THE DREAM, JOURNEY, & INSPIRATIONS.

AN ACTOR'S BLOG

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Thank You!

This week has been quite wonderful!  As you all are probably aware, my very first national commercial began to air this past Monday.  I was working all day and hadn't caught the commercial in the morning before I went to work so I was eager to get home and watch it!  When I got home, I not only had that to look forward to, but also came home to find my cheque for the Luxury Mattress Infomercial waiting for me!  It's not a bad day when I get paid for one commercial on the same day another one airs!

My experience of first seeing myself in the commercial was definitely surreal and as you may imagine, I picked it apart and absolutely hated everything about me in it the first time around.  My head looked shrunken on my shoulders; my voice didn't sound like my own, etc., etc.  I was not surprised by this reaction; its not every day my face pops up on t.v! However, I enjoyed the commercial more and more each time I saw it!

What was most special to me about that day, however, were all the phone calls, texts, emails and facebook messages I got from all my family and friends who were so excited to have seen it.  To know that there were so many people in their living rooms anxiously awaiting to see me in a commercial made me feel more grateful than I can express. In that moment, I felt lifted and completely supported and that is a truly special and wonderful thing!

So, to you I say thank you for your excitement, for your eagerness, for your constant encouragement...thank you!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

My KitchenAid Commercial with Anna Olson


On September 19, 2011, just 2 days away, my first ever Canadian National Commercial will air and I am pretty excited!  What's cool about this, other than the obvious (it's a national spot; features a local celebrity; it's a well-know brand; I got paid, etc...), is that when I first was sent the script from my agent for the audition, I loved the spot and knew I was perfect for it!  I went to the audition feeling nervous as always but left feeling like I nailed it and that is such a rare feeling for me after an audition.

At the audition, I knew the clients (from KitchenAid) were in the other room watching on a monitor. I was relieved that they weren't in the actual audition room because that many bodies in the room is always intimidating.  The audition went really well!  I was so grateful to the casting assistants (thank you Fade to Black!) as their direction was perfect and extremely helpful. At the end of the final take, I heard an eruption of laughter from the other room; perfectly timed with the "punch line" of the spot. I was so thrilled that I got a laugh, I was on cloud nine.  Then, as I was leaving, still on my high, I thought, "Wait, the laughter came from a different room; it may not have been for me at all!!" Which just made me laugh!. Regardless, I left the audition feeling that for the first time, I did everything I could do to nail the audition and I did enough to get the part; if some one else walked in and did something else that they like more, so be it!  I went and I did my job and that felt pretty great!  And, even more so, when I booked the job!

We shot a few weeks ago and it was great. The commercial features just the lovely Anna Olson and I.  I actually have lines and am featured and everything!! 

Though I am very excited, I can't help but be a bit nervous that for some reason the commercial will not feature me well or I worry that for some reason they've decided not to air it after all.  I guess, it just feels to good to be true to consider that perhaps my acting career just might amount to something after all. Of course, it is too soon to tell, but I think that's the fear that's holding me back from being too excited and what's putting some negative thoughts into my head instead. 

My hope is that this commercial will amount to something; that because of it, I will book more and more and so on. But, what if that doesn't happen? Am I no further along then? Of course, I can't worry about it. I have to celebrate it for what it is, enjoy the moment and keep moving forward!  And, I intend to! With a bit more of a bounce in my step than before! Heck, why not!?

So, keep an eye out, September 19 on The Food Network, HGTV, Slice and Global (although Global might just be featuring Anna's bit).

Oh, and if you're the type of person who stays up late to catch all the latest infomercials, keep an eye out for one for a luxury  mattress brand called "Dormeo." I booked that a few months ago and have yet to catch it.  So, if you do, let me know!!  

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Making the Cut!

In May, I finally embarked on a 30 day challenge issued to me by the fierce eyes of Jillian Michael's (of the Biggest Loser) staring up at me from the cover of her book "Making The Cut" as it sat on my kitchen table for months, after borrowing it from a friend. 

