Archive | inspiration RSS feed for this section

Starting off on the Right Foot

17 Jan

Like a lot of people during the month of January, I’ve been doing some reflecting, re-evaluating and looking forward.  I started a running list of what I want my 2012 to be about, some directly related to acting, some not, but all under the same goal of honoring Me. Seems a little selfish, but sometimes you have to be. What I mean is, doing things that I want to do not have to do, doing things that make me happy and feed my soul, fulfilling my passions and dreams, enjoying this journey every step of the way– basically, having an overall positive outlook.

A lot of it has to do with language I use: getting rid of  should’s and shouldnt’s and have to’s and replacing them with like to’s, want to’s and choose to’s. More active, less passive. I also think that a more active, there-are-things-in-my-control, perspective will result in a more proactive year. The less you make projects and activities chores, and the more you make them fun then the more likely you will do them! For instance, I kinda hate submitting. I’d think of it as something I have to do if I want to be an actor. But, throw on a little music, imagine the different roles I now have the chance at playing, and it’s kind of fun!

So, going along with the doing things that make me happy and feed my soul, one of the items on my list is to do more theater I love. In other words, not worrying about pay vs no pay, industry audience vs. family and friends, potential connections vs. none at all, or even theater vs. film. Theater was what got me here to begin with. Anyway, I got what I wanted! I am starting off the year with two wonderful shows. The first, in February at Casa 0101, is called Occupy the Heart, a short play festival exploring the Occupy Wall Street movement. The second, in March at the Lyric Hyperion, is a new rendition of the Vagina Monologues, including an original ensemble-created piece. Not to mention both shows are with very cool people I like. I think I’m off to a good start!

On the Way

5 Dec

Last Thursday I embarked on a new journey. Well, technically not new because I started it before back in 2008– omg how time flies. Anyway, it’s a kind of 12-step program– 12 weeks to be exact– in the form of a book, that is actually one of the books on my actor’s reading list: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

I first bought the book in 2008 when I wasn’t ready. I was in this weird in-between phase… just out of college but far enough from graduating that I wasn’t really a recent college-grad. Living in San Francisco but dreaming of Los Angeles. Part-time job at a social media start-up, not quite willing to commit to a full 9-5. In other words, full of fear. So much so that I couldn’t get through just a menial layer to even finish week 1 of the 12 in the book. What’s ironic about it all is that the purpose of the book is to get through, past your fears and make your art, whatever that may be. But I guess it’s kind of like therapy. You have to want to go in order to get the therapy in the first place. So, I wasn’t ready and that’s okay. Now, I feel ready. I still feel scared, anxious, apprehensive, skeptical, but I’m ready and I’m doing it!

I know I will be faced with many challenges throughout the next 12 weeks, but I already feel good about week 1. Last night I picked up a paintbrush, which I haven’t done in a long, long time. Art was my first love after all– yes, even before acting. Granted, it was just slightly before but it was first none the less. Picking up the paintbrush wasn’t easy. First, I had to make the decision to do art. I was feeling bored (which is really just fear in disguise) and then I was feeling indecisive– go out to a Hawaiian themed Christmas party, or make art. Once I finally settled on option 2, I had to decide what kind of art– drawing? painting? holiday cards? And, what medium– pencil, pen, colored pencil, acrylic, oil, water color? On cardboard or paper or canvas? Too many options! Just enough to say, “You know what, forget it. I’ll just go out for a drink.” Fortunately, I silenced that voice. The book is full of helpful reminders to get past all those voices. I said to myself, “It doesn’t matter. Who cares what kind of art I do, as long as I do it.” So I settled on making an acrylic painting. But don’t think I was off the hook yet! No, no…. Once I started that painting I had to then silence my inner critic who wouldn’t shut up! “This doesn’t look right. The proportions are wrong. The color is ugly. The composition is boring. You’re wasting paint.” And on and on. Again, I had to remind myself: “It doesn’t matter.” I repeated what my 3rd grade art teacher used to tell us in after school art club, “There are no mistakes in art.” It’s become my mantra.

