You Love To Perform
Some people are just natural extroverts. If you crave attention and enjoy making people laugh or sing or smile or cry, then a career in show business may be right for you.
There are many reasons a person might want to work as an entertainer. Some of those reasons are good and some are not-so-good. But the best reason, in fact a virtually essential one, is having a genuine love of performance. The thrill of standing in front of a group of people and putting on a show for them. The exhilaration of inhabiting a character, thinking up a new routine, or hitting that note just right. The satisfaction of affecting an audience member’s life by making them feel a certain way, think about something differently, or escape from reality for a brief time.
If those things sound familiar or fascinating to you, being an entertainer could be the answer. Even better, it could be a viable career path. What could be better, after all, than doing something you love and getting paid for it?
It’s Not Just Hollywood
When people think “show business” their mind often goes right to Hollywood, or something like it. Pursuing a career in entertainment means moving to a big city and tirelessly struggling for the big break that will propel you into super stardom, right?
Wrong. If that’s your dream, go for it. But it’s not for everyone. Some people like living where they live, even if it’s not sunny California or metropolitan New York. Some people don’t need fame or fortune. Luckily for those people, entertainment is not an all-or-nothing career. You don’t have to go to Hollywood, and the biggest indicator of success is not celebrity status. It’s personal fulfillment.
Being an entertainer is a surprisingly versatile thing, with many different options for how “big” or “small” a lifestyle you want. Show business careers comprise everything from local theater actors, party characters for hire, and session musicians to Broadway headliners and nationally touring bands. As long as you’re happy, no artistic pursuit is more or less legitimate than any other.
Art Is Educational
Creativity is a wonderful thing, but sadly not something everyone has an outlet for, let alone time to set aside indulging it. Not only is working as an entertainer a great way to express yourself and an even better way to make a living, it also allows you to explore new ideas, new cultures, new experiences, and new worlds.
If that all sounds a bit too abstract for you, then think of it like this: art is educational. Not just for the audience, but for you as well. Being a good musician means learning how to play different instruments, learning how to play different styles, learning how to play with other musicians. Being a good actor means learning how to think and feel like someone else, learning how to read an audience, learning how to understand your own emotions and channel them. Being a dancer means learning balance and body language. Being a comedian means learning timing and psychology.
One of the best things about being an entertainer is exposing yourself to a diverse assortment of audiences, influences, and collaborators. In the process, entertainers are always bettering themselves, learning more about their craft and about the world around them.