I originally borrowed it with the intention of checking out the recipes, as I have become quite the hoarder of healthy, but yummy, dishes to make.  One day, however, I noticed that the promise she makes on the cover is that her book will help you lose that last 10 to 20 stubborn pounds! 

Friends, I have spent over the last 10 years of my life figuring this weight thing out.  For as long as I can remember, I've struggled to maintain a steady exercise regime, but always faltered in and out of my commitment levels at some point.  Eventually, the nutrition of trying to eat better came into play and when I focused on both together, I have had great results.  However, I feel like I've always lost weight to a certain point, always just short of my goal and then, again, my commitment level falters and inevitably, I would gain some of the weight back; never all of it...but some. Keeping me always just shy of my goal weight.

I have always been fine with this to be honest; to some degree at least.  As much as I could count on my commitment level dropping, I too knew I could count on it picking back up again!  In the last little while, however, I became annoyed that something inside of me stopped me from truly seeing this through to my goal.  This is a common theme in my life and I wanted to tackle this goal once and for all!

After months of mental preparation, in May, I tackled the 30 day Making the Cut challenge ...and quite frankly I kicked some butt!  Or, at least kicked some of the weight off my own...!  But not all of i!  Bums need some meat on them...this is fact! 

Essentially, for 30 days, I followed her exercise and meal plan exactly.  I had absolutely no alcohol, no treats, very little complex carbs and definitely never for dinner.  In 30 days, I lost just under 12 lbs and just under 12 inches overall and I have never felt better!

Most importantly, though, I was amazed by how my mindset changed around food.  Portion sizing has always been an issue for me.  I'm Italian, after all; I had a new portion in my plate before my first one was done!  Some of the portions on her plan seemed minuscule and almost laughable, but you know, I spent very little time feeling hungry in those 30 days.  It was amazing to me how I no longer experienced those spikes of feeling really hungry and then really full.  I ate in time for my body to not get hungry and just enough, so that I would stay satiated throughout the day, but never bloated!  My body remained on this even keel and it made me realize that I don't need that much food to feel satisfied for the day!

The reason I felt that this was an important venture for me; other than my own personal desire to look the way I want, was that as an actor, there are so few things in your control when you walk into an audition.  One of the things I wanted to maintain control of is my weight; meaning, I wanted to take it off the table as being an issue; I wanted to remove it as a factor they would keep in mind when considering casting me for a project. I am aware of how shallow this sounds and in the back of my mind I hear a quiet little voice saying it shouldn't matter how I look; real people have all different kinds of body types, and this is true!

If I'm being honest though, I wanted it for me AND I chose this career and I can't pretend to not know that this industry can often be a shallow one and if I want to play in it, I will do whatever it takes to better my chances!  Besides, I have done nothing drastic and feel healthier and more fit than I ever have. 

Now that the 30 days are over, I have continued to exercise regularly which doesn't feel like a chore and I have maintained a lot of the same eating habits, especially the portion sizing and keeping complex carbs out of my dinners for the most part.  I've discovered that I really do have a passion for finding delicious and healthy recipes!  And, that can never be a bad thing!  In fact, I've not only maintained the weight, but lost another 2 lbs on my own!

My next battle?? Continuing to tone!  Oh, why do you elude me so...

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The Void

Well, once again, as you can see, I have gone away into a Voice Class bubble...or better yet into the Void, which has been a quite the key word from class for the last few days.  All that is possible in the void. What inspires you in the void to speak.  Sorry if this doesn't make any sense to anyone, but perhaps writing that down is just for myself. Perhaps not?

In any case, the void has been in part, as a result of me choosing to specifically focus on my voice practice in the last few months by taking two sessions of Voice Class in a row.  To say I am excited by the discoveries and connections I have learned would be an understatement! And, I am thrilled by what is to come. For the first time, next session I will be taking both voice class and acting class at the same time and I eagerly await the possibilities that will unfold.  I hope to share with you more consistently in the next few months about this part of my journey. 

A few other things have also occurred in the last few months that have kept me busy. 

