There is a particular feeling an actor has when they finish serious training.

The work is close to them. Their technique is sharp. Their standards are high. They understand the importance of listening, preparation, imagination, emotional accessibility, and specificity. They know how to break down a script. They understand what it means to craft. Their instrument has been worked on consistently. Most importantly, they have spent years developing a process they can depend on.

They leave school feeling like an artist. And then life happens. A year goes by. Then five. Then ten.

What do you say matters most to you, and does the way you live support that claim?

That's a question I've been thinking about lately, not only as an acting teacher but in my own life. 

We all have a story about ourselves. We say we're artists. We say our work matters. We say we want meaningful careers, meaningful lives, and meaningful relationships with the things we love. But what happens if we stop listening to what we say and simply look at how we live?