{"id":2083,"date":"2020-12-09T15:46:47","date_gmt":"2020-12-09T15:46:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/?p=2083"},"modified":"2025-11-14T18:05:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T18:05:34","slug":"keeping-your-identity-as-an-out-of-work-performer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-industry\/keeping-your-identity-as-an-out-of-work-performer\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping Your Identity as an Out-of-Work Performer"},"content":{"rendered":"

It can be frustrating talking to people about what you do when you’re between performing jobs. Dancer Lizzie Perman explains why self-worth does not directly correlate with professional success.<\/h2>\n
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Not being professionally successful all the time doesn\u2019t make you any less of an artist or indeed a person. This realisation freed me and actually allowed me to enjoy dancing again.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I\u2019ve been introducing myself first and foremost as a dancer my whole life. Coming closely behind my age (26) and star sign (Libra), it\u2019s one of the core aspects of my identity. It\u2019s the explanation behind my impressive downward dog in yoga, the absent-minded tap-step-heel down the supermarket aisle as I pick up some penne, and why I will forever count in 8s. Any performer will agree: our passion is woven tightly to our personality. It needs to be, as it drives us to succeed in what is an infamously challenging industry.<\/p>\n

In my experience, the most challenging part of being in said industry is when you feel firmly\u00a0out<\/em>\u00a0of it. Lack of auditions or call-backs, frustrating \u2018muggle\u2019 jobs and not enough time spent honing your craft can sometimes leave you disconnected and disheartened. It\u2019s easy to feel detached from your creative self when you\u2019re not performing eight shows a week, and the added uncertainty of COVID is enough to leave even the most confident of artists questioning themselves.<\/p>\n

As someone who seemed to spend most of their performance career doing exactly that, here are a few remedies to help reconnect with that sense of self – even if you\u2019re currently dying a quiet death at the checkout for \u00a38.41p\/h\u2026.<\/p>\n

Water the Grass<\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t panic, I\u2019m not about to give you some gardening tips. I\u2019m referring to the old adage that when you tend to the areas you wish to see improvement in, they\u2019ll grow. Your identity is no different. The best way to water your grass could be:<\/p>\n