A day in the life

I read this fabulous article today, put together by numerous actors-about what it is that they do daily to keep their craft alive and thriving.  Being an actor is so interesting and exciting.  It made me think about what I do everyday to keep myself alive and I thought that sharing would be fun.

One of my favorite things to do is watch people. I always try to study people: What about a person makes me see the person is sad? What is the relationship between the couple in a restaurant? Are they married? Have they been together for a long time? Is the guy in love with the girl? Is the girl in love with the guy? Seeing things for what they are is crucial to an actor. It helps you create a truthful scene and/or character. I usually spend countless hours a week studying people and their relationships, their reactions...what their body is doing when you ask them a certain question. Studying people, it is one of the things that we do best.

Besides all the exercises of studying others, you can also examine yourself. The good old mirror helps. Create a character and talk to the mirror, studying your face. How does it change when you become a killer? A teacher? A little girl? A cop?Take yourself on a journey in the safest environment of all, your own home! It will teach you and give you confidence. You see yourself in the mirror several times a day; so why not, brush your teeth as the character you imagined yourself playing! 

Another thing that I often do, as working my voice is a challenge that I am trying to overcome,I work my vocal exercises in the car...  Or when no-one is home. I always start warm-up with lip trills, then humming, humming-chewing exercises...etc.  Vocal warm-ups of the tongue-twister variety after are always fun just to get everything warmed up....try these "What a to-do to die today..." or this favorite of mine: "A box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits, and a biscuit mixer."

I also read the trades everyday.  Even if it is just the Variety headlines, just to keep up to date with ratings and what is new and fresh.  I always check Imdb--who is the #1 Star on the star meter this week?  I also, about once a week, check the ubcp film production list site http://www.ubcp.com/index.asp?navid=29 just so that I can keep myself up to date on what is going on here in BC.

There is a lot more we can do with our day, always, and impossible is nothing! Good luck on this most interesting journey!

SO I leave you with this incorporeal noun for the day: Perseverance. What does it mean to you? Think about it for a while. Reflect on it. Enjoy it.

Peace,

J

This Woman's Work

Life is too short to do things that we don't love, we must enjoy it while we can. Enjoy the beauty, enjoy the pain, enjoy the little things.  

Recently someone close to my heart was diagnosed with Cancer.  The news made me re-evaluate my life and think about what it is that makes me love life and what makes me happy.  I spent an afternoon at their house looking at an album of their life, and it made me see that life can pass by in an instant...  

As an actor, telling stories is what I am passionate about doing.  Affecting people-- in ways that they perhaps, aren't able to experience on their own....awakening feelings and emotions that were stored away.  

Well this week on television there was a story told through dance that really affected me.  It is a piece choreographed by Tyce DiOrio, and it is about a couple going through the struggle and turmoil of cancer together. The strength that the partner has to have to support her, and the struggle that she is going through inside and out.  Perhaps it is because there is someone near and dear to me going through this right now, but in any-case, it was beautiful and inspiring and I wanted to share it with you. Enjoy.

I leave you with an incorporeal noun for the day: Hope. Think about it. Embrace it. 

Peace,

J

No wonder some people say we're crazy.

I am working on a scene for my class right now, from the "The Owl and the Pussycat" and I have been trying really hard to access a source of "bat out of hell" anger...  Well, to be honest, I come from a pretty happy household.  There are not a lot of things that really piss me off...and if they do, I generally deal with them then and there.  So needless to say, I felt as though I had hit a bump in the road...when all of a sudden I found this story that fueled me with this immense anger, and the little voice inside me kept saying "YES!! Finally!!". Weird... that I would be so excited about feeling so angry, but I guess that is why I am an actor right?  

Funny people, actors.  We have to be vulnerable all the time, so that we can freely access all of our stories and emotions, yet we still have to be hard-shelled enough to deal with rejection, criticism and sheer exhaustion of pursuing this career.

I had a couple of friends over the other night, and I was trying to explain the specific hats we wear as actors. I wanted to explain how important it is to separate the different aspects of your acting career.  This little method of thought, has recently helped me organize my own ideas, and I thought it would be important to share with those who like me, want to excel at this career.  

So basically we as actors have to think of ourselves as our own business. We are essentially the CEO's of our own personal company, and we wear 3 hats, or we are the 3 Vice-President's of our company (as my acting coach and mentor Matthew Harrison would say).

Introducing the Vice Presidents of the Company:

1: Personal VP : This is the personal stuff.  The vulnerable actor.  The one who knows oneself so well, that they can access any emotional state, at anytime.  The one who works constantly at knowing themselves.

