Blue Days

We all have blue days. Perhaps as actors, we have a few extra because we feel so much and with such passion and most of us have actor angst. On those days, we're not as likely to move our careers forward. In fact, if we try to push through when we could give ourselves a rest we might do more harm than good.

I've found on my blue days that taking care of myself is the best way to cope. If you're having a blue day, get a good book and climb into your favorite chair or go bike riding or whatever makes you feel the best. Taking care of yourself and actually "doing" something helps you rearrange your thoughts and helps you climb out of the blues.

We all get them. On your blue days, taking care of yourself is the best thing you can do.

Art for Arts Sake and the Fads that Role Through

Art for arts sake seems nearly non-existent in the U.S. these days. As Elizabeth Gilbert says in her currently very popular book and my current reading effort, "Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia" Americans are driven to do things that accomplish something, and as a result, rarely do a thing for the love of it. Before I picked up her book, I've noticed a swelling in popularity of Italian, learning it and also going to Italy. It seems every 4th person or so in my life is going to or has recently returned from Italy. I suspect it has a lot to do with Italy hosting the Olympics. I don't know that for sure. What I do know is that people of very different social circles of my life are headed to Italy.

I also learned from Elizabeth Gilbert's book that the Italian language was formed as a pretty language in which the best and prettiest words were incorporated in to the language making it almost a singing language even when spoken. My great aunt, whom I respected, always favored Spanish. Though I admired my great aunt, I always thought Italian was the prettiest sounding of the romance languages.

Here's the thing. I often wonder if having a second language really helps you in acting. Let's say you decide it will help. Then do you select the ones you studied in High School, the one that's most colloquial to where you live now, or the one you'd love to learn just because you want to learn it? Personally, I can get by in French and if you drop me in Paris without English speaking people, I could get around albeit haltingly until I got my conversation back (back meaning I spent 3 weeks there in high school and left able to reasonably hold basic conversation in French). I am picking up more Southern California Spanish every day just by living in Southern California. And all this hype around Italy, which may be more about my life than an actual fad in the United States, has reminded me how very much I love listening to people speaking Italian.

So, I can remain practical and brush up my French so I can put it on my acting resume, learn all that words on my Spanish tapes which I bought last spring, or I could begin learning Italian because it's beautiful and enchanting and just plain fun. I don't have the answer about that today, but I do have another book recommendation for you.

I recommend that you read, "Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia" by Elizabeth Gilbert. I'd heard of it and thought the title a bit broad and therefore passed, but as I was passing the shelf where the book was in Borders, there were two women gushing about how good it was. Then as I had cleared the book case, another woman walked up and grabbed 5 copies and to the two women said,"I'm getting these as gifts." I was amused. It caught my attention, but I moved on. I also moved on to a Barnes & Noble for something Borders didn't have and there the book was gain. Another two people were perusing it and saying they'd heard it was good. I thought to myself, "Ok. Fine. I'm curious what all the hubbub is about." I skipped the book I was going to get and grabbed a copy of "Eat, Pray, Love." When I got the check out counter, the Aussie behind the counter said,"I hear it's quite good. I really ought to read it some time." I chuckled and paid for my new book.

It's a slower read for me than some books, but interesting nonetheless. I'm about 1/2 way through and can already recommend it to others, especially actors because this woman took a trip to follow heart and find herself. To some extent I think we live by following our hearts as actors, but sometimes we have to take extra steps. Perhaps, her book might awaken something in you as it did for me. The author is an award winning writer who writes straight from the heart and probably endears many. I'm not so much as endeared as interested, but she writes a good story and shares herself and her experiences generously. I think if you pick up a copy and read it, you'll be glad you did. You might even be inspired.

Happy reading!
Sarah Jean

Callbacks and Failing Forward

My agent called Monday morning @ 10:30am. So, I arrived at my scheduled callback for the Nyquil commercial late in the afternoon. A couple of the other actors were put off by the short notice. Personally, I was glad to be there.

According to John C. Maxwell's Failing Forward, you must take risks and if you fail, learn from your mistakes. I was happy to find that the client liked my work in the audition and called me back for an additional performance. I didn't book the job and I know this because, according to the postings about the job, it shot the day before yesterday (Friday June 8th). Nonetheless, I was very happy to be called in again.

This afternoon before writing this blog, I sent my bio for the program from the workshop performance of Donovan Scott's Improv class two weeks from tomorrow. Scottie's class has been great for me. I think we've had to work hard as a group, but as an individual, I feel I've grown from it and freed myself from some corporate tension that I've been carrying around with me in recent months. I'm convinced that I got the callback because I'm freer again as an actor. Thanks to my class, I'm feeling better about performing in general.

