Principles of Self-Care for Student Actors

  • Only you are in charge of you.
    • Your body is your own. You are not obligated to share it.
    • Your personal life is your own. You are not obligated to share it.
  • Don’t do things that hurt yourself or others.
    • People that aim to “break you down” or “crack you open” are abusing you. They may not intend to, but that doesn’t mean you have to let them.
      • Emotionally manipulative acting methods are a cover for shoddy craft.
      • Crying in class is allowed, but if it’s the point of the class, you’re enrolled in someone’s power trip, not a course in acting.
      • It is possible to be an exceptional artist without being broken.
    • Pay attention to your boundaries. 
      • They are perfect where they are.* 
      • You are allowed to change them if you want to.
      • This covers physical boundaries and limitations, touch boundaries, emotional boundaries, social boundaries, professional boundaries…all the boundaries. Developing clear boundaries for yourself is a healthy practice. Letting others dictate your boundaries is not.
    • There is a difference between discomfort (associated with growth) and pain (associated with harm.) You cannot grow without experiencing discomfort. You cannot thrive while experiencing pain.
    • Gossip and mean-spiritedness bring an ensemble down. If gossip is more interesting than the work you’re doing, you’re probably not doing interesting work. Focus on doing good work.
  • Being healthy is your responsibility to yourself and your craft.
    • Treat your body well. 
      • Get enough sleep. Eat well. Exercise. Take breaks when you need to. No one is invincible.
    • Therapy is a great idea. Acting is not therapy.
      • Both of these things have great value, but they should not be confused for one another.
      • If you’re exasperated by preparation and only interested in performance, you might be using acting as therapy.
    • Don’t overextend yourself.
      • Doing one major project to the best of your ability will teach you more than doing too many projects poorly.
        • On the other hand, doing many small things poorly within the context of a major project is just called rehearsal and is a necessary step towards doing some of the things well. See the point about failure below.
      • Learn how to politely decline (say no.)
  • It’s okay to fail. You need to fail to be successful.
    • Failure means you are taking risks and learning from mistakes. Perfectionism is the enemy of growth.
    • Make some big choices, take some big chances, and celebrate the learning moments that result.
  • Get a hobby.
    • If the only thing you care about is acting, you might not be very much fun to be around. Get out there and develop some other interests and skills! It will make you more resilient as an artist and a more interesting colleague.