Method acting. A technique evolved by Stanislavsky in which an actor doesn't just play the character, but they become them.

  As an actor, we're hesitant to dive too deep into our character out of fear of losing ourselves. Method acting can be scary! The best way to take it on is to make sure that you've taken care of your own personal demons first. This can be done by doing the work. More specifically, shadow work.

 Shadow work: Working on the side of you that you feel is flawed.

Shadow Work Outline

 

Step 1: No emotions are bad.

• Recognize that these emotions that you are feeling are not bad. You cannot move forward if you are constantly judging yourself for your emotions.
• Meditation is a great tool for this step. Take 10 – 15mins a day to be still, silence your mind & silence the ego.

 Step 2: Identifying the Shadow

• Look for patterns in your life. What are certain themes and experiences that keep presenting themselves to you?
• Go back as far into your past as you can until you land on the very first time you ever felt that emotion.

i.e. Someone who discovers that they are always the first to leave a relationship, may find that they are still suffering from the abandonment they felt when their mother walked out on them. So in order to protect themselves from another broken heart, they make sure that they're the first to leave. In their minds, every relationship has an expiration date.

Step 3: Investigating with Compassion

• Subconsciously you project onto others anything you bury within yourself. The ego uses this tool as a defense mechanism.
• Keep a Journal. You can write down whatever it is that you are feeling. It does not need to follow any specific template. The idea is that you get everything out and onto the page.
• Write a letter. You can write a letter to your offender, the bystanders or even yourself. You don't actually have to deliver the letter; you can rip it up or burn it afterwards. The idea is that you release the ties that bind and forgive those who did you wrong. But most of all, you need to forgive yourself.
• By the end of this you should have a pretty good idea of where you came from, where you are going and how you can do things differently.

Step 4: Love that little boy or girl unconditionally.

• It was that younger version of you that experienced these emotions for the very first time, so love them. Let them know that you did the best you with what you had. Your emotions matter and how you feel matter. You are not alone.
• Remember that this is a process. Don't expect to get all of this overnight, but you need to be sure that you are doing the work. The only way that you can experience change is if you put in the work.

And then… the next you decide to dive deeper into a character, you wont be afraid because you will be in alignment.

 

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