Confidence, Collected

What if confidence worked like a bottle sitting on a shelf?

Imagine you could take a sip before an audition, your first day on set, or before walking into an acting class where you don't know anyone. I think we'd all save it for those big moments when we need it the most. There is a problem there… confidence doesn't really work that way.

Most actors think confidence is something you either have or you don't. They wait until they feel confident enough to submit, take a class, talk to casting directors, or finally hit record on that self-tape. But confidence almost never comes first.

What if… confidence is something you collect?

Every audition you show up for, even if you don't book it, is another drop in the bottle. Actually, forget the booking.
I'm talking about simply showing up. You submitted. You prepared. You walked into the room (or pressed record.).
That counts. Every class where you push yourself (which should be every class, let's be honest), every self-tape you almost didn't send, every time you introduce yourself to another actor instead of standing in the corner, every chance you take to put yourself out there, you've just added another drop.

The actors who seem confident aren't usually fearless. They've just been uncomfortable enough times that being uncomfortable isn't a reason to stop anymore. They've collected enough experiences to remind themselves, "I've done this before. I can do it again." They are using their confidence bottle.

If you're waiting to feel ready before taking the next step, you might be waiting forever. The better approach is to start collecting experiences. Confidence isn't built by thinking about acting. It's built by acting. Take the class. Audition for the role. Film the self-tape. Introduce yourself to people. Do the thing that makes you a little nervous.

One day you'll walk into a room and realize you're not nearly as anxious as you used to be.
Not because someone handed you confidence, but because you've been collecting it all along.