Moving
to LA for acting is nothing you can be prepared for. No one is
ever really “Ready” to make the move. You just either DO or you
DONT. There will always be plenty of excuses to keep you from
making the next step, no matter how legitimate they may seem– Don’t want
to leave the steady job, have a serious boyfriend/girlfriend, not
enough professional acting experience, going back to school, etc. Trust
me, I’ve heard them all because I’ve said them all too.
When I decided to go to Berkeley for undergrad, my intention was always to hop on a plane back to LA the moment I got that diploma in my hand. I told myself I was there strictly for my degree and then I was to go straight to LA to give this acting a fair shot once and for all. But when that day finally came, I was immersed in my life in the Bay Area. I had friends I didn’t want to leave, a serious relationship and even an awesome theater company. I said to myself, let’s see how this goes, I will move back in the fall. The summer came and went and I had made no plans. Fall came and went and I said maybe in the new year. But then I got a part-time job. Wanted to see what a 9-5 life was like. After all, all of my other friends had normal office jobs. I wanted to feel a part of that club too. Join in on company office parties, meet up for after-work happy-hours, feel like a 20-something professional living in an awesome city. But then again, that’s exactly what I did NOT want. Confused? Ha, me too…
I always had one foot in because I didn’t want to commit to that life even though I wanted to feel on the same page as my peers. My heart wasn’t in it, it was longing to pursue acting even if I didn’t realize it clearly at the time. When you’re that scared your judgement can get clouded. And striving for an acting career is a scary thing.
Anyway, TWO years went by before I realized that if I didn’t just set a date and make the move, I was never going to do it. Time isn’t going to wait for you. And what was I waiting for anyway?
Most importantly you have the desire, and really, that’s all you need to have to make the move.
Of course there are issues like, where to live and getting a day job, but if the desire is there the solutions will follow…
