Being an actor for a living can often feel like being a retiree, or independently wealthy, in terms of the amount of free time that you have. Now, this time can be spent binge-watching 8 shows on Netflix, or you can limit that to 1 show, and also work on you craft.
For me, the key is to use that time to enjoy life with friends and family, and continuously deepen your understanding and implementation of skills needed in your chosen craft.
The goal of this "Time Rich" Actor blog series is to share ways in which to do so, Effectively and Efficiently, so that you'll have "leveled up" your skills for your next gig or performance opportunity, and will feel confident in tackling more challenging and rewarding projects in the future.
Focused Training by Season
I pick one specific professional skill to work on per season (skills like sketch comedy writing, vocal strength and endurance, etc.). Now, a "season" can refer to the length of a class session, or however long it takes you to complete a certain goal/milestone you've set for yourself, in learning or deepening your knowledge on that specific skill.
These "seasons" usually last about 8-12 weeks for me, personally: just enough time to further my skill set, but not enough time to get bored (and reach the point of diminishing returns of "effort put in" and "benefits received"). Of course, if you find yourself particularly taken with the skill you are working on, then find a more advanced portion of it, or a related skill to focus on for the next season.
Be specific, so that you have a clear idea of what you are working on, and when you feel you've accomplished your goal for that season.
For example: I took a Shakespeare Folio Class to focus on the interpretation of the text, and having the words come from a place of honesty. This lead me to a season of reading Cicely Berry's books, The Actor and the Text and Voice and the Actor. Reading these books, and doing the exercises therein, helped me to free up my natural voice, the skill that was my focus for the following season. My current season is building upon that foundation of honesty and ease in my acting, and focused on working in front of the camera. I taking a class and working with a camera at home to accomplish this. The end goal being: a greater ease and freedom particularly in auditions for film, which has been an obstacle for me in my career.
Once you've reached your goal and the end of your season, assess what went well, what might need further study and practice, and what should be your focus for the next season. Also, recognize that you've now increased your knowledge and skill set, and therefore your value in the marketplace, and at your next gig, carry yourself with the knowing and confidence that you have improved since your last outing!
This Focused Training should be ongoing, and in tandem with the other parts of your life, because it's possible to have work-life balance and continuously improve your skills in focused pockets of time.
Hope this helps, and stay tuned for Part II of The "Time Rich" Actor.
In the meantime, take a look at my other blog posts on Getting into Voiceover.
Happy Voiceover-ing! :o)