Wow- what a year! As we near the end of 2020 it’s safe to say that, for most of us, this year did not turn out as we had planned.
In fact, forget about plans, if you spent most of your year just trying to survive and adapt, know you are not alone. We did too.
What comes next? Who knows and it can sometimes feel unnerving to try and make decisions or think about the future in the midst of a loss of certainty and control. On the upside, all of our (necessary and not fun) surviving and adapting this year has helped us to build resilience which is a crucial component to the ultimate goal of not just surviving but thriving. While most of us have no desire to relive the past year, it has been a transformational time for the world and will result in a lot of change in many aspects of life. Building resilience in the face of this uncertainty helps us to manage and adapt to the next unknown thing.
What is resilience anyway? Most people think of it as “bouncing back” after adversity. This implies that you return to “normal” once the adversity has passed, almost like it never happened. I like to think of resilience as building capability and confidence for the future. Instead of bouncing back, what if we integrate the (sometimes painful) lessons learned into who we are going forward? How might we move forward with a little more comfort around uncertainty and ambiguity? What if we use the discomfort to become more adaptable and resilient in future?
Yeah ok—what does this have to do with acting?
So here’s the good news—taking acting classes is a great and fun way to help you continue to
build your resilience muscle without having to live through another pandemic. Studies show that the most effective way to purposefully build resilience is by exposing yourself to different, new and challenging experiences in a connected, supportive environment.
Sound familiar? It’s like every acting or improv class you’ve ever taken—right?
While learning to be comfortable with discomfort is a necessary skill for actors it is also a quality that will empower you and give you strength and confidence in other areas of your life and work.
As the New Year approaches, we are filled with hope and so much gratitude. We invite you to join us and take a class—give yourself the gift of resilience and connection.
Thank you for being a part of our community. We wish you joy and peace this holiday season.
Rachel Bellack
Director