Television, Here I Come! Week 47.

Hi World!  Hi everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.


My birthday party's coming up and I'm starting my hosting workshop and Larry Moss in couple of weeks!  Lots to dooooo!  No blog post this week.  Sorry.  :)

But, here's a cool video.  I'm researching one person shows since I'm writing my own and  I heard about Sarah Jones, who did Bridge and Tunnel.  Ummm...she is A-MAZING!!!  The Chinese lady is my favorite!



Have a wonderful week!  Yaaaay!  It's my birthday soon!  I've been waiting all year for this.  :)


with LOVE,

Alex

Television, Here I Come! Week 46. 'What it means to be INTIMATE and FEMININE'

My friend Cammy and I made a cute and funny FEEL GOOD video.  Going through break-ups are hard but when you survive it....you come out more YOU.  So, here's the video, I hope you enjoy.

Speaking of break-ups......

I learned more profoundly what it means to be INTIMATE and to be the FEMININE this past week.

I met up with an ex.  He's the first ex ever to reconnect with, let alone meet with.  We had a wonderful relationship that lasted for a year but ended abruptly, 4 years ago.  We haven't spoken or seen each other since.  

Days leading up to finally seeing him, I started to get cold feet.  Even though I agreed to see him, I was still one foot out.  I would talk myself in and out of it throughout the day.  I started to get anxious, irritable, quiet, scattered....felt like something was brewing inside me.  My Ego and I were going at it.  I guess this was weighing on me more than I wanted it to.

Because I was reacting and responding from an unconscious and/or subconscious place, and it emotionally stirred up things in me, I was wanting to avoid it, run from it,....I knew there was healing for me there.  

Who knew my first healing lesson would come so soon...and in quite an embarrassing way?

INTIMACY

I called him to let him know I was downstairs.  I haven't heard his voice in 4 years...nerve-wracking.  He picks up.  It was fine.  He said he was coming down.  As soon as we hung up, I could feel every cell in my body panicking.  I didn't know what to do....not enough time to call someone but, I can text! Yes, that's what I'll do.  So, I texted Cammy.  "OMG, he's coming down..gonna see him in 2 sec! Aaaaaahhhh!!!"  Send.  I check my phone to see how much time has gone by since I called him.  Whaaaaaaaaaat.  I kid you not, that text didn't go to Cammy....it went to my ex!  I was mortified.

I poked my head out the window...there he was...walking over.  I wanted to just drive off and never speak to him again..but, no.  Let go of your Ego and insecurities Alex.  And if yoga taught me anything...it's to stay in it...through the discomfort and pain and see what's on the other side.  

So, my first words to him were, "I texted you something by accident and I'm so embarrassed!"  I just got effin honest.  One of my most vulnerable moments I have to say.  He played it off like a gentleman...thank you.  

In that moment, I learned more about intimacy.  True intimacy.  Intimacy with myself.

Are you the actor/actress that has a hard time watching yourself?  I used to want to crawl out of my skin when I had to watch myself...I didn't like my voice, I didn't like my nervous ticks, I didn't like my skin, I didn't like this, I didn't like that.  Mistakes!  Mistakes!  MISTAKES!!  Woof!  So, when I started making my vlogs...I had no choice but to sit through the discomfort of it so that I can edit.  I learned a lot about myself and about acting through it.  I was becoming more intimate with myself...getting to know myself and accepting myself.

In that moment, yes, my ex played a part in making the situation less awkward but, I did too.  That's the important thing.  I stayed and got honest about it because I knew intuitively that it was a 'meant-to-be mistake'.  It was a lesson for me to not run away and bury the experience but instead, own up to it and love myself through it.  I revealed a vulnerable, nervous, unmanageable side of me and it was OK.  Regardless of his response, I was OK.  I got intimate with myself big time.  

Can you relate to this at all?  Is there anything you intuitively feel like there's a part(s) of you that needs your love and compassion??  There's healing there.  Be brave and go.  It'll be painful but, stay in it, and see what's on the other side.  It's usually...no, always what you would never expect, in a good way...and perhaps, even glorious.

The FEMININE

He got me flowers.  He prefaced it by saying, "I got you something but, don't get weird about it."  Hahaha.  I thanked him and accepted.  

Sounds normal right?  Nope.

Let's read in between the lines, shall we?  He prefaced it by saying not to get weird about it...because I could get weird about it.  And he was right.  I could have gotten mad at him.  I would have in the past.  I would have put too much pressure on the flowers, made it all more than it really was, then get mad at him for making me feel pressured.  But, here's the truth....it was just a nice gesture on his part.  I know that now.  So, I received with thanks.  

What it means to be the FEMININE.  The FEMININE energy is about receiving.  The MASCULINE energy is about giving.  In that moment, because I received, I took on the feminine role...and by my doing that, I opened a space for him to be the giver, and naturally take on the masculine role.  

