Need help finding the path to success? Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is here to help ACTORS, STUNT PERFORMERS and Freelancers

Feeling stressed? Lots to manage. Big Decisions to make? Unsure where to start? Relax, we've got you.

As an actor or stunt performer, you are more than just a creative artist; you are also a business entity. The unique challenges you face - irregular work, extensive travel, financial uncertainty, managing your life, balancing many priorities - all necessitate a strategic approach to managing your career and personal life. This can be very challenging but there are powerful tools available to help you.

One very useful framework that can help you to navigate the challenges you face is 'Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs'. This psychological theory, proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943, can be instrumental in guiding your personal and professional development. Have a read and let Maslow help you find your path and ease your journey :)  

The Dilemma of the Independent Performer
Working as a freelance performer is a very exciting path to take but for many it can be a little confusing or cause some anxiety. Your passion for the performing arts is driving you to train and pursue a career that is far from typical. This requires an immense amount of dedication, hard work, and finding and maintaining balance.

This career choice comes with its own set of unique pressures and anxieties which are more commonly found in people who own and run businesses, so actors and performers sometimes don't get the help and guidance they need. They can take acting classes, do courses and gain experience on set, but what about the life and business management skills? 

Unlike more conventional careers, the path of an actor or stunt performer is one where we must normalise and manage uncertainty, become skilled at a high level of self-management and have the resilience to deal with changes and the impact that a busy life with lots of travel can bring.

This article isn't designed to scare anyone away, it's here to help set you up for success and show you that if you know how to manage yourself well, you can grow confident and find success in a wonderful career in the Entertainments Industry. 

The Reality of Freelancing:

• Irregular Work and Income: Unlike salaried employees, actors and performers are usually freelancers, working on day rates and short contracts. This means we have fluctuating incomes and financially it can feel like we swing from feast to famine. That takes good financial planning as financial instability or poor financial management can lead to significant stress and anxiety, making it crucial to have a good plan and the skills to balance and prioritise our needs.
  
  
• Travel and Relocation: Unless you live in a city that is a leading centre of production work, many projects will require you to travel away from home or even relocate temporarily. This is exciting and its wonderful to see the world, but if you do it a lot the time away from home, family, friends and relationships and normal routines can be a disruption to your life and create more logistical challenges and require you to work harder to manage relationships. It doesn't mean you can't have a stable life, it means how you make your life stable is different to someone who works in a bank, for example. 
  
  
• Isolation and Competition: Working as an independent performer, and the competitive nature of the industry can feel isolating. If your loved ones don't work in the industry they won't understand. How you plan and budget is different to many of your friends. The advice and support you need is unique to the industry. While collaborating on set, you might be surrounded by people like you but you are there as a professional and spending long periods without regular social interactions, or at home between gigs, can lead to feelings of loneliness. Even if we're surrounded by people, sometimes we need contact with the right people, or people like us. 
  
  
• Self-Promotion and Branding: You are not only the talent but you are also your head of marketing, your manager, your PR agent, your coach, your trainer, your accountant, your PA, head of product development (because you are the product), and you must manage your personal brand consistently and well. If you wait until the quiet times after a job to start looking for the next job you will create longer gaps between work, so you must be constantly managing and maintaining multiple priorities, taking care of today, tomorrow and the months ahead, all at the same time. The pressure to continuously promote yourself and secure new opportunities can feel challening but with good prioritisation and practice it becomes easy, or easier!
  
  
• Health and Wellbeing: The physical demands of stunt work and the emotional toll of acting can challenge your health, meaning we must work to maintain ourselves and not let that slip. Maintaining a balanced diet, regular exercise, and good mental wellbeing is very important. We can't let that slip.
  
  

So, how do you figure out what your priorities are and what to focus on, while doing a job that requires 100% of your focus and no distractions?

it is easy to see why some of us can feel overwhelmed at times, or unsure about where to start or what to prioritise. The truth is many performers are not taught the essential skills of self-management, business management, and strategic planning. Things that are normal in leadership, management and busines management circles. For Actors and Performers learning these skills is like gaining a superpower!

Without a structured approach, the stress of juggling multiple priorities, roles and responsibilities will impact your progress and affect, limit your success, impact your sense of wellbeing and can cause financial harm or impact our relationships with others. If we aren't in front of things, we will always feel like we are behind and trying to catch up (and that's not a nice fooling or a good look). 

Relax. This is where Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs becomes a valuable tool!

By understanding and applying this framework, you can create a calm and solid approach to setting yourself up for success, both in life and in your career.

What is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs?
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is often shown as a pyramid with five levels. This theory sets out that human beings are motivated by a series of hierarchical needs, starting from the most basic physiological needs and moving up to self-actualisation. In essense the essentials to life are at the bottom so we maintain these or prioritise these first, then if those are ok we can focus on the bits at the top. If we don't take care of the foundations, we can't expect to feel ok about the things on the top levels that are based on the foundations being in place. 

Here’s a breakdown (prioritise 1 first then work down to 5):

1. Physiological Needs: These are the basic necessities for survival, such as food, water, shelter, and sleep. If you are struggling here fix this first. This will give you a happy and healthy mind and body which enables yuo to deal with the rest properly and not make bad decisions or drag problems forward giving you more to deal with. 
   
