Screw You, New Year's Resolutions!

Get up and do it already.  No more waiting.  No more wondering "what if" or "is the time right".  Insiders tip:  it never is the right time.  There is no perfect storm of dreaming, determination, talent and luck gathering on the horizon, unless you start creating it.  January 1st is just another date. Just do it.  'Nuff said.

Happy creating and go kick 2012 in the butt.

Practice Makes Perfect--Ode to Professionalism

I've been talking a lot recently to different artists from all across the creative melieu.  I should clarify that I've been speaking to professional artists.  You know, the ones that seek to create and entertain beyond the level of a hobbyist.  Their passion may have started as an extra-curricular love but that need to tell stories, whether through film, photography, words, or dance, has evolved into something bigger than a part-time commitment. 


I've discovered that we all have something in common.  True professionals are constantly practicing.  They seek to continually improve, to jump to a new level of expression.  Be it through formalized classes or just doing moves in the studio, on camera, over the mic, we work.  We keep our tools sharp and at the ready by continually doing and realizing that we are forever students.  To be honest, I'm not sure if I ever want to be a master at something.  It implies that I've finished learning and I enjoy that process to damn much to end it.  Being challenged rocks and nothing pushes me past a plateau of blah and safe better than a good challenge.  To quote Timothy Findley, I kill my darlings to allow myself to discover new ways of bringing truth to characters.


So how are you evolving as a professional?  I'd love to hear!


Happy creating!

The Audition Machine

My ramblings here have been more or less silent these last few weeks.  It's not because I haven't wanted to write.  Trust me.  But you know when someone says be careful what you wish for: it might come true?  That has been the definition of my life these past three weeks.


Besides my full time job (yes I still have one of those), I've been doing some serious auditioning.  And then doing some more.  As a friend so rightly defined it, I've been an audition machine.  Thanks Joe.  PS: you should check him out on Twitter.  And his production company.  


For those of you that know me and my schedule well, auditioning isn't out of the norm for me.  I do it quite often, either on projects I've sought out or ones that my amazing agent has submitted me for.  What has been different is the amount of callbacks I'm getting.


I'm walking around right now with a great big grin which just keeps growing with every callback I get.  And what's really awesome is that I know why it's happening.  I think every actor goes through a period when they just don't get there.  They don't sparkle in the room.  Nothing wrong with the read or the acting or the look.  They're just not "it".


I've gone through a long period of this but did some soul searching recently and did some re-focusing on my priorities.  I feel now when I get that call and go into that room, I've settled in.  I'm me and it's great.  Yes, I take my inspiration from a universe of sources--how can you not?  Discovery says it best: the world is just awesome.  But now when I audition, I'm just me.  Goofy, geeky, cheerful, and able to get into a character in a flash.  And it's paid dividends.


So to sum up, I apologize for the long silence.  It's been a great few weeks, filled with great opportunities booked and others in the making.


Oh and if you want to hear more regular updates--you know the ones I can do from my smartphone while waiting to head into the audition room--check me out on Twitter or on my Facebook fan page.


Happy creating!

A little more on goal setting

I may talk about this a lot but it's something that's near and dear to my heart.  I get asked a lot about goals and how to go about achieving them.  I've written before that I post mine up so I can see them.  But what good is posting them and telling them to others to help keep you accountable if the desire just isn't there?


So here's the new challenge:  attaching a strong emotion to those goals.  Something so strong that if you don't do them, you will feel like you've let yourself down.  And there's nothing worse than letting yourself down.  OK, maybe letting your mother or partner down and knowing they're disappointed in you is worse but you get the idea.


Deep breath, here's mine.  I feel horrible if I don't try my best at something and do a good job.  If I feel that I've let someone down because I didn't put my all into something, I'm a wreck.  I still feel terrible about the time my favourite teacher in high school caught my friends and I copying our homework from each other.  All he had to do was shake his head and sigh in disappointment for me to spend the rest of my academic career trying desperately to make up for it.  When I passed this by my fiance, he just smiled that knowing smile of his and said that sounded exactly like me.  So here I am, attaching this to my biggest goals.


What's your strong emotional tie to your goals?  Ain't got one?  Do some soul searching.  Why do you want to do something?  It's all well and good to want to get out of debt for example, but if it's not emotionally important to you, it probably won't happen.  At least, that's the way it is for me.


