Expressing Gratitude
What started out as a hobby, or something fun for you do with your friends, or a cool after school activity… has turned into a calling. Something you want to do with your life. Something you want to spend the next four years working to become the best artist you can be. You are on the doorstep of your next big adventure. College.
But how did you get here? Well, it probably has something to do with the endless hours of rehearsal, lessons, and studying. Not to mention the amounts of productions you were in over the years, the incredible teachers and mentors that helped you discover and cultivate your passion. And oh yeah- there are the family members who drove you to those rehearsals and lessons, helped with your applications, took you to your auditions, and have done whatever they can to help you fulfill your dream.
Much in the same way no production can be done without collaboration, your growth and success has been a result of a multitude of people. So while you are celebrating all you have accomplished (and make no mistake, you absolutely should feel insane amounts of pride!), now is the time to acknowledge the people in your life who helped you get to this amazing point.
I am a firm believer that, in this business especially, karma plays a huge part. So let’s practice that attitude of gratitude. Let’s share the applause and the accolades with the people who are “backstage”, because they deserve it just as much as you!
WHO TO THANK
Sometimes it can be overwhelming to figure out who you should thank. For me, I have two rules I try to go by:
1) Don’t ignore the obvious. Too often we take certain people for granted. Usually it’s the people closest to us and to our situation. It’s not from any sort of malice, we just assume they realize how much they mean to us. Don’t take them for granted. Let them know just how much their support, guidance, instruction, financial commitment, etc, means to you. You would be shocked to know how meaningful being on the receiving end of something like that can be.
2) Keep them meaningful. Just because I said not to ignore the obvious, it doesn’t mean you need to thank everyone. It means thank the people who really and truly helped you. If you don’t feel like the “obvious” person helped you, don’t be disingenuous by being overly grateful. Seek out the people who really were there for you. Don’t water down the power of your gratitude by giving it out to every single person you have come in contact with.
HOW TO EXPRESS YOUR GRATITUDE
Here is the tricky part- finding the right way to say thank you. This is really all about comfort. Yours and the person you thanking. For each individual person you thank, you might need a different approach. Some people aren’t comfortable with big displays of appreciation. They aren’t good in the spotlight and feel strange being there. For them, a genuine note is fine. For others, you may want to shout your feelings from the rooftops. If you this person wouldn’t be made uncomfortable by it- go for it! Make them feel like a million bucks. But in the same we talk about knowing your audience for an audition, you have to know who you are thanking.
No matter how you go about thanking someone, just always remember:
Keep it genuine and specific. The generic thank you is nice. But it can honestly feel more like a formality than something meaningful. Don’t be shy. Speak from the heart, and be as specific as you can. Did they offer a piece of advice that really helped you? Did they open your eyes with a certain process? Did their belief in you help you believe in yourself? Whatever it is, be specific. Recognizing and appreciating those moments helps give value to what your teachers, mentors, friends and family do.
You worked your butt off to get here. Just remember, you didn’t do it alone. Share the spotlight. Be grateful to those helped you get here. Together you have achieved an awful lot!