2: Actor VP: The craftsman.  This is the one who knows the process. The one who breaks down the script. The one who tells the stories. The one who channels all the personal stuff, and becomes an instrument for the writer. 

3: Business VP: The liason with the agent. The one who builds the networks. The one who does the marketing. The one who builds the fan-base. The one who builds the "Brand".

So to those actors out there who feel like they might be kinda crazy, well perhaps this little idea, will help you sort things out.  Make sure that you know which VP is representing you at all times. Make sure that the Business VP isn't in the audition room with you, and make sure that the Personal VP isn't out there negotiating contracts.

So I leave you with this one word to reflect on, embrace it, and really think about what it means to you today: Dedication.

Peace,

J

A Shock to the System

I take a weekly class at the Actor's Foundry in Vancouver, and weekly I am re-inspired by sermons that go on there.  This week, my acting teacher Matthew, gave a great sermon asking us: "Why are we actors?"  "Why choose this career?" It truly stirred up a lot of people in the class, as you can imagine, but what truly came out of me, was what felt inspiring.  Why did I choose this crazy road of topsy turns and instability?  Why did I choose to be craftsman/ artist and not the Commerce major? Well, I guess it is because I truly am a life explorer.  I need to live life to its fullest everyday, experience things that most people shy away from, and "shock my system" with the reality of life daily, so that I get to know myself.  I want to inspire people who are afraid of life and afraid of seeing the world for what it truly is.  

Life is really short, we can be gone in a moment, so why do things that you hate? 

I quit my service industry job this week. It was a huge step for me, because that job has been somewhat of a security blanket for me these last couple of years.  The weirdest thing happened as soon as I sent in my resignation....the clutter in my head became more open...weird.

  

Yesterday I did the most interesting workshop with "The Liz Levine".  Liz is a branding guru, who has been a reporter/journalist, a publicist and now a studio executive at "Brightlight Pictures" in Vancouver. (http://www.brightlightpictures.com/ ) But most of all she is an inspiration and life force that gave me the most innovative and best ideas, and has put me on a new course.  She basically helps you see what it is that you need to do to "Brand" yourself as an actor, and market yourself to the world....and I can't really explain it all in one short blog, but to all you actors out there, if you ever have the chance take her branding workshop. Not sure when another one will come up, as she is a busy lady, but take advantage when you can, and stay tuned: http://www.actorsfoundry.com/brandingactor.htm

So I will leave you with an incorporeal noun for the day. Think about it, embrace it and make it yours for the day: Curiosity.

Peace,

J

The Start of Something New...

So my good friend Ella recently told me that because of some strange planetary alignment, some of us have been affected in terms of mood and emotion...leading some of my friends and I to go through a period of flattened, lowered emotions, reduced enthusiasm and inspiration....SO I have been searching for inspiration in my life, as this year has been a bit of a long winter doldrums. AND...Since I love to write, I thought why not BLog?!  So here I am writing my first blog...

I started 2009 off with a focus on "getting to know myself" better, so that I would always be readily available as an actress, person and friend.  My acting teacher and coach, Matthew, gave a great sermon in his class the 8th of January, regarding creating a new year's resolution to be more professional-stating that those who put in the hard work in 2009 will have some payoff in 2010.  So as a result I have been trying to get to know myself better everyday....I know it sounds really weird, and perhaps even a bit psychotic...but I think that knowing oneself is probably the most important tool an actor could have.  I sit here at my computer every morning with my coffee or tea, and ask myself questions....like: "What does the loudest voice in your head say?"  or " What is your biggest secret?".  I sit and I write in my journal for at least 20 minutes and answer some weird questions about myself.  Sometimes I get stuck, it takes me a long time to figure myself out...which is so weird.  I guess it really helps me un-block old memories and stay fresh....Anyways, since I have been doing this, I feel a lot more confident in my work.  I feel like I have fresh memories and stories to tell on the tip of my tongue, which really helps, when you have to break down a script and prepare an audition in mere minutes.   

Aside from doing that, and trying really hard to better myself as a person--instead of focusing on the auditions I don't get or don't book-- I have also been focusing on another outlet for my creativity and love of dance.  Some good friends and I have been working hard on developing a new form of working out for Vancouverites.  We are all former and current dancers, and have always loved to move and feel music....and also loved the long, lean muscles that dancer's bodies are made up of.  SO stay tuned for more updates on this fantastic new workout that we are bringing to Vancouver.

On the vein of learning about me, another great thing I do, is I pick a word a day, something we actors like to call: Incorporeal nouns, nouns that embody.  SO, I would like to leave you with one word to think about for the day: Determination

Think about it, reflect on it, figure out what it means to you...

Peace 

J