Is following dreams worth it?

[ShadowX81]

All I can say is, I bet TONS and TONS of people told Walt that he was a madman for thinking he could build an amusement park on an orange grove out in the middle of nowhere, and well I for one am glad he didn't listen.

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And for every one of him, there are thousands more that actually were mad, and wasted decades of thier life and countless amounts of money persueing what amounted to nothing.

 

[The Craw]

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[devilof76]

All I can say is, I bet TONS and TONS of people told Walt that he was a madman for thinking he could build an amusement park on an orange grove out in the middle of nowhere, and well I for one am glad he didn't listen.

Me too. The thing is, Walt Disney worked 20-22 hour days (as did Edison and Da Vinci). Understand what you need to do to accomplish what you want, and then do it. Pursue relentlessly, and you will get it.

I think what destroys a lot people's ambitions is that they're constantly wondering if they have what it takes. They have a mystical concept of 'talent' dominating their every move, and they live in fear of discovering that they don't have it. In truth, talent is bull____. Learn what it takes, and if you are willing to do what it takes, then all that's left is a thousand miles of what will probably be the hardest work you've ever done. If the dream isn't worth all that, then don't bother. If it is, then achieving the dream is as simple as doing it. Period.

 

[Commtech]

Follow your dream.
You don't necessarily need to be a famous star to make a good living as an actor. I came to the USA in 2001 after graduating from law school in Mexico (to make my father happy, but honestly, it was a waste of time) with the intention of making a living as an actor, whether I became famous or not. All I wanted to do was move from "struggling actor" to "working actor". The first 3 years I had to wait A LOT of tables and in the meantime I started the process of auditioning, getting both my SAG and AFTRA cards, finding my agents and just basically getting to know the process of how this industry works. I found my niche in Voice-Over work, especially for the spanish speaking market in the USA. Since 2003 I've been making a living exclusively as an actor, have a wife and 2 kids, a mortgage, I have now qualified for a retirement plan in both unions, health insurance from the unions and while I'm not doing movies with Steven Spielberg, I'm still doing on-camera work for commercials and independent projects (Not bad for a Mexican, huh?).
I have actually helped several friend actors who just moved here with directions on what to do, where to go, how to do this or that... so pm me if you need any tips, but only when you have finally moved to L.A.. Actors who ask for advice while still living in Kentucky with their parents are usually not yet commited to their dream and just waste people's time.
Ask yourself really hard if you want to do this and if you do, don't look back once you've made the decision. I hope my little story has inspired you a bit to follow your dream.
I wish you good luck!

 

[Silent December]

Follow your dream.
You don't necessarily need to be a famous star to make a good living as an actor. I came to the USA in 2001 after graduating from law school in Mexico (to make my father happy, but honestly, it was a waste of time) with the intention of making a living as an actor, whether I became famous or not. All I wanted to do was move from "struggling actor" to "working actor". The first 3 years I had to wait A LOT of tables and in the meantime I started the process of auditioning, getting both my SAG and AFTRA cards, finding my agents and just basically getting to know the process of how this industry works. I found my niche in Voice-Over work, especially for the spanish speaking market in the USA. Since 2003 I've been making a living exclusively as an actor, have a wife and 2 kids, a mortgage, I have now qualified for a retirement plan in both unions, health insurance from the unions and while I'm not doing movies with Steven Spielberg, I'm still doing on-camera work for commercials and independent projects (Not bad for a Mexican, huh?).
I have actually helped several friend actors who just moved here with directions on what to do, where to go, how to do this or that... so pm me if you need any tips, but only when you have finally moved to L.A.. Actors who ask for advice while still living in Kentucky with their parents are usually not yet commited to their dream and just waste people's time.
Ask yourself really hard if you want to do this and if you do, don't look back once you've made the decision. I hope my little story has inspired you a bit to follow your dream.
I wish you good luck!

 

[Kai]

I agree with the people telling you to pursue what you would enjoy most. Even if you get a change of heart or something happens and it is not in your favor, at least you can say you tried. I'd rather live knowing I tried rather than living with regrets. I'm living with a couple big regrets and it always gets to me every time I think about it. I guess some people are the opposite and would rather live with regrets than to live knowing they failed at something they tried hard to achieve or whatever.

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best! And don't let it get to you too much.

