Wrong Action?

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” -Maya Angelou

“Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail. There’s only make.” -Corita Kent

Acting requires ACTION. What is your action? What do you want from the other person? So much so that you’d “die” if you didn’t get it. It doesn’t matter if you pick the right action. It just matters that you pick something. Something strong, something playable, and something that confers maximum conflict. Whatever action you pick, put your whole shoulder behind it. Don’t “half” it. Play it to the hilt. See if it actually works…Do that and your work will always be interesting. No matter how “wrong” the choice was. You and the director can then work together and adjust your actions if need be. But more often then not, the wrong action becomes the right one. The surprising one. The memorable one.

The same holds true in life. Not sure which direction you should go? What you should do? Just decide. Pick something! Then, put everything you got into your choice. See what happens after a week, a month, three months, etc…of maximum commitment and then evaluate.

Worst thing that happens is that you made an incorrect choice. Okay. But you learned something. You gained new skills. You tried. And you proved to yourself and others that you’re capable of deciding and then committing to that decision. You also figured out what not to do. What you don’t like. Pivot and make a different choice. But again more often than not, the “wrong” decision ends up being the right one.

Or as Jerry says in The Zoo Story…”“Sometimes it’s necessary to go a long distance out of the way in order to come back a short distance correctly.”