Today I am feeling so grateful for the efforts of my friends. I am surrounded by people who are courageously chasing after their dreams. They dream big and aim high. Their work ethic and desires have inspired me to dream bigger and aim higher- and to continue the networking, the hustle, and the craft. To dig deeper into the craft and to spread wider into the community.
If you know me from growing up you may think of me as an outgoing person. Maybe even from college. In my old age I tend to keep to myself a bit more ;). The socialite in me has become a bit subdued and I kinda like to chill in my own universe a lot of the time. This is not conducive to networking. So. I am making a goal for myself for the month of February. For all of February, every time I see someone near me that I only kind of know, or maybe have seen in a class or an audition: I have to say hello. And introduce myself. And tell them why they look familiar. I see people literally all the time that I recognize from somewhere. So in all of February I have to say hello. My friend Ricardo raised the bar for me- he said ‘use the five second rule’. So within five seconds of seeing someone I recognize I have to go say hello- before my brain can convince me not to. When the impulse is there- follow it. We will see how this rocks my universe. Because this is not how I am used to existing. I might need -like- a lot more alone time at the end of the day. Which is tricky because often times there is no more time at the end of the day. Has anyone else found that? I often find myself staying up very late simply so that I can be conscious and alone. I think I’ve actually gotten better about this…but this whole talking to everyone you know thing might bring it out in me again. Just flagging a habit of mine! Hahaha.
Yesterday I got to audition for a dream role. I was called back for a dream role! It was a dream! I was so pumped to be there and I was very pleased with how it went. Then today I got an email from the casting director- which I don’t think is very common, but this casting director is particularly considerate. And he told me that it was ‘quite a puzzle, and at this time it looks like it won’t go any further for this one’. Plus some other kind words. Hmmm— writing that out feels quite vulnerable. Haha. But that’s what this blog is all about- the honest truth of this journey. This of course was very hard to hear from him. But at the same time I was so grateful for the experience and that he reached out to tell me. And honestly- yesterday was so fun. SO fun. The choreography had me laughing the entire time. Because the show is absurd and how can you not laugh at it. And it was just so fun to see other people going for it. And to see the characters they brought to the room. And to get to bring my own thing to the room. This stuff is my thing and I was thrilled to be involved. Then I got to sing for the character I love and it was just a blast. To get a chance to live moment to moment as that person in front of an audience- even if it was an audience behind a table. And then I got to read for the character as well! What fun. What joy. And then-rejection. At least that is one way to feel about it and one way to think about it. That it was rejection. And a big part of my heart feels like that’s what it is. But my brain tells me that this was good. That this was another step. That this widened my net.
It’s funny- I remember getting to shadow an audition class when I first moved to the city. I remember a young woman asking the instructor how to deal with rejection. The instructor told the class that it is about changing the way you think about each audition. It’s not about thinking about each audition/callback as the chance to book something. But to think about each one as the chance to widen your net. He said that each time you walk in the room it’s about making a new connection- a chance to do your work and to begin a new relationship. He said that in this business- every time you book a contract it’s as if you’ve climbed this tall ladder, and each time you end a contract it’s as if you are jumping off the ladder into nothing again. But the longer you are in the business, the bigger you build your net. Your “safety” net. And the bigger your net gets the quicker you are flung back into the air onto another ladder and into another contract. And each time you go into an audition- each time you get close to booking something but then
It is a funny week because it is a frozen tundra. Walking outside. It is COLD. And it’s not like Colorado cold okay? People like to tell me that I’m from Colorado and I should be used to the cold. But NO you guys! Colorado cold is a dry cold and it is DIFFERENT. Here the air has more moisture and the cold chills you to the bone. I was complaining to my Dad about how cold it was and he told me to look back at a text from him that I apparently breezed over- a screenshot of his weather for his location. In Milwaukee (where he works at the moment) it was negative 23 degrees this morning. -23. Without windchill. HA. This is crazy. Of course he isn’t walking great distances in this cold and waiting for trains. But still…. ouch. Above are some pictures of me preparing for the cold storm. Clearly this was and ideal time for a photo shoot.
Here is me in my cycle for survivor glasses! I got to do a fundraiser at the bar I work for tonight for Cycle for Survivor. Next week our team will be riding in a cycle-o-thon in honor of our friend Mitch. We are riding to raise money for cancer research for rare cancers. I learned tonight that 50% of people battling cancer are battling a rare cancer. This is baffling to me. If you’d like to donate to our team click HERE. 100% of your donation goes towards the research.
If you are an actor and interested in this awesome acting coach I spoke of- his name is Aaron Galligan-Stierle and his classes can be found through maxtheatrix.com.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE POST SO FAR 😍 i love that quote “the dots will connect in hindsight” yes they will ❤️