Today I had my first private acting lesson with the esteemed Susan Batson of Susan Batson Studios and all I can say is WOW! I was absolutely blown away by her ability to have such accurate insight into who I am and her ability to so seamlessly bring out emotions that were so deep within me that I didn’t even know they existed. She is truly a phenomenon that I am so lucky to have the opportunity to work with.
I believe that every person who decides to really pursue an acting career goes on a rollercoaster of doubt. I am no stranger to this rollercoaster, though I know in my heart and soul that I was born to be an actress. Sometimes life gets us down and the acting process can be excruciatingly demanding, but then when we either book a role or get a great review, we are reminded of why we are doing what we do: we are doing it because it is a part of us that is demanding to be seen.
I went into my first private lesson with Susan Batson after a couple days of feeling absolutely exhausted from the whole process and wondering if acting was really for me. Of course, this wasn’t actually me talking, it was simply the exhaustion that had temporarily taken me over. I even considered canceling my first private lesson with Susan but I am so glad that I didn’t.
I showed up to my first lesson not really knowing what to expect. Susan welcomed me with open arms and we got right to work. She had me reaching deeply into my memory, to deep and dark places that I haven’t revisited in years. I learned a very important lesson in doing this, and that lesson is that if you are going to be a believable actor or actress then you need to be completely honest. You can’t mask a dark memory or tell a lie because you need to express your truth in order to feel the true emotion from that memory. I will tell you first hand that it is very difficult to do. We don’t want to be judged for our past, but it is our past experiences that bring the truth to our acting.
My honesty brought Susan Batson to tears, which was so incredible for me. She even told me that I was born to be an actress and that she believes I will be “a very important actress.” I was floored! What a huge compliment from one of the best acting coaches in the world! This was such a confidence booster as well and helped me flush out all of the doubt I’d been having.
Acting, to many people’s surprise, is no easy feat. It requires a tremendous amount of both physical and mental work, which can be very deterring at times. I encourage everyone to believe in yourself enough so that you can push through the doubt and exhaustion to fulfill what you KNOW you were put on this earth to do!