We all have both divine energies in us.  It's about finding balance of both.  We live in a society where it's been masculine driven, "We live in a man's world".  But, as we shift into the New Aquarian Age, we will feel and see the rise of the feminine.  The world will become less about doing but, about being. And many women of our time have lost our ability to receive because we've been fighting men for equality.  But, we can't be.  Because we're just different.  We have different roles.  It's knowing yours.  In the spiritual sense.  And by knowing your role in the spiritual sense, it will translate into the physical world.

I am no longer the girl that says, "Why can't you be a man?" but, I am now the woman that knows how to create the space for a man to step into his role.  

Finding your role and feeling your energy complement with another isn't just for you and your lover....it's with everyone in your life too.  For example, I was crossing the street and I came to a 4 way intersection.  As a pedestrian, yes I have the right of way but sometimes I let cars go first.  I signaled the car to go, she said for me to go, I was going to tell her to go again but, I just held my hand up, smiled and lipped 'thank you'.  She smiled back.  You're giving by receiving.  Look at the Yin Yang symbol.  

So, ladies, let's own our divine energy.  Reawaken it and light up the world.  :)

Great lessons right?!

And I'm grateful to my ex for being my mirror and teacher.  :) 

Have a wonderful week everybodyyyyy.  Oh, Happy Thanksgiving!!!!  :)  :)

with LOVE,

Alex  

Television, Here I Come! Week 45. 'KNOW THY BRAND'

Cammy Kinney Photography

MAGICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

*  First, a SHOUT OUT to my last accountability buddy, Marsha!  Magic, dear lady!

Marsha took a break from acting for a bit.  We got together just when she decided it was time for her to come back.  One of her goals....book a tv show.  She had a target CD.  Signed up for her workshop.  Guess who got called in already for an audition by her target CD?  Yup, Marsha.  Way to go!  That's what I'm talking about.  One Love Miss Henraaaaaaay!  :)  :)

*  Next magical thing!  Remember the Marki Costello workshop I took at ActorFest??  She's the 'IT' person in the hosting world.  She teaches and manages.  Well, she saw my blog, watched a vlog I made, and called me!!!  Whaaaaaaat.  I thought I was going to throw up.  We talked about my brand/product, and she was extremely supportive and encouraging.  Her December BootCamp workshop was full but she opened up a spot for me!  I signed up quick.  ;)  Wait, why am I surprised??  I told God/The Universe what I wanted, and it delivered.  As always.  Thank you.  As always.  :)

If you want to know more about Marki and her workshops....

BecomeAHost

SO,

What's your Brand??

You want to take your career to the next level?  Know your brand.  Who are you?  What do you do?  What do you represent??  What stories live inside of you and want to be heard?  Why do you do what you do?  Why would people come to YOU?  What do you offer that others don't?  How do you make your audience feel?  

Do you realize how crucial it is to know this NOW??  Not 'when I get an agent', not 'when I get a manager', not 'when I get a publicist'.  Because it's not their job to tell you who you are, what parts you are right for/not right for, when you go out for auditions, what to say/not to say, how much you get paid, what to wear, what jobs to take/not take, etc...

This is all YOU.  Your team is there to collaborate with you and guide you as professionals.  They are not there to 'make' you.  You already exist.  You are already here.  You already have what it takes to do what you're here to do.  It's just a matter of showing up and saying, "Here I Am."

"If you build it, they WILL come".  I believe this and know this to be true.  And Marki said this a dozen times as well.  Trust me, when you build your own thing, you become a magnet, and people will come to you.  Whether it's an agent, a manager, a co-writer, a director, an actor/actress, a teacher, a student, etc...will show up.  Whoever you need will just show up.  They are your miracles and signs that you're on your way.  God/The Universe is your co-creator...waiting in the wings for your cue.  When will God/The Universe take your cue?  When you begin building.  Let's begin building.

SO,

How do you find your Brand??

Easy.  Just look at your pictures, old and new.  There's a pattern.  Ask your friends to describe you in one word.  There's a pattern.  Look at things you have created...anything you have created.  There's a pattern.  

Also try a little exercise Dallas Travers taught us.  Write a list of actors or actresses you like.  Not gender specific.  Then the role he/she played.  Then one adjective to describe why you liked him/her in that role.  Write at least 15.  Do this first before I tell you what you'll learn from this exercise.  Because knowing the rest can influence your answers.  :)  Answer at bottom of blog post.  

OR,

Start creating and doing.  This is what helped me.  Because the 'Who Am I?', 'What Do I Represent?' questions can get heady.  "Am I bubbly?  No way.  I thought I was sarcastic and dry but, then again, I was awfully cheery just now.  Do I come off aloof?  I thought I was being totally open and receptive.  Am I shy?  Damnit!  Why didn't I say anything?  Maybe I am...................."  Heady.  But, by doing and seeing...it puts a physical perspective to it.  My blog and vlogs are teaching me and showing me.  Who knew I was such a Positive Polly.  ;)  And by doing more and seeing more.....there will be a pattern.  The answers are all there.  

