. If you are in a series with a permanent season long space, you likely have the funds to have professional design work done. If your space doesn't welcome you and energize you to do the work you want to do with excellence and clarity, take the time to create the space you need, or hire someone to create it with you.

For theatre folk, your Equity inches may be specific, or expansive, depending upon the theatre, your contract, the assignments of the room.

Lots of opportunity to make it your own.  Do you want color? Serenity? Words of inspiration visible? Notepad for director/SM notes and space for your own reflections? These days, pandemic accessories. You can get a small lamp, if you don't like the overheads.  Make it serve you.  You should feel great when you sit there and get ready to act.

If you work cover and swing tracks, this sometimes means you switch dressing rooms, right at the moment when you would love the security of your own space. Find what works for you - possibly having a bag or box ready to transport what you need to feel ready and supported. Bring that photo, and great water bottle, and makeup brushes that you love to see.  They are there for you. Taking a hour to decide what you want, and getting duplicates so you don't always have to sweep everything into a bag or your arms in a jumble gives you the mental space (see above!) to do your best work.

Your environment matters.

And of course.

Our. Environment. Matters.

So don't purchase indiscriminately, because we all know how much goes into landfill and our beautiful oceans and beyond. Look for what you love and need. You are worth it. 

Your work is worth it.

And if you are in the Ready Space of work (you are available, but not currently booked), this is even more important. Set yourself up for excellence ahead of the next job. 

You know it's coming.

Because you're an amazing actor.