5 Reasons to Embrace Failure as an Actor

As I’ve navigated my acting career, failure has been a loyal companion. I’ve had many moments of frustration, love, and affection towards failure. In fact, I’ve promised to grow old with it. 

Failure is a universal challenge for actors and artists. It can be an embarrassing and shameful feeling, and it’s something many of us prefer to keep far away from our art (and egos). 

Yet, failure has made one thing very clear to me: it's not going anywhere. In fact, I need to find some comfort in it if we’re going to survive this professional acting thing. If you’re seeking a slice of that same comfort, here are 5 reasons to embrace failure as an actor. In some cases, occasional failure is necessary for artistic growth. 

Before we dive in, it’s essential to note that while we’ll look at failure through a secure lens of artistic expression, failure is not always a safe option, particularly in unjust or inequitable circumstances. In the context of this article, we’ll explore how failure has the potential to have a positive impact on your artistic journey. 

1. Failure Is a Springboard Towards Growth

2. Failure Prompts You to Take Action

3. Failure Is a Sign You’re Trying

4. Failure Can Build Resilience

5. Failure Can Lead to Success

1. Failure Is a Springboard Towards Growth

You don’t know what you don’t know. And recognizing your artistic shortcomings is the first step to improving them. Failure is like gaining a cheat code that reveals, sometimes instantly, the parts of your craft that were underprepared or unequipped for the challenge. 

In short, failure is like the North Star guiding you toward the gaps in your skills. Maybe you learned you need better control of your vocal instrument, or perhaps you discovered some awkwardness in your character’s movement. Now that you’ve confronted the shortcomings, you can overcome them. 

The bottom line: By discovering a particular artistic shortcoming, you avoid making the same mistake and open the door to exponential growth. 

2. Failure Prompts You to Take Action

Now that you know what skills you want to improve–– maybe it’s vocal projection, social media presence, or scene analysis––  you can take action and improve the desired skill. Here’s how: 

• Take a Class: If you received feedback about being hard to hear on stage, consider voice lessons. If you’re unable to attend a long-term class, some instructors offer less expensive private lessons. If you have a friend whose skills you admire, reach out to them for some weekend lessons!

• Explore Online Resources: Utilize free platforms like YouTube to improve various skills, such as dancing, drawing, and dialects. 

• Read About It: Seek out online forums, library books, and social media for valuable insights. There are many communities and authors writing about the very skill you want to improve. 

• Seek Advice: If you're unsure how to improve a skill, ask knowledgeable friends for recommendations. They might recommend a class, instructor, or book that helped them in the past. 

3. Failure Is a Sign You’re Trying

If you’re not failing at anything, then you’re probably not taking enough risks. And you need to take risks for your art. 

For instance, not booking any roles this month might feel like a setback. However, the mere fact that you tackled multiple auditions this month is a success on its own. It shows you’re submitting yourself for roles, persevering, and putting yourself out there. 

Even when you fumble a line on stage, it gives you the opportunity to showcase your professionalism. 

Similarly, when someone you want to impress doesn’t respond to your email, the simple act of crafting the email and sending it shows progress.  

4. Failure Can Build Resilience

Failure can build resilience (and, if you’re lucky, confidence, too). The auditions that catch you off guard now might be your future savior, because they’ve taught you what to prepare for next time. A pitch that goes poorly might be your stepping stone towards a smoother presentation next time.  

With each stumble comes more knowledge. As your knowledge builds, the easier those auditions, pitches, and interviews become, making you a more experienced and professional actor. 

5. Failure Can Lead to Success

Exponential growth, taking action, putting yourself out there, and building resilience are all ingredients that, over time, can lead to minor and major wins. Failure is an essential part of the artistic process, and it can catapult you towards these ingredients when you least expect it. 

The bottom line: The more you fail in your artistic journey, the more you learn & grow, steadily leading you closer to your goals. 

Failure is Natural

Failure means different things to different artists. Some may find it yucky, painful, or isolating. If this resonates with you, I hope this article gave you some comfort. Understand that you’re doing a great job in your artistic journey. And I hope you know it’s perfectly natural, necessary even, for artists and actors to experience failure. 

Embrace it, learn from it, and grow from it. Oh, and please remember to have fun. Please, please, please.