Oh and PS:  I write killer essays and assignments now. Or did when I was in university.


Think it through and happy creating!

It's Been A Long Time, My Friend

The Oscars have come and gone.  The red carpet is rolled up and put away until next year.  And all the dresses and jewels have been returned to their respective owners (right, Lindsay Lohan?).  


Watching the Oscars always makes me take a look at my career.  What can I be doing differently?  How can I hold myself accountable for what I need to be doing?  How I can create more opportunities for myself?


So to tie into one of my first posts this year, here's the lowdown on my progress:


1) I've been auditioning way more this year.  From theatre to film, I'm getting out there for a lot of really cool roles.  And none of them are ditzy cheerleaders.  Thanks to my agent on this front for putting up with my constant emailing about interesting parts I find.  You rock my world, my friend!


2) I'm working out waaaay more.  Thanks to my wonderful fiance for reminding me to kick my own ass.  Not only does this help with the winter blahs, it's lining me up for at least being considered for some great roles.  Oh yeah and to look smoking in the wedding gown;


3) I still have my mountain of debt but I'm being very conscious of how I spend my money and what I'm putting towards that mountain.  It's gonna take me years but progress is being made;


4) I'm in talks with some producer/director friends regarding a feature.  More to come on that front but it sounds really cool.


5) Regarding creating more opportunities for myself, obviously I've been searching out more auditions and working more with those in my network (Hi guys!).  But on top of that, I finally put together an actor's basic tool and made my demo reel.  To be honest, I had enough material for this awhile ago but for some reason just didn't do it.  It took someone else doing theirs (thanks Mel) for me to just sit down and do it.  Maybe I was afraid but it's out there now and I feel much better;


6) I'm taking inspiration from my peers and celebrating their successes.  Yes, there are days it's hard when you hear that someone else is getting a great role you'd kill for.  But I've decided to see someone else's success as a sign that our industry is actually still kicking.  Check out some friends' projects here:  Clutch, TLA Pro, Nocturnal Emissions, Bay Street Visions;


7) I've re-focused on acting and it's made all the difference.


So how have I been holding myself accountable?  Someone I know does a point system everyday to show what he has accomplished.  I'm not sure if it's a game with a winner at the end but it sure helps him stay on track.  I've decided to use a chart.  Kinda like the chore chart you used to have when you were a kid.  I've set out things that I need to do each week and when I do them, I get a star.  OK, an "X" but you get it.  And I've got my chart posted proudly on my desktop so when I turn on my laptop, I see it there, glaring disapprovingly if I'm not working on something productive.


While I may get frustrated at things being slower than I want, at least I can take comfort in knowing that I'm doing something.  Every journey and blah blah blah.


How do you hold yourself accountable? 


Happy creating!


Tags: acting, demo reel, feature film, priorities, lindsay lohan, nocturnal emissions, tla productions, bay street visions, clutch webseries, tonya dodds, producing, auditions, film

More Shameless Self Promotion

OK I'll admit to the cliche.  Yes I hate watching myself on camera.  I analyze everything I do.  Like with a mircoscope.  And while that may seem crazy, it can actually serve as a useful training tool.  Kinda like how athletes watch how they play to learn their strengths and weaknesses.  That's what I do when I get a copy of work I've done.


It's funny now looking back on some of my earlier work and seeing what I did.  Some of it is good, some not so much.  It's also nice to see some of the wide range of projects I've worked on--from horror to comedy to drama, I've done it all.


So after a couple of years of working on some great projects (and lots of not so great--those didn't make the cut), here is my demo reel.  Enjoy!


Happy creating!

The Art of Shameless Self Promotion

Well, I'm usually much more of a shrinking violet when it comes to the art of self promotion but I worked on these commercials a few weeks ago and thought I'd share.  Enjoy!

NETBABY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USrKRE15kks

NETCOMMUTE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOsH2_XtU7Q

NETDOCTOR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6EBJDEDfkQ

NETOUTFIT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo_8S4bxkm8

Happy creating!

Goals, goals, GOALS!!!!

As you all know from a previous post, life has changed for me.  I'm now a Monday to Friday person with two consecutive days off.  I've got a ton more time than I used to which I'm happily using for my creative endeavours.  My artist soul is jumping for joy!


