Create your own work!
You'll never make it in this business unless you write and produce and perform and film and edit your own stuff!
You don't have a YouTube channel?!
Honestly, you'll never get into audition rooms without making your own movies. It's just how it is now.
Everyone should have a project they are working on filming. No matter the cost.
The latter is a list of things I have heard for years. And they are 100% being said at this moment to others. This is the new mentality of "hustle". You are no longer enough in the entertainment business unless you do legit everything.
I am so f*cking sick of hearing this.
Guess what? I do not like writing scenes, or sketches, or scripts.
There.
I said it.
(Bring on the haters!)
It took me weeks to write this god damn blog post.
I have been killing myself on a daily basis for years with guilt because I just want to act out other people's ideas. If I liked anything in the world as much as I liked acting, TRUST ME, I would be doing that instead.
All this talk about what I should be doing makes me feel lazy and uncreative. Because that's what everyone is telling me I am. I am here to tell you, fellow actors-who-hate-writing, we are OK. In fact, we are GREAT.
I really really freaking love being given a script, written by someone who loves writing, and my task is to bring these words to life. I have tried again and again to write a scene I would want to be in, or the bare bones of a plot, or even a freaking short story. And I have never been so unsettled in my life. I am NOT a believer that you have to suffer to be good, on the contrary I really think if something makes you so god damn miserable, than it is probably not your calling.
To those of you reading this thinking, "but I like acting out and creating things I have written!" then I am so jealous of you! That is such a blessing. And I truly appreciate what you do and the work you put into it (also I play a great cheerleader, mean girl, and midwestern girl-next-door if you have any characters on the rise....).
And to those of you who are breaking your backs financing your own projects, I commend your work. I am in awe of your time and talent.
At this moment in my life, when rent and food are top notch concerns and acting class is roughly $350 a month, I cannot afford it. Financially and mentally. I would rather pay for the things that make me great at the one thing I know I am great at...but I cannot feel bad for this. I have no debt and that takes a great deal of stress off my day to day life. I am more open and honest in my auditions because I do not need every single job to pay off a loan I took out.
Like I said, if you have/are doing this, I have a lot of respect for you. And I want to be your friend because I bet you're fascinating, a hard worker, exciting and inspiring to be around.
But for that handful of us who like to act and nothing else, you are not alone. Should you wait around day after day waiting for someone to call you in?
Nah. Life is too short for that. You can read in my other posts the ideas I feel make for good "in between"er's. But do you have to stare a a blue-lit Mac screen for hours on end to write a Funny or Die sketch when you'd rather actually just die?
Also Nah.
Have something going for yourself you enjoy doing, so when that question gets asked "so, what are you working on?" you always have an answer that makes your face light up like the surface of a Hollywood 2nd marriage engagement ring.
Recent quote I heard: "I am an interpratour, not a creator". I love this.
If you're like me, let's stop being afraid of putting all our eggs in one incredibly hard to reach basket!
So you just act?
Yup, gosh and aren't I so lucky?
Questions? Nice constructive comments? Please add em below!
Real life image of me writing this post.