So whether you decide on a brand and push forward or push forward to discover your brand, as my mom and aunt would say, you figit it out.  You figure it out.  ;)  

SO,

Do you want to go a little deeper?

My accountability buddy, Morrison and I did a book exchange.  I'm reading a book of his, The Hero And The Outlaw by Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson.  This book is about 'Building Extraordinary Brands Through The Power Of Archetypes'.  Wow.  This book is just what I needed to read.  

If you want longevity in your career, this is a MUST READ.  Because brands that are based on an archetype thrive.  Because you touch your consumers on a soul-level.  Because you go deeper into the psyche and touch on a collective consciousness.  

Archetypes tell our stories...the most ancient stories.  Archetypes give us meaning.  Archetypes are universal and timeless myths that show us patterns to teach us the nature of our world.  The nature of our world.  That is why different cultures tell similar stories.  As different as we are, we are the same.  

An excerpt from the book:

"Perhaps the underlying reason that archetypes are so enduring is that, in essence, they reflect our inner realities and struggles.  The external particulars may vary, but the essential journey is always the same.

Joseph Campbell and other students of mythology maintain that the various myths and archetypes found all around the world are basically expressions of the inner human drama:  We can understand them as different expressions of an eternal impulse to find a human meaning in the mystery of creation. We 'recognize' them because we have been programmed to do so.  ...  In the view of Jung, Campbell, and others, we come into life instinctually resonating to these archetypal stories because of the very ways in which our minds are configured.  Therefore, the meaning of a product can be communicated very quickly simply by evoking a story or a concept that calls forth the viewer's instinctual recognition of some fundamental, recognizable truth."

Freud had his archetypes, Jung had his, Campbell had his too...I'm going by what's in the book.

Here is how Mark and Pearson break it down.

ARCHETYPES AND THEIR PRIMARY FUNCTIONS IN PEOPLE'S LIVES

Archetype                     Helps People                     Brand Example

Creator                          Craft something new           Williams-Sonoma

Caregiver                      Care for others                     AT&T 

Ruler                             Exert control                        American Express

Jester                             Have a good time                Miller Lite

Regular Guy/Girl          Be OK just as they are        Wendy's

Lover                            Find and give love               Hallmark

Hero                             Act courageously                 Nike

Outlaw                          Break the rules                    Harley-Davidson

Magician                       Affect Transformation         Calgon

Innocent                        Retain or renew faith           Ivory

Explorer                        Maintain independence        Levi's

Sage                              Understand their world        Oprah's Book Club

This goes for people too...not just corporations.  Jack Nicholsan is the Outlaw, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan is the Innocent.  Even movies portray archetypal stories...such as, Forrest Gump and Braveheart as the Hero, The English Patient and Titanic as the Lover, and Shakespeare in Love as the Creator.

Pretty cool and powerful stuff, huh??  Which one are you?  Which story is your story??

I used to think, "But all the good movies have been made already.  But all the good parts have been played already.  But all the good stories have been told already.  But, But, But."  Excuses.  Possibilities are unfathomable.  

You are a unique being.  You dress a certain way.  You talk a certain way.  You walk a certain way.  You love a certain way.  You fight a certain way.  You believe in certain things.  You believe in certain people.  You get the point.  YOU are one dynamic individual.  Believing this is the very first step.

Do you remember factorials in math class??

For example, 5! = 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1

Now, take this concept and apply it to all the certain ways about you.

For example, YOU! = __ x __ x __ x __ x __ x __ x __ x __ x __ x __  and on and on it goes because you are constantly evolving, changing, and learning.  It's never ending...so many possibilities.  And because the possibilities are endless, at any given moment...YOU are that much more hard to copy or replicate.  There's only ONE YOU.  And because there is ONLY ONE YOU, HOW you do what you do is going to be specific to you...not WHAT you do.  Which brings me to my last point.....

NOW,

Become Indispensable.

 “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.” 

― Maya Angelou

To understand more about becoming indispensable, here's a great interview with Seth Godin.  Seth Godin is the marketer's marketer.  He's the guru of our time.  They talk about Seth's book, Linchpin:  Are you indispensable?  Seth is great because not only is he business savvy, he's life savvy.  He understands how your work and life go hand in hand.  Better yet, how you do your work and how you live your life go hand in hand.  

http://personalmba.com/seth-godin-linchpin-indispensable/

***  Dallas Travers exercise continued...

Once you have listed 15 or more, again, you will see a pattern.  What characteristic/essence repeats itself??  You are drawn to that because it is you.  You connect with it, you desire it, you despise it, you somehow relate to it.  Because it's a part of you.  Yep, and you thought you weren't sexy....pshhh.  ;)

I hope this post helps you get more specific and empowered about your career.  Your brand is up to YOU.  Once you have a clear vision of your brand and your mission, run with it.  And go build your empire.  I'm building mine.  :)

I hope to see you and your brand thrive.  :)

Have a great week.

with LOVE,

Alex

Television, Here I Come! Week 44. 'ActorFest!'