I realized, in this process of creating a simple painting, that this is so applicable to acting as well. I need to stop being concerned with how talented I am or am not or comparing myself to other’s abilities or other’s careers (not that I really do this a lot, but I think we’ve all been there…) I need to stop being concerned with how the lines come out as long as I’m truthful. I need to stop being worried about all the “shoulds” (i.e. you should do casting director workshops) and “shouldn’ts” (i.e. you shouldn’t do obscure non-union black box theater, it’s a waste of time) and just DO. I need to not be afraid to be bad. I have to silence that inner critic and hone in on that original voice, the one that called me to acting in the first place. There is a reason I heard it. That’s why I’m here, in LA finally committing to my dream, writing this blog, and embarking on this journey…

Self Producing Friends

7 Nov

I’ve talked a lot before about the importance of self-producing when it comes to making a career as an actor. I always love it when I see my friends and former co-stars or colleagues making their own work. Here’s just a little slice of my diverse talented group of friends and their Kickstarter/Indie Go Go pages. Some have expired as the projects are completed, but I wanted to include them, too, to show the results of crowdfunding and all the cool stuff my friends are doing. They aren’t waiting for someone to hire them- they’re going out there and making their own work!!

Wallflower short film

Three Puffs of Gold short film

Yo Se music video

Low Shoulders short film

 

Gypsy Gift short film

Have You Seen Alice play

Support these artists following their dreams!

When it Rains it Pours

17 Oct

I mean figuratively of course. This is LA. However, even this figurative rain is seasonal. In fact, I think right around this time last year I had a shit ton on my plate just like I do now. Of course for the past three months I’ve been twiddling my thumbs and then, all of a sudden- down pour. I don’t want to complain- this is all good. Very good! No more dry spell. No more doubts. No more thinking, really. There just isn’t the time. Here’s what I have going on:

1. Spoken Word Poetry – opening 10/21

One of my many day jobs is high school theater teacher/director. This is my second year and I couldn’t be more excited about this production, which we’ve been working on since the start of the semester. The students wrote their own pieces for an evening of Spoken Word Poetry. However, instead of performing the pieces in the style of a poetry slam or an open mic type event, they are all staged theatrically, as if each poem is its own one-act. Anyhoo, I’ve been rehearsing with them practically every day and it opens this Friday!

2. Nothing But Besties Short Film – shooting 10/24-10/26

I’ve been in rehearsals every weekend in preparation for filming this comedic short next week, which all stemmed from a little stage play that I got to be a part of. It’s crazy how everything connects and it’s fun to trace the steps back to the beginning.

3. Life Changes – opening 11/11

This experience is so reminiscent of that fateful audition that changed my life. It’s a new play written by the woman who is also producing it, as the inaugural show of her and her best friend’s production company. They put a call out, I auditioned, got cast and from the start it’s been an incredible fun and positive experience with great people.

4. The Black Eyed – opening 12/9

This play is so cool. So HARD, but so cool. I know I’m not being that articulate, which is funny because neither is my character in the play, but it is a really interesting thought-provoking piece. It’s a contemporary play about four Palestinian women, written in the style of Greek theater- very poetic and lots of chorus work. It will be interesting to memorize (not to mention the other two scripts I have in my brain!) And a funny small-world moment- this play received its world premiere in SF, which was directed by the same woman who directed my friend (who wrote PianoFight’s Forking that I was in, both in LA and SF) Daniel Heath’s latest play. I didn’t think I’d come across a name I know when researching the play.

5. Grad School! – apps due 12/1

Oh yeah, and that. I had the brilliant idea of applying to grad school amidst allll this stuff going on. Well, not really. I mean, I’ve been thinking about grad school for the past two years now. It just so happens that all these projects landed right at the same time. But, I’m up for the challenge!

I went to a theater opening party Saturday night and bumped into an old actor friend. He was having the same down pour, and we were saying how funny it is that one second you can be bored out of our mind wondering if you should just give up on this career altogether and then the next you’re seriously considering turning down projects. But neither of us did. I got offered parts in two plays just 3 days apart. I knew some of it would overlap but I was going to make it work god dammit. Short film in between? Oh well. This is what I came back here for. I’ll take it in whatever way it comes. Even if it’s a god damn hurricane.

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 1,065 other followers