The “Need to Perform” vs. Freedom by Neil Schell     04-30-07 Learning to properly utilize one's intellect as an actor is always a challenge. Anyone's intellect has been trained by authority figures throughout one's schooling and in society. It's that faculty that we all use (or not use) to balance our checkbooks, calculate our earnings and generally assist us to avoid pain. Ouch! The intellect is what we used, or still use if you are in school, to memorize with. And we all know that those who were best at memorizing got the best marks. That's how we got validated as being "smart." Because of this reward system we all worked very hard at developing our intellects. Almost to the point of us believing that we are our intellects. The truth is our intellects are just tools. We use this tool for various tasks in our day-to-day lives. What is interesting about the art of acting is that this well developed intellect does not know how to do it. It doesn't know how to act. But, because it has been trained by authority figures and threatened by them if it does not perform, the intellect likes to take charge and tell the actor what good acting is. It likes to punish when "mistakes" are made. It likes to "decide" on what characters are like without really knowing them. It likes to "be in charge!" After coaching actors for over 13 years and being trained by some of the best myself, I can safely say that acting is definitely one area where the intellect does not need be in charge. In fact, it needs to be put in the back seat and accept the fact that it's just along for the ride or, more appropriately, the show! The source of your creativity is not that analyzing mind called the intellect but your creative mind. There are lots of different names for it but I like this one the best. The creative mind is actually far more intelligent and imaginative and fun than the intellect - hard fact for the intellect to accept. By accepting this fact and learning to trust your creative mind and learning how to open up to your creativity you become a free actor. And a free actor is far more interesting and fun to watch than one who is driven by a need to perform that is rooted in the intellect. "Clever" acting like that will only take you so far. Of course, this newsletter is being read by your intellect. But when your heart starts racing as you read this or a smile comes to your face, it's because your creative mind is being freed up from the chains of that "authority on acting" the intellect. Telling you about it is just the beginning of learning where your creativity comes from and knowing that you need to trust it. There are many additional things you can do in your acting work that will free you up and allow you to discover all the characters you will be playing in your acting career. Until the next newsletter… Neil PS Feel 'free' to write to me at  anytime. I will answer. PROFESSIONALS HAVE COACHES, AMATEURS DON'T