Photo by Cammy Kinney Photography
Retouches by Natalia Fedner Design
I have a couple announcements!
** Have you heard of MTT? Master Talent Teachers. Think of it as a 'virtual University' for us artists in the entertainment industry. It's a 'one-stop shop'.
"MTT is a group of successful talent teachers with long and illustrious careers who have come together as a creative, synergistic group to pass on our recipes for success to you. We are a creative eclectic mix of gender, age, ideology, approach, disciplines and expertise. We are not offering “get rich quick” plan or a “ten easy steps to success” program. Better yet, MTT offers important craft and career training as well as how what we teach continues to thrive in the constantly evolving world of entertainment. By sharing our stories, tips, methods and ideas through exclusive new web videos and articles presented two or three times a week, as well as featured content from a pool of hundreds of entertainment professionals — the Master Talent Teachers will assist you in creating your path to success."
My friend Kevin McCorkle is one of the teachers. He is the Career Coach. He has an amazing blog. He also provides great videos too. For more on Kevin on MTT's site, Click Here.
And for Kevin's personal website, Click Here.
** Have you seen the Kony 2012 video? Click Here for the video. I support the movement. The Universe is giving us an opportunity for our generation to step up, raise awareness, and make a change in the world. I think our generation, collectively has been asking for something like this...our Planet has been asking for something like this, to bring us together to help raise the level of our consciousness. And thanks to social media, what we can do together is limitless. I'm seeing new friendships come to life all around the world, via Facebook alone for this cause. It's moving. :*)
Are Actors Flaky?
Wanna know my opinion? Hell Yes and Hell No! We're just like everybody else but, we may be more prone to it...here's why.
First, here's a definition of Flaky...according to the Urban Dictionary.
| flaky | 965 up, 130 down | |
An unreliable person. A procrastinator. A careless or lazy person. Dishonest and doesn't keep to their word. They'll tell you they're going to do one thing, and never do it. They'll tell you that they'll meet you somewhere, and show up an hour late or don't show up at all. Also spelled "flakey", or "flake" in the noun form.
She told me she would send me her pictures, but it's been 3 months and she hasn't sent me shit. She's flaky as hell.
| ||
Ok, guilty. :P
But, I have more compassion for myself and others now because I think I know where it comes from.
I have legitimate reasons for 'flaking' some times. The other...mmmmm......20-30% (used to be 90%.... I know) is from FEAR.
I'll explain. Tell me if you can relate to any of these...these were and are thoughts that go through my head after committing to auditions, acting related meetings/workshops/showcases, dating, going to screenings/parties, going to yoga class, writing my blog, etc....pretty much everything.
* I don't wanna go now because.......I don't know what to wear.
* I don't wanna go now because.......I don't know who is going to be there or what if I don't know anybody.
* I don't wanna go now because.......I feel unprepared and I don't know what their expectations of me will be, so I don't want to go.
* I don't wanna go now because.......What if I make a mistake? What will they think of me?
* I don't wanna go now because....... Eh, it won't kill me if I miss it.
* I don't wanna go now because........I just NEED some time for myself.
* I don't wanna go now because........I don't even know if I want to do this anymore, or want this anymore.
* I don't wanna go now because........I don't feel so good anymore.
* I don't wanna go now because.......I've been pushing _______ off and I want to do it now.
* I don't wanna go now because........So and so is gonna go, or not gonna go anymore.
* I don't wanna go now, I don't wanna start now because........(Fill in the blank with any other excuses you can think of).
Whether you flake on others or on yourself, flaking is flaking. Great, now you have some awareness around that....now, let's see why the behavior exists and how we can make peace with it.
Many times these questions overwhelmed me to the point that I then started asking these questions before committing to anything, which kept me from committing, at all. I was afraid I'd want to flake later so I wouldn't even give it a chance!
Whoa. You can get stuck here. And it's a rough place to be stuck in because you know you want to be more active and proactive. And you know if you aren't, you are the only one to blame. Well, I'm here to tell you, no. It's not YOU.
Yes, it comes from you...a fearful place in you but, it's not YOU.
What are you afraid of? Are you afraid to fail? Are you afraid to succeed?
Because YOU ARE completely capable and ready for what's already here, and for what's to come. But you already know that, don't you? Deep down, I know you know. ;*)
For years, I didn't feel ready. I was scared of everything. I was scared of everybody. I couldn't seem to follow through with things. Luckily, I didn't burn too many bridges. I got pissed at myself about it....a lot....but, made up legit-sounding excuses for each. Thought everything was fine and dandy until they all added up and then........depression.
This is the clever thing about Ego...it started to tell me that I needed to get out of my depression first and then I'll be ready. This is something I learned from the book, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. One of the ways Resistance gets you is to get you to believe that you have to heal before you begin your work. Wrong. Work through your healing. Whenever you wait for the perfect moment to come, you're missing the perfect moment right now and you'll find yourself forever waiting.
