Fear

Let's face it. We all have fear, whether we know it or not. Whether it's fear of failure, fear of criticism, or a fear of being misunderstood, it's all fear. We may not go right out and say, "I'm afraid of failing!" It would probably come out as "This is going to come out awful" and the "this" could be almost anything. Fear plays a major role in our lives and can often times restrict us from doing great things or experiencing great things because we let it control us. 

I'm no different. Sometimes my fear gets the best of me. Over the years, I've realized I have a large fear of doing something "wrong." I'd constantly worry about the perfect way to perform a monologue or perform scenes in a show but there's no "perfect way." There's no such thing as perfection in any field of work and when it comes to art, there is no right and wrong. There's only what is. While preparing for a monologue or for scenes in a show, each time I say the lines, I try to say them in different ways, that way there is no settled "correct" way to say it. If you memorize a way to say something, chances are it would come out stiff and unnatural. As an actor, there's almost nothing worse than that. While on stage, I try to place essentially all my attention on my scene partner. That way, I'm not thinking about "Did I say that right? Does my arm look weird? Did my voice just crack?" and a bunch of other distracting thoughts that have no use in the scene. I've been improving this habit over the years but I'm not entirely sure if it will go away completely. I guess I'll find that out. 

Always remember, "there's nothing to fear but fear itself," just like FDR said.