STAR POWER:
Defining Your Individual Signature
All art comes from inspiration…and art inspires. Inspiration means being in Spirit. So, once again, the union of creativity and spirit comes into play. Inspiration comes in many forms – some unexpected as we learned through the Defining Moments exercise. Who knew that, while living through some of these traumatic events, we were actually inspired to define our Individual Signature, as well as to develop certain life paths and take action.
Being inspired is like the irrational intoxication of falling in love – you feel unstoppable and limitless. Once inspired, an artist is more willing to step into uncharted, unknown territory. You are able to see new possibilities. Same eyes. New you.
Sometimes we have to work at being inspired. Step out and try something new. Commit yourself to a project that’s outside your comfort zone. Challenge yourself to material that makes you climb. Create your own project, show or film. Find a date. Get into a relationship. Up your commitments. Learn a new skill. Challenge your considerations.
If your thoughts and inner dialogue (interior monologue) are in some way negative and stopping you from moving forward, then your inner dialogue is not in alignment with your commitments, desires, purpose and the larger reality of your life. These interior conversations usually come from old beliefs and fears. It’s the ego’s job to keep you the same and safe – a problem that keeps you from moving to what's next. The ego rips off your life and excitement to keep you safe and familiar, and to keep that personality intact and safe from being wrong, making mistakes, failing, losing what you’ve got.
If a new idea feels like an opening, or dies exciting, or if even for a moment you have a gut feeling or an impulse to go for it – go for it! As long as it’s legal and in alignment with your integrity – go for it! You can expect all your considerations and fears to come up, including the personality (ego) screaming, “STOP! ME? NEVER!” But those who are successful are able to hold that inner dialogue aside and take action anyway. After a while, one builds a muscle to allow and maybe even loves the change, because you must change, sometimes to your very core, in order to move forward and fulfill your potential and purpose. Dreaming of a great career can put you on the path, but it has to be, backed up by your actions.
Live to your commitments instead of your inner dialogue. Change your inner dialogue and you can change you. Complacency and fear are the number one killers of artists. Complacency and fear keep you from exalted living and from easily entering the creative zone.
Actors working from the creative zone frequently speak about the magical, exhilarating performance which they are always trying to taking risks, that will expand who you are. You are bigger than your thoughts, your considerations, your doubts and fears.
Take “thought-defying actions” – have the thoughts that are stopping you, hold them aside and just do it anyway. This will give you a great start as it defies your ego and gets you into movement. Once you’re in action, you learn to correct. Babies fall as they are learning to walk. Airplanes stay on their path via correction (psycho-cybernetics), yet we expect to get it right immediately. NO WAY! Through thought-defying actions, your brain soon learns to signal you to move forward and not be stopped.
Imagine life as you want it to be. This is a very potent technique as it primes your brain to search for the new information, which helps you to actually live the new reality.
Gaining access to the Creative Invisible World and to the quantum level of Higher Mind (intelligence and creativity) is not like pressing an elevator button to the eighth floor, nor is there a button to push to become a brilliant actor. It's all in what you do, what actions you take, and who you are willing to be when the door opens.
When I first started out I was shocked that I actually had to go out and take action for my career to happen. It was much safer to stay in my own fantasy world where I waited to be discovered. How quickly I learned to generate my own work – it was sink or swim. If you're just starting out, tell yourself, “Put one foot in front of the other,” and move out there. If you are already established and have a great career, keep climbing, shake it up, and keep moving to what’s next. Risks are the golden key to making quantum leaps. A quantum leap is moving out of the lane that you’re in and landing somewhere unexpected and extraordinary. The lane can be about career, artistic achievement, finances or relationship. In any event, the result is unpredictable. The quantum field consists of energy and information – waves that manifest into particles by way of thought and awareness. Quantum physics claims that there is no solid material matter – that all of creation is made up of atoms and subatomic particles, such as protons, electrons, quarks and bosons, be it a tree, a car or a human being. What differentiates each one is the quantity and arrangement of the energy and information. This all takes place in the quantum field, which is the inner component that I’ve been referring to as the Inner Creative Invisible Self. They are both within and outside of us. Call it the Quantum Field, the Inner Invisible Creative Dimension, or the World of Spirit. This field guides, instructs, and orchestrates life experiences and artistic expression. Our thoughts, beliefs, attitudes and intention are in fact the generating factor in all of creation.
Are you living?!
You are the source of both your life and work, guided by the invisible World of Creativity and Spirit.
Allow the facts and information to work you. Listen and respond – do not stand around waiting for your next line. Remember not to act, just BE IT. No actor wins an award for breaking down a beat well or having a strong objective. Isn’t that important? Yes – when found through your experience. Actors win awards, auditions and jobs by being dynamic, authentically unique, and palpable; the audience feels their charismatic presence and willingly enters their world. When you're great, you automatically captivate and draw the attention of others. Always know you can transform yourself into anyone you need to become. Everyone and everything is within you. And a rewarding career is within your reach. •2009
Excerpts from STAR POWER: Defining Your Individual Signature by Sande Shurin. Published by Morgan James Publishing. Reprinted with the permission of the author.
photo of Ms. Shurin by Luigi Scorcia.
SANDE SHURIN Has coached and directed many notable actors for film, Broadway and television including Anthony Rapp, Matthew Modine, Daphne Rubin Vega, Ty Treadway, Sharon Lawrence, William Sanderson, Casey Nicholaw, Adam Pascal, Michelle Hicks, Shalom Harlow and Jicky Schnee. She authored the book, Transformational Acting: A Step Beyond, establishing her innovative acting technique Transformational Acting. She currently teaches this acting technique in New York City and in Woodstock. Ms. Shurin directed the film, “True Love” by Bruce Levy, shown at the Woodstock Film Festival, Miami Short Film Festival, New York Film & Video Festival; “Museum Scandals” for television; directed the cable series, “Working Actors.” Her directing in New York, includes “The Price of Genius” by Betty Neustat, “Sada” with Jay Rodriguez, “Queer Eye…Fab Five,” Sylvia Miles at the Sande Shurin Theatre, “The Insect Comedy,” “Beautiful,” by Leonard Melfi (Lincoln Centre Festival), “The Dolphin Dreamer” (BAM), “Cabin Fever” (WPA Theatre), “Anniversary Story,” and “And Last Week It was a Mountain.” Her theatre company, Drifting Traffic, was one of the five founding members of OOBA, where she directed Leonard Melfi’s new plays. Ms. Shurin teaches and leads workshops internationally and has lectured at Marymount College, and Adelphi College. She was honored at La Mama ETC as one of the originators of the Off-Off Broadway theater movement. Ms. Shurin made her Carnegie Hall debut directing Katia Paschou’s operatic presentation, and is also in pre-production for the film, “My Favorite Felon,” by Jennifer Wilcov. www.sandeshurin.com.
