The 5 Biggest Takeaways
Hi Actor,
It's small, easy to read and highly practical. I make no exaggeration by saying this book changed the way I work. From debunking the myths of "Talent" to fostering and building it for ourselves this book covers it all. Any actor can take so much from this book.
'The Little Book Of Talent' by Daniel Coyle has 52 tips for improving your skills! If I was to attempt to narrow down some of the biggest takeaways from it, they would be as follows:
Tip #1: Stare at Who You Want to Become
This tip is all about observing those you admire doing the things you want to be able to do. From studying many talent "hot beds" Daniel Coyle noticed that top performers spend a huge amount of time observing their idols. Watch your favourite actors audition, interview & perform (theatre and film). Intensely observe what they do with a curious mind.
Another key to this tip is about connecting your identity to the actors you're observing. A couple of ideas, type your birthday into google and see what actors share that same birthday or type in "Actors from (Insert home city)". By connecting your identity to high achieving performers you can ignite yourself to work that little bit harder.
Tip #11: Don't Fall for the Prodigy Myth
Early success tends to be a weak predictor of long term success. In fact many top performers were overlooked early on: Michael Jordan, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill and many more. The chapter goes on to explain one theory as to why young prodigies can fall behind as opposed to the opposite happening to the overlooked group of early "low" performers but I wont get into the nitty gritty of that here. The point is: if you see others succeed far faster than you it doesn't mean you are lacking in any way. In fact if you knuckle down and keep working on your on your own path, you may find yourself overlapping the said "prodigy" in no time at all. Also, allow yourself to try new things even if you feel like you suck at first. Doing anything for the first time will likely feel clunky and awkward in some way. So be patient and give yourself some slack. Keep up the practice, you'll get better!
Tip #13: Find the Sweet Spot
This is a big one for me. There are 3 zones of discomfort, regarding our practice. I've covered this in a previous blog so if you want to find out more go check it out. There is The Comfort Zone, The Sweet Spot & The Survival Zone. The Sweet Spot is your most effective zone for improving your abilities. The other two are shallow forms of practice and are largely a waste of time. I would say a majority of people either operate in the Comfort or Survival Zone. Get ahead of the game and find that sweet spot.
Tip #18: Choose 5 Minutes a Day Over an Hour a Week.
This has been a game changer for me. Everyone has 5 minutes a day to put towards practice. Not everyone has an hour a week that they can set time aside for. Have your scripts out around your home (put them in a pocket and take them with you - if you're heading out) and pick them up when you get a free moment to run lines, work on an accent or any other skill required of you. The emphasis is not on the amount of time you spend on "said skills" but rather how often you practice them. The brain grows slowly, a little each day, so use that knowledge to your advantage. Tap into your practice even for 2 minutes if thats all the time you have to give.
Tip #35: The 3x10 Technique
Brains make stronger connections when they're stimulated three times with as rest period of ten minutes between each rep. So whenever I learn a new scene, developing a new skill or even hit the gym for a workout, my "go to" is the number 3. Sometimes the ten minute rest isn't included in my practice but thats also a part of the process of finding what works for you. If I have the time on my hands I might throw in the "10 min rest" in between the repetition but it isn't always practical.
Thats the 5 tips that came to mind as some of the biggest take aways for me but there is so much more to be learnt from the book. Go grab yourself a copy and give it a read. The book has clarified and crystallised some of the intangibles of the craft for me and I hope it does the same for you. This is the first book recommendation from my personal library and there are many more to come. I love to read books that get me a little closer to mastering acting and I think it's such a great way to learn vast amounts of information in such a short period of time.
You can purchase 'The Little Book of Talent' by Daniel Coyle HERE.
I'd love to hear from you. What book recommendations do you have? Comment below or reach out directly.
Talk Soon.
Lachlan is an Australian Actor who has been working within the industry close to a decade. He’s worked in Film & Theatre.
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