Growing up when I saw actors on TV I would automatically assume that in order to be an actor you had to be an extrovert who was extremely loud. Crazy right? I know, but for the longest I believed that. I let that misconception hinder me from going towards my passion at the young age of just ten. I told myself constantly that I was never going to be able to get on a stage and perform anything. Long story short, I was wrong.
To define introversion in my own terms it is when an individual gains energy through being alone or around a crowd that is not large. The term usually gets mixed up with shyness which is more so an individual fears the negative judgement that comes from interacting with people (please add more information about the two terms below if you want too!). I kind of dabble with both of these which is why people told me to not pursue acting in the first place. However, people tend to forget that you can teach the human brain how to adjust to new things.
There are so many introverts in this industry, and it is so encouraging. I once had a Spanish teacher tell me that he was terrified of socializing with people and that he preferred to be alone. The crazy thing about that was this man was a teacher for a living which meant that he had to stand in front of a class and teach everyday. He told me that he had to teach himself how to be comfortable with that adjustment. It obviously took time, but he was able to successfully do it and till this day it motivates me so much. I know this example was not within the entertainment industry however, you can apply his method to what you do.
My first time on stage and on camera were super nerve-racking for me, but inside I knew I wanted to learn how to become comfortable with doing it. First, give yourself time. Things like that don't just change over night so it is fine if it takes weeks, months, or years to see major results. Second, you will be uncomfortable. Those first couple of tries will be rough because you are doing something that is out of your comfort zone, but allow yourself to fail and through this you become resilient. Don't expect to be perfect on stage or camera the very first time. This was my mistake I compared myself to other actors in my classes, and I saw that they were comfortable and confident the first time they stepped on stage therefore I assumed that I was going to have the same experience. However, everyone is different so you have to find what your pace is and accept that.
With time and intensive training I can say that I have seen some great improvements in my work and craft. However, I am by no means saying that I am perfect and I do not experience fear or nervousness anymore because I 100% still do. I just know how to cope with it better and grow from it now. I feel as though when you really want to do something that you are passionate about you will work to become better at it and you will not let fear stop you from bettering yourself!
Have you guys ever been told you could not do something because you were too quiet or an introvert? Please share your experience!
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