We all want to feel more confident. We live in a society that profits from our self-doubt and we are constantly seeking out ways to “feel” more confident in our day to day lives. That need and mindset certainly seeps into our work as actors and creatives. We consistently aim to feel confident about ourselves and our work. The truth is, there will be many days when your confidence, for whatever reason, begins to diminish.
The truth is, there will be many days when your confidence, for whatever reason, begins to diminish.
Perhaps you are experiencing vocal fatigue, or real life circumstances are getting in the way of your ability to focus. It happens. And if it hasn’t happened to you yet, amazing- but trust me, it will.
So, what do you do in that case? Some might argue the best course of action is to work hard to convince yourself you are actually feeling great! Mantras work well in this case. Positive affirmations can be extremely effective, too.
In addition to those helpful tools, I’d like to offer a different course of action: focusing on determination rather than confidence.
Focus on determination rather than confidence.
We cannot predict how we will feel about ourselves as artists from one day to the next. As creatives, we inherently feel deeply which comes with both pros and cons. We are certainly our worst critics. One overheard comment or one “off” note while warming up for an audition can zap us of our confidence and send us into fight or flight mode- an oftentimes unproductive performance state.
However, if we instead lean into the mindset of determination, we are setting ourselves up to do the very best we can in that moment. While this is an oversimplification, confidence can often say “I am the best” (something you might not be feeling any given day) while determination says “I will do my best” (something we can commit to every day). We are saying “Yes, I am scared today. My voice isn’t feeling great and I am unable to focus. And yet, I will not give up. I will not back down. I am determined to accomplish this goal.” If you are like me, you have heard the quote “feel the fear but do it anyway”, what I am saying is along those lines. It can be wasteful to spend time convincing yourself you are feeling great, especially right before you walk into the room for your dream college audition. It takes only a few seconds, however, to breathe deep, trust your preparation, and decide to enter that space with open-hearted, laser-focused determination.
It takes only a few seconds to breathe deep, trust your preparation, and decide to enter that space with open-hearted, laser-focused determination.
My wish is that all who read these words have many confident, blissful days and performances ahead. If and when you start to falter, I hope you’ll remember these words. I hope your spirit of determination will drown out the voices of doubt. Go get ’em!
About the Author
Brandon Logan (he/they) is a New York City based Director, Professor, and Actor. Brandon earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he was awarded the Laurie Beechman Award for Vocal Excellence in Musical Theatre. Brandon is currently an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at Marymount Manhattan College where he teaches courses for both BFA Acting and BFA Musical Theatre students. Directing credits include MMC, Northwestern University, The American Music Theatre Project, Applause New York (Producing Artistic Director), The Triad Theatre and Unity Stage Company where he is a resident Director. Brandon has taught workshops, masterclasses and created curriculums for The University of Montevallo, BroadwayEvolved, The Broadway Collective, Amy Murphy Studio, Broadway Method Academy, Actors Training Center, and the NYC Department of Youth & Community Development. Stage credits include: The Doctor in The Book of Mormon (1st & 2nd National Tours), The St. Louis MUNY, Florida Studio Theatre, Arvada Center, The Marriott Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Signature Theatre, and he has appeared as a soloist with The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. AEA. @branbran.logan.
