Expert: Taylor Sheppard - 9/20/2009

Question
hi, my name is mollie, i believe that i have already asked you a question before but i just wanted to ask another if it's not to much hassle ! as you know i am very interested in becoming an actress. i have been told that i have potential in the area, though i understand that i still have more to learn. i am 14 years of age and am thinking about taking acting classes, though I'm scared that i won't have enough self confidence in myself and crash on what could be a potential career for myself. i wanted to ask if self confidence grows as you become more comfortable with your surroundings or is it something that you just have to deal with ?
thanks very much
Mollie

Answer
Hi Mollie,

The answer is Yes!

Your confidence WILL grow as you go along AND it is also something you just deal with!

Confidence is not something you just work toward and gain and then you're done. Some of it does stick with you from one time to the next, but situations change, sets change, people you work with change, and even moreso, you do! Sometimes we are looking great with our summer tan and our great haircut and trim bodies from exercise, sometimes we get sick or life gets in the way and we gain a few pounds and...well, we just don't look as good or feel as good about ourselves. Sometimes we see someone exceptional and maybe we are having a bad day and it gets past our defenses somehow and we get down. NO ONE CAN ALWAYS BE "UP"! Sometimes you just have to have patience with yourself. There is a fine line between coddling ourselves and knowing when to take it easy. You must find it.

One way of coddling ourselves is to hesitate to get started on something new or scary.

We say to ourselves: "Oh, I'm too tired today! or "In the spring/fall/winter I will get started, that will be a better time..." While timing can be important, there are times (like with going to the gym) that you can't wait until you "feel like it", you just have to go and let yourself catch up later. That's why a lot of people never try things they want to do, because they think about it too much instead of just getting on with it! You can build small worries into BIG monsters if you spend enough time on that project.

Again, just get started and don't worry, it will come!

Best,

Taylor