Only You Know Who That Is

by Mario A. Campanaro

Only You Know Who That Is

by Mario A. Campanaro

“Lao Tzu, the Chinese philosopher from around the 6th to 4th century BCE, taught that ‘Time is a created thing. To say, I don’t have time, is like saying, I don’t want to.’

There is so much going on in the world today, and it feels as if everything is spinning faster than ever. There always seems to be something to do, yet many people feel like nothing is getting done at all. This applies across personal, social, political, financial, professional, technological, AI, and creative arenas.

The fact of the matter is that there truly is not enough time in a day to get everything done. But there is still time, this made-up thing the world has been conditioned to follow. And it is fast. Life is fast. But our time here matters.

And for artists, you matter now more than many realize. The stories we are meant to tell are not just for the sake of telling stories. They exist to expose truth about humanity, the good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly, the fair, the unfair, justice and injustice, truths and lies.

All art has been born out of necessity, proposing humanity to think, sometimes with the mind and sometimes through feeling deep within the soul.

I say this time and time again because it matters:

'It is our obligation, our responsibility, to be the very best we can be through our chosen medium. Not for egocentric or competitive reasons, but because the standard we hold for ourselves matters in the art we put out into the world.'

So while there may not be enough time in the day to get everything done, there must be time in the day to get the things that are important to us done.

When any endeavor becomes a chore, it has lost its passion. Actions without passion are simply tasks that need to be completed. The things we are passionate about are the things we make time to invest in. That investment is what keeps the standard high and the work meaningful.

What truly matters is evaluating what is important and committing to those things with energy, attention, and personal, heart-centered investment, understanding that completing these actions will, in some way, enhance our lives. This mindset keeps the intent of our work positive and fuels its completion with purpose.

In acting, this shows up in many ways. There are certain things I often hear actors focus on that are important but should not always take center stage.

One of the biggest mistakes is relentlessly hunting for representation without being truly ready. That is risky. At the end of the day, representation needs assurance that if they get you into the room or secure a self tape submission, you will deliver. It is not necessarily about getting the part. It is about their confidence that their client will submit strong work and, if cast, be ready to do the job.

That takes self-awareness.

You have to ask yourself honestly, are you truly ready?

Another common mistake is believing that self tapes are practicing acting.

No.

Let me be very clear, self tapes are important. They are this generation’s primary means of being seen, replacing what was once solely about getting into the room. However, self tapes are a different skill set altogether when it comes to true acting.

You hear many accomplished actors say that what they do in a self tape often has little to do with what they would do once they actually have the role. Self tapes are a skill every actor must have, but acting requires knowing how to break down a full script and fully endow the given circumstances with your entire being.

It requires going to the text rather than forcing the text to fit into your civilian life. It requires exploring and discovering something beyond your everyday experience. You must know the text well enough to live in the unknown of the moment. Reaching the truth of circumstances and accessing the truths within yourself, no matter how distant they may feel, requires consistent work and process.

It requires knowing how to work with other human beings in a professional, creative, imaginary environment, how to move and behave with purpose based on justified physical destination and action, how to adopt a point of view other than your own, and how to attach that point of view to a clear objective that is actively pursued.

Acting requires the ability to face obstacles as they arise and actively deal with them in real time.

It takes spine work.

And you must know how to listen. Not everyday listening, but active listening that is filtered through a point of view, takes in the energy of the moment, and responds not just to words but to what is happening underneath them. You have to be open, available, and changed through your listening.

It requires instinct, impulse, and vulnerability.

It requires practicing a state free of unnecessary tension, allowing relaxation to be present in the work so you can remain open and available.

Al Pacino has spoken about how an actor must have an audience to truly learn how to act with that level of relaxation, which is why actors who are serious about the craft must continue to study.

Acting requires shedding masks and stepping into vulnerable authenticity, which is one of the hardest things to do in today’s world because we are often conditioned to be who society, (and Instagram for that matter), expects us to be rather than who we truly are.

This work requires all of you.

It takes commitment. It takes practice. It takes discipline. It takes sweat equity. And it takes the willingness to say to yourself, ‘I want to keep going. I want to see how great I can be. I want to become the artist I know I can be.’

It is easy to say, ‘That’s good enough,’ but while you are saying that, there are many others who are relentlessly cultivating their craft, expanding it to the highest level they can, knowing there is no finish line.

It also takes surrounding yourself with a tribe that shares your artistic ambition, commitment, and standards.

I say this all the time at the studio:

'Birds of a feather flock together.'

If you are not doing the work, I promise you there are many others who are.

It truly boggles the mind how much times have changed. Perhaps it is the era of social media or insta fame, but I have never understood the idea of not wanting to grow in the very thing people repeatedly say is their life’s work.

I hear actors say all the time that circumstances hold them back from developing their craft. My response is simple:

'You are pursuing a career in an art form, yet you hesitate to dedicate time to the areas that need growth.'

When and where is that growth supposed to happen?

Self tapes are not study. They are steps.

And the job is not the place to study. It is the place where you are expected to deliver. You will inevitably learn on the job, and you should, but it is not the place to discover fundamentals you were meant to already understand.

Growth requires a safe, professional environment where you can learn, explore, and evolve.

No one wants to hear this, but the learning never stops. As long as you are alive, your craft needs cultivating, because every job and every role will demand something new from you.

Studying and evolving your craft as an actor is not optional for those serious about this work. It is a necessity.

No one can do the work for you. It has to come from you.

Commitment, focus, and persistence are the only paths to 'mastery'.

Kathy Bates once shared that she was told it would take her fifteen years of study to be ready, and she said it took her fifteen years to the day.

Doctors never stop learning. That is how they practice medicine. Lawyers continually adapt. That is how they practice law.

Every profession requires ongoing growth, and acting is no different.

Just like any relationship, you make time and invest energy into what matters most.

So I say this lovingly but firmly. There are four anchoring reasons behind ‘I can’t.’

The excuses you continue to make.

The excuses you continue to tell yourself.

The excuses you continue to give others.

And as Lao Tzu’s philosophy suggests, the truth beneath them all. You never really wanted to.

If it is in your heart, I know you want to.

So make the time for what is important to you. And if it is this art form, do not wait for tomorrow. Start now.

Make the time to keep growing into the actor you truly want to be.

Only you know who that is.”