Maybe I’m Not Good

Dear Ms. Wisdom,

Maybe I’m not good? I went to a casting director workshop last week, and the feedback I received left me questioning everything. The CD was polite and encouraging, but somehow it still made me feel like I was the least capable actor in the room.

I’ve trained seriously for over a decade, but I walked out doubting whether I’m actually good. I’m not new to criticism, yet this time it stuck in a way I can’t shake. How do I move past that feeling and keep my confidence intact?

— Scared Paramedic

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[Read also: 6 Reasons to Never Pay to Be in a Talent Showcase | Teacup of Wisdom]

Maybe You’re Not Good?

Dear Scared Paramedic

You are not the first actor to leave a casting workshop with less confidence than you brought in. Those sessions often blur the line between education and ego. A casting director is one person with one taste — not a director, not a producer, not the final decision-maker. Their opinion about your acting weighs much less than you give it credit.

These workshops exist because there is money in actors’ hope. When a casting director takes on the role of a teacher, it is usually not to find talent but to supplement income between projects. That’s why the feedback often feels hollow or confusing — it is guidance from someone trained to fill roles, not to nurture artistry.

The workshop may have looked like a class to you, but it was nothing even remotely similar to a real acting class. It was a transaction mislead as an opportunity. It is natural to want to impress, to believe you can be “discovered” in the room, yet that dynamic almost never serves the actor.

Casting Directors are not looking for talent in these workshops. They are side gigs for them. You will be forgotten the minute they say their last “feedback” word about your one-minute performance. That is the harsh reality. So, avoid these money grabs like a plague.

When you want to grow, invest in an acting class, not a casting workshop. Study with people who know how to teach — directors, coaches, other actors who challenge you to stretch. Real growth comes from process, repetition, and specific acting exercises – none of it can be provided in a workshop by someone with zero acting training.

Stop wasting your time and money with people who have no acting training. Spend more time in a real acting class building connections with fellow actors. These workshops are merely paid begging-for-crumbs sessions.

— Teacup

☕ Have a question? Pour it into tea@teacupofwisdom.com

[Read also: 5 Lessons From Casting Directors Workshops | Teacup of Wisdom]

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