The Art of War

The Art of War

Sun Tzu's ancient text, The Art of War, is as applicable today in the acting business as much as it was 2500 years ago on the battle field.

Tzu asks his readers to keep in mind that victory can only be obtained from the right mindset, before any battle begins. Success in battle as well as business is determined by possessing the right psychology. Other elements of success include fighting battles on your terms and location, how to draw the enemy to that location, how to identify the difference between a strong enemy pretending to be weak and a weak enemy pretending to be strong.

Although, most of Tzu's lessons are taken from the peaceful religion of Taoism, one of the more important aspect of this book is the idea that all the natural world can serve as an example of either success or failure. For example, the seemingly gentle element of water can have devastating effects if there is too much of it or too little. It is formless, but can take any form. It is both powerful and powerless. It is this duality that goes back to the very philosophy of Taoism itself.

While The Art of War is an old book, the information it contains is priceless. Make no mistake about it, if you want to be a successful actor, it is a battle. It is not just the auditioning process, but dealing with agents, unions, the studios, and the freeways. Read this book, absorb its teachings and get ready to WIN!