   
2. Safety Needs: Once physiological needs are met, the focus shifts to safety and security—financial stability, health, and personal safety. If we feel good and we feel safe and stable, we can deal with the bigger things and how we interact with others in a much better way. 
   
   
3. Love and Belonging Needs: These include relationships, social connections, and a sense of community. Even a lone-wolf or independent person needs connections, and it's important you feel well and in a good place so you can be your best and bring your best into your relationships and connections with others, and importantly also be there for them too.
   
   
4. Esteem Needs: This level involves self-esteem, respect, recognition, and achieving a sense of accomplishment. If we've got points 1-3 in check we will feel a lot better about ourselves, and be in a position to feel more proud and work on our self esteem and self improvement. 
   
   
5. Self-Actualisation: The pinnacle of the hierarchy, self-actualisation is about realising your full potential, creativity, and personal growth. So, we're feeling well, life is safe and stable, we have good relationships and we're managing them well, we feel proud and we're projecting a positive view of ourselves to others ... now we can work on our full potential, be creative, enhance ourselves and drive hard towards our dreams and true purpose.   

See how this works? It's quite logical and makes a lot of sense when someone gives you the framework to understand it all. 

Applying Maslow's Hierarchy to Your Career
Understanding and applying Maslow's Hierarchy can help you prioritise your needs and manage the complexities of a freelance career. Here's how each level of the hierarchy can be applied to your life as a performer:

1. Physiological Needs:
   • Plan for Financial Stability: Ensure you have a steady income stream to cover your basic needs. This might mean taking on a side-gig or part time job that allows you some flexibility and time to train but doesn't prevent you taking performing work, or helps you pay the bills and not lose the money you have just earned on your last gig,  covering the lean times.
   • Healthy Lifestyle: Maintain a balanced diet, regular exercise, and sufficient rest, crucial for the physical demands of your profession.
     
     
2. Safety Needs:
   • Insurance and Savings: Have some insurance to cover you and create an emergency fund in a savings account so you can manage periods of unemployment or unexpected expenses. We advise at least 3 months of your comfortable monthly budget be your minimum amount for emergencies, then you can relax and know you have your back if something changes. 
   • Stable Living Conditions: Choose a living situation that provides a sense of security, even if it means making sacrifices elsewhere.
     
     
3. Love and Belonging Needs:
   • Network and Community: Build strong relationships within the industry and maintain strong connections with family and friends.  Remember that when you are away and 100% focused, they are still out there living lives and will miss you, or need to carry on their lives without you. Stay close and understand you are the one that went away for a few days, weeks or months. Join professional organisations or groups to foster a sense of belonging and connect with others who are walking the same path and will understand the pressures of your career choice.
   • Support Systems: Establish a network of mentors, peers, and supporters who can provide guidance, emotional support, and opportunities.
     
     
4. Esteem Needs:
   • Professional Development: Continuously improve your skills through training, workshops, and classes. Achieving milestones and gaining recognition can boost your self-esteem.
   • Personal Branding: Develop and promote your personal brand. Create a professional portfolio, website, and social media presence to showcase your work and attract opportunities. Keep these updated frequently and keep refreshing content and posting good content that shows your skills in your social feeds, so it doesn't become a big task that will stress you or people start to forget you're out there.
      
5. Self-Actualisation:
   • Creative Pursuits: Engage in projects that fulfil your creative aspirations and challenge you to grow. This might involve producing your own content or exploring new genres.
   • Continuous Learning: Embrace lifelong learning and self-improvement, both professionally and personally. Seek out experiences that push you out of your comfort zone and help you realise your full potential.
     
     

Building yourself a good routine using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
To effectively incorporate Maslow's Hierarchy into your career planning, consider the following steps:

1. Self-Assessment: Regularly evaluate which level of the hierarchy you are currently focused on and identify unmet needs. This can help you prioritise your efforts and resources.
   
   
2. Goal Setting: Set specific, measurable goals for each level of the hierarchy. For instance, aim to save a certain amount each month for financial security or commit to networking events to build industry connections.
   
   
3. Resource Allocation: Allocate your time, energy, and finances in a way that addresses your most pressing needs. This might mean investing in further training or prioritising projects that offer long-term stability over short-term gains.
   
   
4. Monitoring and Adjustment: Continuously monitor your progress and adjust your strategies as needed. Life and career circumstances change, so remain flexible and ready to re-evaluate your needs and goals.
   
   

By understanding and utilising Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, you can create a balanced and strategic approach to managing your career and personal life. This not only helps us prioritise what matters most right now, or finding what it is that's really causing us stress or anxiety, it also supercharges us to help us  achieve long-term fulfilment and success in the highly competitive world of performing arts.

Remember, as an independent performer, you are not just a product, you are a human, and a business. Learning to manage yourself effectively, prioritising your needs, and strategically planning your life, finances, relationship and career will  reduce stress and increase your chances of success, make you feel better and make this a wonderful career choice you are proud to have made. 

See you on the road ahead, and have a great journey!