 

[SnakeDoctor]

I usually don't like to start the personal thread crap but I know there are quite a few people out in Cali who are somewhat in and know there stuff on this board. I completed my first year of college this year and just did not feel satisfied doing the typical thing. For the longest time I have just wanted to move out there and try and build of my dream job as an actor or something along that line because I really don't want to spend thousands of dollars in school for something I am gonna hate. Comments, concerns,insider info would be much appreciated and housing tips would be mucho appreciated, and if anyone is looking for a roomie hit me up. Hard good looking worker right here.(with a great voice )

It is always easier to make money when you're doing something you love -- so find something you like to do, and find a way to get paid for it. If acting is your thing, go for it.

But ... "dreams" are for five-year-old girls. Adults have a plan ... a plan for making a "dream" reality, a Plan B in case Plan A doesn't go as well as you'd hoped, and a plan for living in the meanitme. A "dream" without a plan is just a wish.

Acting is a tough business. There are a LOT of applicants, and not a lot of positions. Lots fail. Figure out who succeeds and how. Figure out who fails, why they fail, and how to avoid the same traps. Take classes to hone your skills ... figure out how to set yourself apart. Get involved in the business wherever you can. Learn everything you can about the BUSINESS of acting -- the upside and the downside. Like most businesses, there are definite non-glamorous portions of the acting business ... non-standard work hours, weird demands, travel, long dry-spells where you can't find a job. Learn about the down side.

Most importantly ... have a written plan of action. Set written goals -- long term and short term. Have a written timeline for those goals. Be realistic, but push yourself (I am a Christian, so my policy on goals has always been to set long-term goals that are just far enough out of reach that you'll know you had a little shove from the Almighty when you get there). Figure out exactly what you need to do, and start doing it. Have goals related to your acting career, and goals on another career track that you would find an acceptable alternative.

Don't waste your life away waiting for a big break -- people rarely succeed by accident. Make your own breaks, and have a fallback plan.

SnakeDoc

 

[ProgMatinee]

Dear Ringer,

I have 2 completely different answers to these types of questions. The first is for people who have already been to college for a while and are thinking about going back because they aren't happy with their job. I usually tell them not to because they are simply compounding more debt onto debt they already owe and there is no guarantee they'll even like that new career choice. Those people are "adults" and need to make grown up choices, based on the responsibilities they already have created for themselves.

My second answer for people like yourself that haven't already invested too much time in college is completely different. GO FOR IT. DO WHAT YOU THINK WILL BE FUN AND EXCITING.

The time is now to do that stuff, before you're married, before you have much debt, before you have responsibilities.

Be a kid as long as you can and do kid stuff. Once you stop there isn't any going back.

I assume you're like 20 years old. Trust me catching up when you're 23 or 24 and going to college will be a lot easier than trying to do it at 28 or 30.

 

[ChrisCJ99]

Dear Ringer,

I have 2 completely different answers to these types of questions. The first is for people who have already been to college for a while and are thinking about going back because they aren't happy with their job. I usually tell them not to because they are simply compounding more debt onto debt they already owe and there is no guarantee they'll even like that new career choice. Those people are "adults" and need to make grown up choices, based on the responsibilities they already have created for themselves.

My second answer for people like yourself that haven't already invested too much time in college is completely different. GO FOR IT. DO WHAT YOU THINK WILL BE FUN AND EXCITING.

The time is now to do that stuff, before you're married, before you have much debt, before you have responsibilities.

Be a kid as long as you can and do kid stuff. Once you stop there isn't any going back.

I assume you're like 20 years old. Trust me catching up when you're 23 or 24 and going to college will be a lot easier than trying to do it at 28 or 30.

Yup. Gotta agree here. I'm 29 now, and I went back to pursue my second bachelors at age 28. Luckily I didn't have many finacial/marriage obligations like lots of people my age... Bottom line, if you have a window of opportunity to pursue this, DO IT! Even though I'm taking a big financial burden with student loans, I'd say it's been worth it so far. I have another two years left, but the year & half of experiences I've had so far in Cali will last me a lifetime of memories. I wouldve never had anywhere NEAR all the great things happen in Florida.... So I'd say go for it

 

[The Godfather]

The end of the day it's your life you only get one so do what you want to do. Hopefully you understand that life is not a sprint it is a marathon and dreams change. I have changed paths more than once sometimes from very successful careers trying to get as close as possible to what it is I really want to do.

 

[Morbach]

Nuff said...

 

[The Ringer]

I just wanted to give a big thank you for all your comments guys!
I looked into it today and my scholarship/s will be in line for the next four years for school so I have plenty of options at the moment.

Keep the hints/tips/advice coming!