Trying something new is often intimidating; the fear of the unknown is perhaps what makes new experiences so frightening to so many people. For most of us, we have become so familiar with the idea of playing it safe and sticking to our strengths that we have accepted living within our comfort zones.

And if we did try to step outside of those comfort zones, we tend to get plagued with this one, negative thought: “I’m not good enough”.

These four words have crippled us and our potential.

Remember when life was a limitless blank canvas? We would fill it with the brightest colours of adventure, anticipation and awe. But slowly, because of failure, rejection and fear, we have allowed ourselves to be convinced that we are of little to no worth, or that others are capable of achieving great things, but not ourselves.

If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. We all have hidden talent residing within us that may have been suppressed over time, and you don’t have to feel like you are not good enough, because you are more capable than you realize.

One way to free yourself from this self-doubt and free your inner talent is through an acting class, and if you think that you’re not someone who can act, or that acting is only meant for actors, you may be surprised to find out that isn’t true.

Here are 5 reasons why acting class is meant for everyone:

1. You learn that it is okay to be vulnerable.

For many people, the idea of ‘acting’ sounds foreign and complicated. And when things are strange and new to us, we tend to shy away from them because we refuse to let our guard down.

However, one of the very first things you learn and realize in an acting class is that it is okay to be vulnerable, to embrace your weaknesses.

Very often in the outside world, there are endless expectations placed upon us and if we do not meet those expectations, we are blamed and sometimes even punished for our shortcomings.

Not in acting class.

Here, you come as you are and you are surrounded by others who come as they are as well. Many people who attend acting classes are often shy, introverted and also afraid - which is perfectly okay. The idea of the class is not to change who you are, but to let you embrace yourself for all the good and the not-so-good, and to love what makes you who you are.

2. You get to grow in a supportive and safe environment.

As children, we were fearless and curious - albeit a little crazy, but we were naturally inclined to absorb and explore the world around us. We were constantly pushing boundaries until we were told not to by the people around us because of the dangers of our actions.

And while that is not necessarily a bad thing, this mindset has carried on unnecessarily into our adulthood - at work, it becomes a lot easier to take the safe route and not get yelled at instead of trying something new and potentially revolutionary at the risk of being chided.

This completely hinders our learning.

When the environment you are in is one that tends to discourage risk-taking, it becomes very difficult to truly push yourself and to break beyond your limits.

This is different in acting class. Here, a safe space is created for you to take as many risks as you want, and you are encouraged to do so. This does not mean things will always be easy - in fact, it is more often going to be uncomfortable.

But you will never be forced to do anything that harms or hurts you. Rather, you are challenged in a fun and dynamic way to break out of your shell and insecurities.

It will not always be comfortable, but it will always be safe, and throughout the journey, there will always be people rooting for you and with you.

3. It’s seriously fun.

Have you ever attended a self-help seminar or a performance improvement-workshop and regretted it immediately after it started as you tried to mask a massive yawn? Learning a new skill does not have to be boring - in fact, it never should be.

And in acting class, it never will be.

Lessons are often packaged in the form of play. Even as you learn how to build on things such as teamwork, presentation, communication, performance - you learn to do these things through games and exercises that engage you completely but leave you energized instead of drained. A three-hour workshop will just fly by because you are literally having fun, and the lessons you learn will come naturally as a result of that.

4. You discover who you really are, and who you want to be.

At it’s core, what an acting class teaches you is really more than just the skills and the theories of acting and performance.

Rather, it is a journey of self-discovery and exploration that begins with an introspection and understanding of who you are as a person, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and ultimately, what you want out of your life and how you can take the necessary steps to get there.

It has been said before that acting is not about trying to be someone else, but to find yourself in every character that you portray.

You learn to find yourself in everything, to see the truth in everything and what that means to you.

5. You become part of a loving, growing family.

Finally, perhaps the one thing we all need a little bit more of is not new skills or techniques or theories, but love. When we are caught in a bubble of self-doubt and self-loathing, it becomes easy for us to believe we are of little to no value or worth. We stop dreaming and we start to worry, and we feel all alone with our struggles.

It does not have to be this way.

In acting class, you become friends with the people who start out as vulnerable and as afraid as you. Together, through your journeys of self discovery and through the games, lessons and growth that you will all experience together, a rare kind of bond is forged that will only strengthen with time.

You become the person you were born to be. You discover your true potential and you free your talent as you help others to free theirs as well.

You become part of a family you were meant to belong to.

Sign up for our Fundamentals of Acting Workshop and kick start your journey today! Register for any of the dates as well as check out all our other programmes at http://159.223.64.176/workshops/fundamentals-of-acting/

Free your talent. It’s time.