7th Inning Stretch

Giving up was not an option.

This was plainly seen in the many baseball highlight reels that flashed across the screen this morning.  I watched the replays in amazement as team after team defied odds, bridged statistically unbeatable gaps and, in the face of impending loss, performed amazing feats of skill.

Sports are pure and from an early age I had always been drawn to the life lessons they embodied.  As a little girl, I would hang my small body out over the Houston Astrodome railing and would watch with wide-eyed excitement as the Astros battled game after game.  I celebrated their wins and harboured their losses along with the energetic crowds as we roared in the stands; my first-ever experience with how the excitement of an audience could change the room.  I learned what it meant to fight to the end for what one wants and how a single act of determination could turn everything on its head.  I saw how a plagued mindset can turn one’s will to dust as defeat and doubt did their dance.  And best of all, I saw what the players’ faces looked like when they felt the powerful and full-on euphoria of victory.

Glory awaits those that never give up on their treasured and impassioned pursuits.

Clean Slate

“Who would like to volunteer?” are my favorite words to hear when attending a workshop or seminar.   It is my chance to push myself outside of the box and put myself into an unfamiliar situation.

SAS Workshop video

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It was during a recent workshop I attended on electronic casting submissions sponsored by the SAG Philadelphia Conservatory that I found myself in front of a flip camera filming my first performance slate in front of the attendees.  When you don’t have a film reel to submit (which I don’t unless you count several thousand home videos), it is a way for you to submit yourself in motion.  The slate may consist of your simply stating your name, profession, and answering questions which was the slate did.

When hearing the call for volunteers, I had raised my hand with excitement, because I didn’t have a clue what was about to happen, which always gives me a nice rush of adrenaline.  I knew that I was about to be pushed out of my comfort zone and learn something new.  Without hair or make up prep and not under the best lighting, my first performance slate recording began.

My first-ever performance slate

As an Equity member, I was able to attend the workshop given by the lovely and friendly Leah Cevoli and Dan Rush who both had tons of helpful information, website links and advice for submitting photos, resumes, and reels to casting directors in the film industry.  An interest in film had been sparked in me when I was asked this past summer to audition for a role in a feature film and had done some movie open calls for Heery Casting.

Take the most out of every opportunity and learn something completely different.  It may directly or indirectly change the course of your career or, at the very least, enhance it!

42 days with my hair on fire

The audition is the moment when our craft, and all of the training behind it, comes to life for the short amount of time that we have in the room.  It is the time to show, in the two minutes we have, what we have to offer.  Our mini-performances, although a large deciding factor in casting, is not the sole one.   Each of us walk into the room hopefully preceded by our reputations, word of mouth from others who have worked with us, mailings we have sent and connections we have made.

With this idea in mind,  I decided to purchase and participate in the 42-Day Book a Job Challenge offered by Dallas Travers.  I was listening to another one of her inspiring phone calls when I made the decision.   The Challenge aligned perfectly with my personal goals along with my desire to develop a more streamlined and laser-focused marketing strategy, a component I was missing in the past when I walked in to the audition room.  Although the ultimate prize is the accomplishment of the goal, the skills learned, the coaching calls, and the forward momentum along with the auditions will give the best shot possible.  The Challenge officially starts on September 26th and I will post periodic updates about the process here.  Game on!

My Sword and Shield

Every year, I take the time during September 11th to remember the day and to allow myself to relive it in a sense.  I remind myself of the resolute feeling of anger that I experienced when war was openly waged on us.  As the heart of my city of dreams bled from its open wound on that day, I thought about all of the things New York represented.  The City, and our country, personifies the very values that our enemies detest.  They weren’t seeking a battle of words, wills, or guns, but were, and are still, seeking to annihilate our very existence.  Our enemies do not wish to end what is evil but specifically to end what is good.

I will fight back in my way by not living in fear of our enemies.  I will reach for my music and practice doing what I love and have the freedom to do.  I will courageously and openly seek a life of joy, of dreams yet to be realized and to seek prosperity in the face of the continued threats.  Today I will take personal satisfaction in seeing New York continue to thrive and pulse with life and opportunity.  I will hope that my city of dreams, and all of us, will never give up nor give in.

Accountability is never overdrawn

Procrastination is my enemy.  It steps in front of the train of productivity and can sometimes send it right off of the tracks.  Before I know it, the task has taken the proverbial back seat, put on the symbolic back burner, or has become one with a pile on my desk.  This problem only seems to rear its lazy head when I’m not involved in a show or opportunity that would naturally fuel a more motivated work flow.  I have incorporated several techniques to combat this; most notably the monthly Diva meetings.  Although accountability once a month is good, I am always looking for daily tricks to keep me motivated and moving forward.

So it was with great excitement that one of my Divas, Abby, asked me to be her accountability buddy last week.  The title alone had me agreeing to fill the spot.  In sum, you and your buddy conduct a short 5-minute call each day to talk about a task that is going to be done within the next 24 hours until the next call.   This is accountability boiled down to its smallest point; focusing on one task each day.  This technique is a powerful tool in moving you forward in an accelerated and constant way.

I immediately thought of my songbook audit project and how I had, after a meeting with Heidi, walked away with a list of music that I should be looking at.  I had also started my Cabaret project so this daily accountability call, conducted on Skype, came at the perfect time.  Because of the accountability, if I feel myself hesitating in any way, I think about having to report to my buddy the next day and I immediately get back in the game.

Anything that can fuel my train that leads me to my place over the rainbow gets my vote and my full attention.