The Day I Stopped Hiding and Started Showing Up: What Acting School Taught Me About Being Real

You might think acting is all about pretending. I used to believe that, too.

But when I walked into my first acting class, expecting to polish up my on-camera presence, I discovered something entirely different.

Acting school didn’t teach me how to fake it. It taught me how to stop hiding.

And after years of being the expert, the achiever, the one who always had it together… it cracked something open in me I didn’t even realize was closed.

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Wearing The Mask Of Competence

For over two decades, I was a family doctor. That meant walking into rooms where people looked to me for answers—sometimes life-saving ones. I was trained to speak with authority, take charge, and, above all, never let them see me sweat.

It was meaningful work, and I took pride in it. But somewhere along the way, I started to lose touch with myself.

Not all at once. Just little by little.

Until one day, I realized that I was showing up in the world as someone polished and professional, yet deeply disconnected.

It wasn’t that I had done something “wrong.” I’d just fallen into a pattern so many high achievers do… 

We start performing and wear a mask to stay in control. However, while we believe this persona is helping us stay strong, it is actually keeping us small.

And here’s the worst part: we don’t even know we’re doing it because the world rewards the version of you that’s competent, the one who keeps it together. 

But somewhere deep inside, something quieter and more real is asking to be let out.

The Return Of An Old Love

Long before I ever put on a white coat, I loved to perform. From a young age, I participated in theatre, musicals, school plays, you name it. I even booked a few commercials in my teens.

But around high school, something shifted. I took a senior biology class and thought, “This is fascinating.” Maybe I should take this more seriously.”

One step at a time, I moved away from acting and toward medicine. Not because I stopped loving performing but because I believed science was a more realistic path to follow.

So, as many of us do, I boxed up the creative part of me. And honestly, that part stayed hidden for many years.

But as I’ve come to learn, you can’t outrun the parts of yourself that crave expression. They will always find a way to resurface.

When Expression Comes Knocking Again

Several years ago I left medicine and was building an online coaching business. I suddenly found myself on camera, recording videos and leading workshops. 

Content creation and coaching reminded me of my old acting days, yet this time round, something didn’t feel right.

I’d watch my videos back and think, ‘Why do I seem so small?’ Why do I sound less powerful than I feel inside?

I wanted to improve my on-screen presence, so on a whim, I signed up for a local acting class.

I went to that class thinking it would help me relax a bit on camera, but what happened next surprised me…

I fell in love with it. 

Not just the acting but the space. 

I found myself in a space where truth mattered more than polish. Where messing up was part of the process. Where I could experiment and be messy and human, and it was welcomed.

After decades of putting on a persona of authority and competence, this was so refreshing. It felt like a part of me that had been suppressed finally woke up.

I knew I needed to explore this further. So I signed up for a two-week full-time screen acting intensive in Vancouver. However, I had no idea what I was getting myself into…

The Undoing Of A Persona

On the first day of the intensive, I walked into the studio—49 years old, ex-doctor, entrepreneur—and found myself surrounded by young, aspiring actors in their 20s, auditioning for real TV and film roles.

Needless to say, it was overwhelming, but more than that, it was surprising. Within the first hour, I realized I was not here to learn how to be better on camera. I was here to strip away everything that wasn’t true.

Honestly, that week was hard, but it was eye-opening and beautiful.

I’ll never forget the one day during a simple partner exercise when the teacher stopped me, looked me in the eye, and said, “You’re trying too hard. You’re still performing. Let us see YOU.

His words hit like a lightning bolt.

Because I realized I’d spent decades being the one who was “right.” The one who held it all together. The one who didn’t make mistakes.

But the most powerful version of me wasn’t the one performing. It was the one willing to be seen; I just had to learn how to stop hiding.

Confidence, Redefined

During those two weeks, I laughed more than I had in years. I cried more, too. I let go of control in a way I hadn’t done in decades.

Acting school didn’t just give me a new skill as I expected it to. It also gave me something more important.

It taught me:

• How to stay in my body when I feel exposed.
• How to speak without rushing.
• How to hold eye contact.
• How to let people see the real me.

As the course progressed, slowly, I started feeling less like I was managing my presence and more like I was inhabiting it.

I had been taught that confidence comes from credentials, preparation, and experience. But what I was discovering was that, actually, true confidence comes from congruence. When your voice, your face, your energy, and your body are all telling the truth at the same time.

This lesson is not just for actors; it’s for everyone, regardless of your career path. 

Knowing how to show up as your most authentic self changes EVERYTHING. It changes how you speak to your partner, your team, your audience, and your clients— in a good way.

When I returned home from Vancouver, I felt like a new, more mature version of myself.

I stood taller, I took my time to express myself, I no longer felt the need to fill silences, and most importantly, I didn’t shrink to fit the version of me people expected.

Coming Home To Yourself

If this resonates with you—if you’re feeling stuck, off-track, or like you’ve outgrown the version of yourself the world sees…

I share the full, unfiltered story in this week’s video episode on YouTube.

You’ll hear more about what happened during that acting intensive, the breakdowns, the breakthroughs, and how it’s changed the way I show up in every part of my life.

Watch the full episode here:

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And if it speaks to you, leave a comment and let me know:

What part of you are you ready to stop hiding?

Because the world doesn’t need the most polished version of you. It needs the real one!

Resources:

• The Reset Challenge – FREE 5-Day Challenge To Reclaim Your Energy, Focus & Mindset
• The WellPlanned Method – Master Your Goals With The WellPlanned Goal Planner
• My Free Class for Health Coaches: How To Build A 6-Figure Health Coaching Business Using One Signature Program
• Dr. Kim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkimfoster/

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