So, I started small....and instead of pushing myself to get 'acting' things done (which just got me feeling overwhelmed, tense, and heavy), I subscribed to TheDailyLove.com and I began reading it every morning. I realized that any change is change. I started to read more books, I started to watch more youtube videos on people I found inspirational and successful. Although it had nothing to do with acting, it had everything to do with it. I discovered lots of uncharted territories within myself...what I liked, who I related to, whose ideas resonated with me, what I believed in....all this helped me gather pieces of myself and l came alive again. This is important for us artists to have an intimate relationship with ourselves.
And then I started this blog to hold me accountable every step of the way. And I used it as a way to document and create while I was healing. This is when I went Pro. The reason why I LOVE the book The War of Art so much, it taught me the difference between an amateur and a Pro. Get the book, read it and go Pro.
Warren Buffett, one of the biggest Pro and richest man in the world said, 'Build Habits of Success'. What are your habits of success? What's your work ethic like? What time do you get up in the morning? What time do you go to bed? What's the first thing you do when you get up in the morning? What's the last thing you do before you go to bed?
For me, one major thing I wanted to change because it wasn't serving me or my career.....I wanted to get up earlier. I used to go to bed reeeeally late and had no choice but to sleep in. And I rarely woke up excited to get the day started. Now, I wake up around 7am every morning...some days a bit earlier, other days a lil later...no alarm needed. And I go straight to my meditation table. This has changed everything for me. I stopped telling myself that I'm a 'night person' and I committed to getting an early start on my day. If you're thinking you can't get up early, trust me, you can. I'm sure if all babies of the world thought walking would be impossible, we'd have a generation full of crawlers now. You just gotta believe it's possible and do something everyday. YOU have the power to make changes...any changes....all you need to do is decide and start. And keep this mind....it takes 21 days to start a new habit, and 40 days to break one. It takes time...just when you want to throw in the towel, just give yourself a little more time.
Other successful people (Tony Robbins, Les Brown, Russell Simmons, Jim Rohn, Oprah Winfrey) I admire have all said, 'Feed and Nourish Your Mind'. So what if you're not doing anything specific for acting right now? Something in you isn't driving you there...yet. Go to where you get inspired and excited. Start there. And build a foundation. Find something, anything you LOVE right now. What piques your interest at the moment? Read up on it. Watch videos on it. Research it more. Get into a zone and lose sense of time because of it. Use this downtime to recharge YOU. Don't fear that you're wasting your time when you should be doing things for your career. Bullshit. Drop the guilt-trip and allow yourself to live and have fun. It will all come full circle when you're happy. Use the downtime to learn. Jim Rohn, another exceptional speaker and teacher believes in 'Personal Development'....use the downtime to develop yourself....not every moment of our existence has to be about DO-ing. Expand your mind, expand your Soul...it will only do you good. Stretch yourself in ways you knew possible but, lied to yourself at times to psych yourself out of it.
So, are you prone to being flaky like me? Flakiness comes from Fear...not you. Understand that, have compassion there, then commit to building habits of who you want to become. Be patient. Give change time.
All you have to do is Be Ready NOW. Don't worry if you'll be ready for the future. Why burden the NOW with worries of the future? As long as you're ready now, you WILL be ready for the future. It's like killing two birds with one stone. Morbid. :P
Actually, YOU ARE READY. Just trust and take a step. If you need a hand to hold, here's mine...I'm doing it with you. I know it's scary but, there is nothing to be afraid of. Do you feel like you're in a dark place and you don't know if you'll ever get out because you don't know how to get out? Do you feel like there are things about you that don't make you happy but, you're going to be stuck with them forever? Nothing is permanent. Change is inevitable. Just decide what you want to change and do what you can for it everyday. Let God/The Universe take care of everything else.
I know it's hard at times to bring yourself out of your head and put some damn clothes on and walk out the door. I know it's hard to write that follow-up letter and send it out. I know it's hard to drink more water. I know. But, it gets easier. It will get easier. Those scary thoughts are just thoughts and you do have power over them. Look at them. Find emotional detachment from them. Stand apart from them and observe them. And breathe. All is good in the world and everything is alright with you. You will follow through and your heart and Soul will thank you. Work with your Soul and see what's on the other side of your fear. I bet you'll see it wasn't so bad...and you'll walk away feeling a kind of personal victory that will carry you on the next.
God/The Universe doesn't just give you opportunities and people to help you sometimes. God/The Universe doesn't just give you opportunities and people to help you for a given time frame and if you don't take it then, then you're punished to not have it at all. God/The Universe is always giving, always helping, and always loving. It's just up to you to see everything as miracles and gifts. It's like being a ninja...using your given resources to maximize the NOW. And the more you expect to be a co-creator, a co-manifester, with God/The Universe...that's when crazy miracles happen. ;)
You know one of my favorite quotes of ALL time by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe....
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”
Have a wonderful week Pros!
with LOVE,
Alex
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