I have been fascinated with acting since I was a little girl, and when I started taking lessons a few years ago, I had no idea what I got myself into. In just one year, I acquired not just physical skills, but I also learned what it took to truly fulfill what it means to be a great actress. From reading and learning about auditioning to actually going out and demonstrating my skills, I learned how to fall in love with a hobby and, therefore, turn it into a passion. Acting is the art that completely captivates me for many reasons. I have always loved the idea of stepping out of my world and into someone else’s. Acting teaches empathy and helps me to be a more compassionate person. My parents always knew I would get involved in some sort of performing art since they thought I was a character, myself. However, I only discovered it when I decided to take on a new hobby.

Through lessons, I discovered that acting is not just a hobby or activity; It is a passion which encapsulates a person’s entire being. I learned this through the power of emotion. My instructor always taught us that empathy was the way to becoming someone else. Acting is like filing through books in a library, picking and choosing the most interesting ones. Similarly, in acting, one must file through every emotion he or she has ever felt and pick it apart until they meet the feelings of the character being portrayed. I had to pull from my own emotions in order to fully act out another’s. This requires a lot of self evaluation, which breaks an actor down so that I can put the pieces back together in a new formation. This is what creates a character different from myself. Pulling from my own experiences is a challenge, especially when the situation that I have to relate to is not a happy one. Despite this challenge, I somehow always manage to pull through. By expressing emotion and delving into unfamiliar concepts in acting, I discovered much about myself. Now, I think of acting in a whole new way. It isn’t just a pastime or something I might be interested in. Acting has become a part of me because I have learned so much through it.

Further, acting contributed greatly to my self confidence. I initially started acting to find friends, which I did, but I also found something else. Through every performance in every lesson I gained a little more confidence, not only in acting, but in life. I acquired better speaking and social skills. I learned a lot about emotions and how to communicate with others. I have since come to believe that performing is a perfect example of self confidence. Being able to put myself in the most vulnerable position, as an actor is required to do, leads to a stronger sense of trust in one’s self. Performing propels me to have confidence in everything that I do. Because of acting, I have gained trust in myself and learned how to have faith in my abilities.

It is a very powerful statement to say that one thing alone can make you lose all track of time; however it is an easy decision to allow yourself to let go and be engulfed in something if you love it. My passion for acting was something I discovered about myself, and I made the decision to pursue it. I can easily say that I love acting and plan to follow this dream for the rest of my life.