So it's now time to look at those goals and adjust them a teeny tiny bit.  And to really put it out there, I'm taking a page from a follower blogger (thanks Tyler!) and putting those goals out there on the worldwide interweb.  Here they are:


1) Finish my production company's first short film and get it on the festival circuit.  As many of you know, I've dreamed of running my own company for a few years now and I've finally started taking steps towards this.  Look for some great things in 2011 in this regard!


2) Write more.  Writing has always been a big part of my life and unfortunately over the last few years, it has constantly been pushed to the back burner.  So more blog posts, short stories, and maybe a novella in the year to come.


3) Act more.  Yes, yes, yes.  This is always a goal of mine and always will be.  Acting is like a drug to me and I can't do without it!  To clarify what I mean here, I will seek out more acting opportunities either by creating them myself, getting more parts through traditional auditioning, or reaching out to the contacts I have to see what projects they are working on.  Anyone need a cute redhead for a part?  :)


4) Be more financially fit.  I suck at budgeting.  Really, really, REALLY suck at it.  But I swear and cross my heart that I will get better at it.  Debt, I'm coming for you.


5) Be more physically fit.  Showbiz is all about image and a girl's gotta keep at it to keep in it!  I usually love working out but I'm pretty sure our household is about to become addicted to it.  Kinect, anyone?


So those are the biggies.  There are more little ones but that's a good start.  That's me, putting it out there.  How about you?  Any goals you want the world to know?  The web provides great accountability!


Happy creating!

Focus, grasshopper

It can be hard sometimes working in this industry.  It's an image-based, first impressions only, and who you know mine field.  You never know who is going to be the "Next Big Thing" so most people run around focusing on everything and everyone.  Me?  I prefer the focused long haul strategy.  


And what exactly does that mean, you ask?  Well, first I write down my goals every month or two.  Those goals are divided up into short term and long term.  I use the short term, can-be-accomplished-quickly goals as stepping stones to the larger ones.  And crossing them off the list just feels good.


Then I post copies of those goals where I can see them everyday.  And since I believe in team work, I then send them to my agent who lends her considerable talent and hard work to help me achieve them.


And every once and awhile, when I feel like things aren't going as quickly as I want, I pull out my old goal sheets and look at what I've accomplished in the last few years.  And guess what?  I've done basically everything I said I would.  How's that for focus?


Start your own tracking system and see what happens!


Happy creating!

The age old question

I get it all the time.  Seriously.  Basically everyday.  People are constantly asking me how I do it.  Do what you ask?  Maintain my creative endeavours while still managing to work a full time job, do some freelancing, and oh yeah, having a life.


Here's my answer:  I do it because I love it.  No one likes working many different "jobs" but if you are doing what you're passionate about, it's not a "job".


And here's the usual response:  "Well, that's nice but I couldn't do it.  I don't have time (or money or creativity or blah blah blah)."  To be entirely honest, that's entirely BS.  You say you hate your job, you hate your co-workers, you hate the commute, you hate, you hate, you hate...If you hate it so much, then set yourself free.


Easier said then done right?  Maybe but probably not.  It's more likely your mindset.  I not advocating an overnight instant overhaul of your life.  Hey, I have debt and a wedding to pay for.  I get it.  I'm advocating a slight change in your viewpoint. You hate your job?  Find something within it you love, be it that morning chat with your co-worker, the walk past the art gallery, or completing that spreadsheet.  Or better yet start working on replacing that job with something you love.  It takes time but it works. Hate the commute?  Start looking for freelance opportunities in your field that allow you to work from home.  Or suggest to your boss that you telecommute.  You never know until you ask, right?


Or go the zen way (check out zenhabits.net and see what Leo has to say on the subject) and really re-organize your priorities.  I just read his book called "Thriving on Less" and loved it.  It really speaks to what we really need and don't.  And for us creative types learning how to balance our arts with paying the bills, it helps put some things in focus.  Best of all, for my starving artist soul, it's free!  Check it out here.  It gives a great sample of how to simplify things to really focus.  For those of you wanting the more in-depth how to, check out his "The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life". This is an affiliate link but it's a great book. Click here to view more details


So how do I do it?  Moral of the story is that I do because I love it and I'm focusing my priorities so I can keep doing it.  It really is that simple.  Do the same and you'll be surprised what happens and what you suddenly have time and enough creativity for.


Happy creating!