Thread by @ErinLundquistVA

YOU ARE NOT FAILING! - And Other Things You Need to Hear Right Now.

AKA The 2 secrets of the mindset that has made me successful.

A Thread for creatives, intended for #voiceactors and #actors, that can be applied to literally any field in which you refine your craft.

1/16

Since the initial post about my journey from unpaid actor to working on Netflix projects, I received a lot of DM’s about how many of you feel you are failing as an artist or struggle with imposter syndrome and how you know you shouldn’t feel this way. 2/16

I’m here to tell you, you are not failing. If you are part of this process: learning, auditioning, recording, building a brand, etc. then you are 100% succeeding.

It all comes down to two principles: the definition of success and the expectations we put on ourselves. 3/16

To fail means to not succeed. So what is your definition of success? If your definition of success is “working on AAA games” then I, too, am a failure. If your definition is “make a living doing only acting” then I have been a failure for the last 7 years. 4/16

And not only that, so are many of the VA’s you look up to. Many of the famous VA’s we love also direct, write, or work part time jobs. Are they failures?

If you’re not holding your idols to your standard, then why are you holding yourself to that standard? 5/16

If you would never expect someone else to be perfect, to get high paying work all the time, to nail every audition, then why are you expecting that of yourself?

Be kind to yourself. You are doing the thing. 6/16

It starts with redefining success. I urge you to break it down to its most basic terms…are you an actor? Are you doing any part of the education, auditions, practices, networking, recording, or even paperwork that comes with the job? Congratulations!! You are succeeding! 7/16

Creative arts are a culmination of years and years of refinement that never stops. Even people who have done this for 20 years still take classes OR teach classes and learn from their students as they pass on their own knowledge. Your craft will never be finished. 8/16

Would you expect a painter who has been painting for three years to be featured at the Louvre or MOMA? If they’re not, are they failures as artists? If they are NEVER featured in such galleries, are they failures?

Look at what they’ve created along the way! 9/16

Look at what YOU’RE creating! I don’t just mean the projects you’ve booked. Acting is the art of transforming oneself into a character. Are you able to do that more easily today than 3 years ago? That looks pretty successful to me. 10/16

I know it’s hard when you see new cast announcements and it’s not your turn, but not every person can tell every story. If Chris Evans, Chris Pine, and Ryan Reynolds are all up for the same role and only one of them gets it…are the other two suddenly failures?
11/16

It’s all part of the journey, so don’t “should” on yourself. “I should be recording right now.” “I should be auditioning more.” “I should be practicing more often.” Instead replace “should” with “if I wanted to, I could.” This removes the guilt and gives YOU control. 12/16

“If I wanted to, I could be recording right now…but I don’t want to because I need a break.” “If I wanted to, I could be auditioning more…and I do want to so let’s find some new sources of work!” By replacing the word “should” in your vocabulary it changes everything! 13/16

Using “if I wanted to, I could” uncovers the reasons WHY you’re not doing something and it gives you power to acknowledge or change it. Why guilt trip yourself? Again, would you yell at your favorite VA’s for not practicing more? Then why are you yelling at yourself? 14/16

This is a process. Many of us were raised with expectations of success either external or internal, so letting go of those expectations and giving yourself the power to define your own life takes practice. So keep an eye out for the “shoulds” you’re putting on yourself. 15/16

So those are my secrets!

TLDR: It’s all tiny steps on a journey and don’t “should” on yourself.

When you make this shift, every day becomes full of wonderful opportunities to take the next step knowing that you AREN’T failing and that you DO belong.

I wish you the best! 16/16