For the Love of It

I don’t think I used to be the worst at dating but I certainly wasn’t the best. I certainly hated it.

“Um… Excuse me, what has it got to do with theatre?” you’re saying. Well, wait for it.

I hated dating because I felt like I had to conform. I felt that I would never be able to tuck my tummy in long enough, laugh at the right cues and hide my ‘bossyness’ long enough. In short I was going to be found out soon for what I really was: a curvaceous quirky strong woman.

But what if there was someone who was looking for just that? Consciously or unconsciously. I was cutting both ourselves shot, wasn’t I.

Oh, and what did I want anyway? Other than being wanted? Cause that’s not a super attractive look, is it?

I’m not a dating coach so I’m going to fast-forward on how I got to figure out what I was looking for in a relationship and a person. I’m also going to skip the part where I got to accept that I was me and that it was a ‘take it or leave it’ type situation.

And here is why I’m telling you all this: that’s exactly what you need in a theatre career. Probably in any creative career for that matter. You need:

• A clear vision of what you want.

• A clear vision of what you have to offer.

And you want to affirm that. You don’t want to pretend to be someone else. Like dating, it’s not going to work out for long.

Whatever you’re doing, enjoy your Valentine. Personally, I never celebrate Valentine’s Day because I feel it’s just a commercial holiday. Tonight I’ll be sharing the love another way, chatting on Skype to one of my mentees.

WANT MORE TIPS AND TRICKS ABOUT STARTING A CAREER IN THE THEATRE?

I run Theatre Career Coffee Chat, a free monthly online meeting where theatre lovers get to pick my brain over (digital coffee). More info and sign up: click here.