I have a confession to make: I am an actor. There. I said it, and now everyone knows this incredibly personal (but actually not at all secret) part of my life. As with any artistic vocation (or whatever unnecessarily flowery term by which you wish to call it), training is a necessity if one wishes to grow in one’s preferred field, and that’s why right now I’m spending a semester abroad studying in a British drama school.

Also, I get to live in London for three months, which is pretty rad.

To say the least, my first few weeks in drama school have been a smorgasbord of emotions, artistry, angst, laughter, a lot of work, very little sleep, and a tiny bit of self-doubt. I have sword fought, impersonated obscure jungle fowl, rolled on the floor more than I have ever cared to in my life, played lots of theatre games, and participated in several heated class discussions about the state of theatre in our society today. One of the most frequently visited topics in these discussions has to do with the concept of “selling out,” or sacrificing one’s artistry in an increasingly commercialized world. The belief seems to be that -- unless you are a highly esteemed and well established actor -- if you’re financially stable, you are somehow less of an artist than someone who is “starving” for their art.

As an actor, I certainly desire to change hearts, minds, spirits, and perspectives through my chosen field. I also desire to pay rent, purchase groceries, buy clothes, pay bills, and do all the things required to be a human being on this planet. The reality is that things cost money, and my desire to make a living does not diminish my love for the craft. I just know that I need to approach my goals and career path with a realistic perspective.

Actors of stages past and stages present have also worked as teachers, writers, choreographers, casting agents, directors and producers in addition to their work as actors. They have also worked as waiters, receptionists, real estate agents, office workers, journalists, lawyers, politicians, public speakers, and in the thousands of other jobs our modern world has to offer. Every individual career path is different and everyone lives their passion in different ways.

Financial stability and artistic fulfillment do not have to be mutually exclusive. You can have one and still enjoy the other. In order for art to flourish, however, creativity needs to be sustained. That means that we as actors and creators must be able to sustain ourselves before we can sustain our art.

I want to be an actor. I want to make a living doing the thing I love most in the world. But, the thing I love most in the world just so happens to also be one of the most competitive fields in the world, and that means that I won’t always be employed as an actor. I might have to take a job doing something that is, heaven forbid, not acting, but I will always be an artist. Taking other work to pay the bills is not selling out; it’s investing in my art.

Starving for your art is certainly a romantic notion, but I’d rather have food on my table. After all, you can’t work on an empty stomach.