I definitely failed forward in this class. About 3 classes ago, I failed miserably, but learned greatly from it. It was the last scene of the night. I did not want to go up on stage, because I just knew I didn't understand the exercise. And because I so badly did not want get up there, I volunteered and sprinted to the stage. Lucky me that I was up there with on of the more enthusiastic of our performers, George Snarberg. He was patient as I flailed and then as Scottie tried to help me sort out my confusion. It was tough hearing the negatives, but the constructive criticism and even criticism without construction (lol!) helped me learn the most. The next week was equally as difficult for me. So, I sprinted to the stage as often as I could again, and by the end of that class, I was feeling more confident. The one thing for which I am grateful is that I am not afraid to completely die on stage now. But if I do die up there, I'll do it with gusto! No more safe playing from me. Risk-taking is so much more fun and often results in excellence or great fun in the failures.

Maxwell in Failing Forward says that mistakes pave the path of success. I have truly been paving my path through my improv class the last 8 weeks. Our performance night is June 24th and I am excited to be on stage again. Performances are at the NoHo Arts Center on June 24, 2007 at 6p & 8p.

Action Creates Forward Movement

I got off the plane from a trip to Chicago @ 3pm on Wednesday May 31. I had enough time to take a shower then head off to take a personal training client then get to my Improv class. Class ended at 11p and I got to bed about 1p.

Then I headed to my office day job to arrive by 7a to leave in time to get to my actor's meeting that lasted until 8:30pm. The actor's meeting is a group of us that I initiated with two other actors last August to help us progress our careers. We hold each other accountable, share information, and brain storm ideas about how to progress in our careers. I started this because my tenacity for my career was flagging and I'd remembered something Robert Duvalll had said at one of the SAG foundation events. He said, "Do it with a group. Everyone goes up with a group." So, I started my own group with 2 other actors. Initially, we met once per week, but after about 6 months, we discovered that once a month worked better. So, now we all excitedly get together once a month and share our news.

This month I talked about John C. Maxwell's book "Failing Forward" that I'd picked up and read on my 4 day break to Chicago. I recommend it to everyone but particularly to actors. Basically, Maxwell talks about the fact that achievers and people who are successful have failed more than everyone else. It is from our failures that we learn and move forward. There is tons of information in the book that I cannot cover here, so I recommend you buy a copy, borrow a copy or even sit down in your neighborhood Borders Books and read a copy.

So, Thursday's commitments to groups and work ended at 8:45p and then I went home and finally got a couple of chores...including finally eating a meal sitting down instead of on the run to somewhere. LOL! Then I went to sleep. Oh right! I had a commercial audition for my lunch break. It was a national commercial for Nyquil. That's what was making me feel so lucky this week!

Friday, I worked my day job again and then my hairdresser made a much-needed house call. I'd been postponed for a couple of weeks due to her departure from her hair salon. So, I was incredibly grateful that she'd come by Friday evening after I got home from work. We had a great time. I'm hoping as my career rises, I can help her if she'd like for hers to rise with mine.

Friday night, I finally slept for about 9 hours. I woke up exhausted since I've been pulling very short nights for nearly 3 weeks. The reasons for these I'll save for another time. I was barely functioning the next morning, but sat down at my computer to attempt to return emails and catch up on communicating with people in my life! Low and behold, I noticed that there was a 4cd workshop today. So, I started prepping for that and went. It was quite wonderful. I didn't do a brilliant job, but I did an employable job and had stepped up to do it...partly due to the things I learned in Failing Forward. Failing in the workshop was a much better choice than not going. As it turned out, I met some new people and had a great time in the scene! After that I came home, had a light meal and passed out for about 4 hours...which brings me to now.

I woke up realizing that I've had a marvelous week working on my career and keeping jobs so that I can fund my career and my life while I work for and prepare for my career and that one really important role. I was exhausted. Even my horoscope said,"You're really tired, but you need to keep moving forward." LOL! And I'm so glad I did. Weeks like these are priceless and I'm planning to create more like them!

Get busy and take action for your career. It's exciting and can rejuvenate your flagging interest or energy or it can raise high energy higher and get you closer to that acting career and those goals.

I started another book this evening by John C. Maxwell called, "Talent is Never Enough." I recommend it as a follow up for "Failing Forward." May we all take risks and by doing so get closer to our goals! Learn from your failures so you can fly!