In April, I went to New York City and had a wonderful visit with my friend Meghan of megiswriting.  Meghan had just moved to Park Slope in Brooklyn which I had come to know quite well when I lived in NYC because I babysat in that neighbourhood often.  To spend 5 days then in Brooklyn when it appeared Spring was truly blossoming all over, with all the girly time my little heart could desire was just so special.  If I figure out how to transfer my pics from my iTouch to my laptop, I will post those for you soon.

Also, at the end of April, Whitney and I went to visit friends in Edmonton for a few days and had such a beautiful, relaxing visit.  It was only a few days, but it left such an impression on me.  Our friends were such wonderful hosts, who just happened to have a beautiful little boy who I may or may not have fell in love with instantly and tried to sneak into my luggage!

As an aside, this was the farthest west in Canada I had ever been...isn't that crazy?  Vancouver is calling me next I tell ya!

Next comes May.  In my next post, I will tell you all about what I spent all my focus on in May.  Truly a life altering month for me.  Details coming soon...

Monday, March 28, 2011

A Shout Out

Even though, no one in my Voice class is a reader of this blog, I couldn't resist giving them a shout out after what I witnessed in today's class.  It's not easy to venture into the depths of your emotion and then choose to wade through it in front of strangers.  Of course, it is made a tad easier by the fact that those strangers are like-minded individuals that are going through the same process and want nothing more than to support one another.  Which is always great.

As my teacher said, it is such an honour to witness people come alive; to connect to their inner life and to own their space in the world and claim it proudly!  Well, it's not exactly what she said, but its where I sit with it right now.  It's funny because though I have always been respectful of the journey the other people in class are on I have really only focused on my own.  Today ,watching the journey of a few of my classmates unfold before me, it made me so proud to be on this collective journey to be more present in the world and well, like I said, I wanted to give them a shout out for their brave work today.  It only inspires me to be braver in my own work and reminds me that perhaps I'm not so alone when I feel like I just might be down in the depths of my own emotion.

Thank you!

Friday, March 18, 2011

I don't even know what to call this post...

It's been an interesting week.  Late on Tuesday, I found out that I got cast in a commercial or a "webisode" to air online that was shooting on Wednesday.  Not the greatest pay, but hey, it was a step in the right direction.  I didn't even have to audition; the commercial was just cast from our headshots.  I was quite excited.  I mean this will only lead to bigger and better things right? I was already polishing up my acceptance speeches. 

Well, long story short, because I don't want to dwell on this, I show up for my 8am call and soon I'm getting my make up done.  Me and the four other women who are a part of the morning spot are called on to set a few times to figure out our placement on set.  During one "on set" visit, we were being shuffled around the counter in the kitchen where the scene took place.  At one point, I was told to step off to the side as the shuffling continued. Turns out, it looked too crowded around the counter, so I was cut from the spot.  Disappointing? Sure. But, I was supposed to be in an afternoon spot as well and not all the other girls were, so I thought perhaps it made sense to cut me and not one of them.  They gave me the morning off, but I ended up hanging out instead, and in fact, I had a great day.  The coolest part of it being the craft truck that had everything my little heart could desire!  Guys, they had Nutella!!  I mean, I didn't have any but how cool is it that they had it?!

Anyway, time comes to prepare for the 2nd spot and my make up gets touched up; my hair is curled and my wardrobe is approved by the client. I'm all set to go.  In fact, all seven of the actors being used for this spot are ready and waiting.  By this point, it's 5pm. I mysteriously get called into the other room and in about 10 seconds, this hopeful day turns out to represent quite the opposite when I'm told I've been cut from the 2nd spot as well.  Turns out they wanted the 2nd spot to be couples only, and there was one extra female and seeing as I was the only one who didn't get established in the first spot (because they ended up keeping most of the girls from the morning), I was out.  This is the explanation I was given.

I tried to handle it as graciously as possible and be as understanding as I could muster, because the poor messenger did truly feel awful about it, and I didn't want to hinder any connections I had made. But, of course, my mind went to a million different reasons as to why I was not put in the commercial. Some of them rational and some of them less kind and more self deprecating.  I won't go into those reasons here...I'm sure you can all use your own imagination. 

