I'm baaaaaaaaack!!!!
Beautiful Korea
My grandma and her two brothers
First and foremost, I'd like to thank everyone for joining me on my trip to Korea through my vlogs. It felt great reading your comments and Facebook messages. I haven't done vlogs in a while so it was fun to get back to some editing. My intentions were to not do anything at all while I was gone but, thanks to my friend Judith for planting the idea....and after all, I'm a professional blogger now. :) THE SHOW MUST GO ON! And to Sammyvicious who's been so loyal, sorry for no Monday morning coffee video last week! :)
I'm home in Brooklyn for a bit and I return to LA this week. Excited to get back to work. Below are some links to articles and blogs that have been helping me get pumped.
So, I received some great news while I was gone. I've been taking a break from training because I wanted to focus on doing some workshops but, I've been feeling like I want to get back to the nitty gritty. Towards the end of last year, I audited an amazing class and I felt in my bones that I wanted to study with him....
Larry Moss. I've heard so many great things about him and since he only comes to LA twice a year, I thought 'I should see what he's all about for myself'. Whoa whoa WHOA! I was blown away. I walked away after auditing feeling a surge of excitement for the craft once again. I set a new goal for myself early this year that the next time he was back in town, I was going to study with him. I stayed in touch with his assistant to make sure I was in the loop. Well, I'm in! I got accepted to do his intensive this month! I got my scene and scene partner and will begin rehearsals next week. I'm nervous! But, really stoked! I'll keep you posted on how it goes. If you are interested in Larry's workshop, I highly recommend auditing.
http://larrymoss.org/
I also signed up for 2 workshops this month. One with Bob Lambert, for All My Children and Meredith Fordney for NCIS. My plan is to do at least one workshop a month to meet and build some sort of relationship with casting directors for television. Let's get started!!!
So here are the links I promised. Hope they help you in some way....Enjoy!
(Thank you Dennis Roberts for sending me these youtube links)
Wealth Dynamics in 10 min.
'Roger Hamilton talks about Wealth Dynamics, the profiling system that lets you find out exactly who you are and how you should be working with others around you. The Wealth Dynamics Profiling System provides clarity in your path of least resistance to wealth creation.'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c70WH_aXizo
'This video is part of the Wealth Dynamics ePowerPack for Stars. There are eight paths to wealth. We each have one natural path. When you know your profile, go directly to the relevant part of Wealth Dynamics Central and access the resources that will support you right now.'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuN_Gw2_rHY
I initially subscribed to this to learn more about the comedy community but Josh Spector, founder of
Connected Comedy gives great tips for not just comedians but also for actors, bloggers, artists.
http://connectedcomedy.com/a-new-way-to-measure-your-success-the-10-goal/
I love me some
Brains of Minerva! They always have the best articles to help fellow actors. Do you need to get a press kit ready soon??? Read on!
http://www.brainsofminerva.com/2011/04/12/acting/an-experts-tips-on-assembling-your-press-kit-yes-you-need-one/#more-3483
I also subscribe to Bob Fraser's emails. To be honest, I'm a subscriber wh*re..I subscribe to everyone and their mother. I'm a curious creature. However, I have not purchased or tried Bob's tools...yet. I thought about it. But he does send some great emails such as this...
9 Steps to An Actor's Mental Power
Many of us go to the gym to stay in shape. (Okay, many of
YOU ... I sit around like a lump on log. But, don't forget
I'm retired and lazy.)
Staying in good physical condition is a pretty good habit
that will keep you healthy. However, your mental condition
is crucial to your dreams of acting success.
Because this is a business that has as its main feature a
great deal of rejection (everybody gets rejected, even big
stars), it is a good idea to get yourself into peak mental
condition.
I call it "the success mindset" - and it's a form of mental
power.
So, here's my 9 step mental conditioning regimen. Practice
them every day and the inevitable rejection and frustration
you face will never get the best of you.
1. It's usually not about you. I know this is hard to get,
but believe me, most other people are not thinking about
you when they do the things they do or make the decisions
they make. Always keep this in mind when you are on the
receiving end of a bummer.
Just repeat ... "It's not about me, it's not about me."
2. Keep your accomplishments in mind. Again, it's easy to
forget what you HAVE done when faced with something that
hasn't worked out for you. But you must keep a good tally
of each forward step, every little victory, and all the
small things you get done every day.
Don't forget this golden oldie: "The longest journey begins
with the first step." Every little accomplishment is getting
you closer to your goal.
3. You are already a member of the club. You are a human
being and like all of the other members of the club, you
may sometimes feel as if you have something to prove. You
don't. Other people's opinion of you will not change your
membership status. You cannot be drummed out of the club.
You will always be a human being and you don't have to go
out of your way to prove it.
Relax.
4. You are not a walrus. No matter what anybody else says,
you are not THEIR definition. If other people say things
trying to make you feel less than great, it's their problem
not yours. Wisecracks at your expense are usually just some
poor loser's attempt to be more than they are - by making
you less than you are.
Ignore them. They will go away. Or you will.
5. As I point out in CUE - The Professional Actors Guide,
love is the engine of success. Be a loving person, love what
you do, love those who love you - and please don't forget
that anyone who tries to make you hateful is attempting to
rob you of your engine. Don't let them do this. You need
this engine to get where you want to go. Love your enemies
- it will drive them crazy. Hate your enemies and it will
drive YOU crazy.
Don't get crazy until you have REALLY good health insurance.
6. There is no perfect. Oh, we try ... but it just doesn't
exist. Don't let your desire for the perfect picture, the
perfect part, the perfect timing or the perfect opportunity
stop you from going forward in a less than perfect way.
Going forward is the only way to attain the goal. Waiting
for the perfect is a plan to keep waiting forever. I repeat,
there is no perfect.
Don't wait. Do it now.
7. What you happen to like is important. If you're a fan of
coffee tables made out of a wagon wheels ... go for it.
Never think that trying to live your life in accord with
someone else's ideas of what is 'right' will ever work for
you. It won't.
The reason this is important is this: following your likes
and dislikes will allow you to be mentally at peace and
emotionally fit. Best of all, trusting your taste will keep
you away from doing things that can be disastrous to your
mental health.
Follow YOUR bliss.
8. Nothing ever works the way it is supposed to. It's like
physics or something. What this means is that when things
don't work out for you, (which happens to everyone on a
regular basis) you shouldn't attach too much importance
to the event.
It is the very randomness of our universe that guarantees
that bad things will happen from time to time. It is almost
always a terrible idea to make big decisions based on one
event... so don't.
We all have issues. Deal.
9. Always remember to breathe. You would be surprised at
how many bad decisions you will make while holding your
breath. A good deep breath can save you money, save jobs,
save relationships ... and keep you alive. It's this last
thing that I attach a lot of importance to. Almost no one
becomes a star after they're dead. Okay, some painters ...
but they don't get to spend the money.
As you have already learned from Arnold Schwarzenegger -
repetition is the mother of fitness. Keep repeating these
exercises and you will prevail.
Just do it.
* * * * * * * *
Bob's an actor, writer, director, producer and show-runner.
He's also the author of CUE - The Professional Actors Guide,
The Audition Project, Headshot Secrets, The Agent Code,
Action - The Acting Career System, and An Actor Works -
12 hour acting career workshop on video.
I hope you enjoyed the links. Enjoyed my blog. See you back here next week! I will get back to my normal weekly goals and updates.
with LOVE,
Alex