Cammy Kinney Photography

Hiiiiiiiiiiii World!  Hiiiiiiiiiiii everybodyyyyyyyyy!!!!

*  Does this count as getting 'inked'??  ;)  My friend and fellow blogger gave me a shout out in her blog!  Thank you Kikey!  Here it is!
Livin' La Vida L.A!

*  And I read this quote this past week.  LOVE it.  By Jackson Kiddard.
Don't Settle
"Don't settle because you're afraid you won't find something better.
Don't compromise because you don't want to be alone.
Give your perfect life, lover and job,
time and space to grow into your life.
Don't rush, don't hurry.
Take your time, be easy, have patience.
Allow everything to come to you with your subtle guiding and intending.
Your days of constant chasing with little reward are over.
Everything you've ever wanted and more
are coming to you,
you just have to let it in with love,
receptivity and non-judgment.
Letting it in is how you become it."
:)

I went to ActorFest this past Saturday!  I put together a lil video of the experience.  :)



Have a beautiful week!  Full of surprises and miracles.  :)

with LOVE,

Alex

Television, Here I Come! Week 43. Criminal Minds Table Read and Shoot!

Cammy Kinney Photography

Hello everybodyyyyyyyy!!!!!

I am sitting at my brand spankin new place, on the balcony, it's a beautiful day, I just finished shooting my  first television show, and I'm finally writing this week's blog post.  Pheeeeeeewwwwww!  I am on cloud 9999999999999999999999999999999.    My life is changing day by day and I'm excited to see where it takes me. 

And yes, that's right!  That's a hammock alright.  My friend/roomie, Ash knows what's up.  :)

Here's to catch you up since the last post!!

We had a table read for Criminal Minds.  Production emailed saying it's on a voluntary basis for the guest cast to attend but they would love to have us there.  I went of course.  They had table names!  I grabbed a copy of the script and looked for my name.  Ooooh wee, there it was!  And sitting right next to me...two casting directors, Becky Silverman and Scott David.  How cool.

I sat down.  A lovely girl came up and asked if I had taken Dallas Travers's workshop.  I said, "Yes!!"  She said she had seen me post something on Dallas's facebook wall about booking this job.  Dallas's students somehow all find each other...it's a community after all.  So that was another cool thing.  But then it got cooler because we both realized later that I didn't write to Dallas, and she saw me thank Scott on his facebook wall instead!  Coincidental that she would mention Dallas?  I think not.  Another cool thing that I was meant to be there.  So great meeting you Christine!  :)

Gets even better.  I went back to reading the script when I heard someone say, "Alexandra?".  Voice was so familiar so I turned around quickly.  It was Bob Lambert!!!  The casting director for All My Children!  I had done a workshop with him not too long ago.  Awwwwwww!!!!  He's one of my favorite CDs!  He's working on a project with Scott so he was sitting in on the table read.  How small and tight the industry/community is.  Maaaad love for them both!!!!

So, multiple signs that I was meant to be there.  My friend Lauren helped me see this.  

Then, the fitting.  B.J. the head wardrobe person helped me.  She was another wonderful person to cross paths with.  She gave individual attention to each actor so we spent about 40 minutes cracking up and dressing up.  I was her last actor that day so she gave me extra attention, I think.  ;)  Thank you B.J. and kisses to your Isabella.  :)

Shoot day!

My call time was 5:24am in Chinatown.  Luckily I live in Miracle Mile area and no traffic.  It felt amazing waking up that early and going to 'work'.  Tee hee.  

I get there and find out I have my own trailer!!

They literally took me to hair and make-up shortly after I got there.  They even took my breakfast order and brought it to me while I was getting made up.  OMG.  I felt so glaaaaamorous daaaaahling.  

Off to shoot!  I was in the first shot, scene.  I got to work with Matthew Gray Gubler!  He's funny.  And so sweet.  I asked him for two autographs for my cousins...they love him.  And who knew Criminal Minds was one of their favorite shows?  So cute.  And for me, I got to take pictures.  ;)

We took more than one....actors.   ;)  Yay!!  Thank you Matthew!  

And here's me as the Reporter.  I was a complete natural.  ;)  I studied Journalism and almost wanted to be a news reporter/anchor, once upon a time.  Fulfilled that dream!  

On that note!  Have a fulfilling week everyone!  Wishing you a magical week.  :)

with LOVE,

Alex