I do believe everything happens for a reason, however, I have gained no insight into this day yet.  Yesterday, I woke up still feeling quite disappointed and was second guessing my life choices and whether I have what it takes to do this.  Today, I'm choosing to just leave this odd experience behind and try to focus on what will come. The fact that I have an audition on Monday helps a bit. 

And, that's all I have to say about that. 

What would you have called this post?

Monday, March 14, 2011

My Biggest Fear

So, I've just started another session of Voice Classes and I couldn't have been more apprehensive about it.  I know that at this moment in time, it is absolutely the best thing for me and now that I've started auditioning more regularly, my work will only be better off for it. But you know that part of us that really likes to check out and not be tuned in to what's really going on around us, or, more importantly what's going on inside of us? Well, voice class makes that "stuff" hard to ignore, which is essentially why this class is so crucial to an actor.  As I've shared previously on this blog, ignoring that "stuff" is precisely what gets in the way of my acting.

The other day I was thinking that, in my mind, actors who have really devoted themselves to this craft, make a huge sacrifice to be actors.  They sacrifice because by a mere result of their practice they spend a lot of time in a state of consciousness that most people don't; a lot of people don't even realize that there are different states of consciousness; and I by no means am claiming to be an expert. (However, if you are perhaps questioning what I am talking about, without judgement, I strongly recommend you read "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho). With this state of consciousness, I believe, comes a responsibility, because you can't just be in tune to what's going on around you and inside of you and continue to ignore it.  However, doing something about it is easier said that done, so its a constant struggle.  Especially, when those around you have no idea that you find yourself in this state often; seeing things that perhaps they don't.  It can feel lonely.  And, it's hard to explain... and perhaps not worth explaining... when people don't know this experience for themselves.  I wouldn't trade this state of consciousness for the world, because I truly believe it can lead to some amazing and beautiful experiences in both my work and my life.  But, by the mere fact that you know it exists, means you can't just use it in your work, you have to incorporate it into your life. And, with that comes huge responsibility and a lot of tough decisions are forced upon you.

A long time ago, someone asked me what my greatest fear in life was. At the time I didn't have an answer; I had never thought about it. So, I thought about it and very soon I knew that more than anything, my biggest fear was not to ever reach my full potential in life.  I absolutely feel I am meant to do great things; they might not be great to anyone else, but in my mind to think of all these "great things" excites me.  However, I know that having allowed myself to live in a state of unconsciousness for so long, I have failed to reach any sort of greatness in my life; I really do believe this. I'm not saying that I don't have great things in my life...I do, but I don't feel like I personally have achieved anything great.  This hurts me more than I can explain.  I feel like I want to do so much and somewhere along the way I always find a way to get in my own way.  For example, knowing I need to practice every day to even begin to call myself a devoted actor, I still let my daily practice fall along the wayside long ago (another reason, quite frankly, starting voice class scared me). Even now, I'm so tempted to write down excuses, but these are simply what gets in my way. 

So, instead, I will write some of the "great" things I want to do...

I want to feel inspired on a regular basis
I want to inspire
I want to volunteer and make a difference in this life
I want to tell important stories through my acting
I want to act, regardless of the story
I want to write a play for myself to perform
I want to blog every day
I want to exercise every day
I want to find a way to put myself to bed early enough so that I can wake up early enough to do all the things I want to do in a day and still be able to function properly
I don't want to have a "day" job
I want to get outside every day and truly appreciate the beauty of nature; that's right... I want to hug trees!
I want to be a mom and every day I postpone getting to the all of the above makes me feel like I'm not ready to be the type of mom I want to be
I'm afraid this life will pass me by and I will not have done any of this

It's possible, you know...if I allow myself to live in a state of unconsciousness. 

Oh, goodness, this voice class is going to mess me up.  If I'm in a funk for the next 2 months, you all know why.

What is your biggest fear?