Training

You wouldn't build a house without a foundation right?  Same holds true with training to be an artist. In fact, anything you chose to do in life you will require training.  In the performing arts, it is the fundamental piece to success.

You cannot and should not by any means get on any stage without proper training.  If this is your chosen field, respect it.  I've witnessed so many people who take one acting class and suddenly they assume they are professional actors.  They show complete disrespect for the profession, and soon find themselves criticized by others or drop out because they can't compete.  The same holds true for dance.  There are people who call themselves dancers, but in reality their only skill is social dancing. 

Training will open doors and give you longevity.  Most importantly it will allow you to do what you want to do most... perform.  It is a highly competitive field, you need to be ready for what's ahead.  Opportunities only knock once, if you are not ready for when they arise, they'll be gone forever.  Prepare.

Get ready, because there's no way around it.  To become a professional performer, and what I mean by "professional" is to make a living at it,  you need years of training in several disciplines.  (More on being a "professional" later.)  Find the right programs and schools and train.  Read all the books you can and learn about the business.  Find yourself a mentor to guide you.  Be open to learning.  I've been in Show business for over forty years and I'm still learning.

Be grateful

One of the most important characteristics of a successful performer is to be grateful.  You must learn to be grateful to your parents, your teachers, your employers, the people that help you even in the smallest endeavor or step on the path to your career.  I cannot stress this enough.

Be grateful.

This quality must be learned from the start.  If someone lends you a hand, don't forget it.  Don't forget the teachers that help you, even when you move on to the next.  Don't forget the people who give you your first opportunities, even when bigger opportunities lie in the horizon.  Don't forget the people who give you advice.

Be grateful.

Being grateful is not just a pleasant quality to have as a performer, but also as a person.  You never know if you ever need them again.  Don't forget them.  Don't take them for granted.  Say thank you.

Be grateful.

I've met so many people who forget the people who have helped them, and later wonder why they no longer receive the help.  I know a young performer who gained all his professional experience due to the help he received from some good friends.  Later, he went off to do several smaller projects, but in the biography for those projects, he mentioned everyone but the friends who helped him.  Later when this performer had no job, he asked a friend why the people who helped him originally no longer gave him a break, and the friend told him:  "Read your bio."

Be grateful.

I've always worked in this business, and not because of my talent.  I learned early on, to say thank you and not forget those who gave me a hand.  I made a ton of mistakes along the way, but I learned that no one is indispensable.  I learned that it is not just a "nice" characteristic, but that my success in show business, and moreover in life, depended on being grateful.

Making a Choice

As an aspiring performer the most important decision that you will need to make is the active choice that this is what you want to do for the rest of your life.  It's beyond making a choice.  It's making a commitment to yourself.  No one can make it for you.  You need to believe it completely, because you will be tested in every way imaginable.   Making a conscious decision will ready you for what's ahead.  And get ready, because there's a lot that goes into being a "true" professional performer or "artist".

Becoming a performer is not just about talent or ability, ninety percent is perseverance, along with training, dedication, gratitude, networking, and a long list of things which we will cover later on.

Most of the people I have met that have had a successful career in show business, are not necessarily the most talented.  More often than not, the successful ones are the hardest working, the ones with "heart", the ones who don't give up, the ones who train and train and train, and the ones who are grateful.  They succeed because they simply love what they do, and they've made an active choice.

The question is:  are you ready to Make a Choice?