After the show: Take It Easy…

So far I’ve had three successful performances for my solo show.  I’ve partnered up with a wonderful actress and director and somehow we’ve managed to do it.  However, afterward, I was completely wiped out.  Mentally and physically.  Normally after a show there is post show blues which I am familiar with.  However, this time around, post show blues were really bad.

I realized that I have to take it easy. I’m not the same person that I was before.  I average 3-4 hours of sleep per night.  I am BREASTFEEDING for god’s sake (constantly hungry and thirsty).  My baby sitter had major family drama and had to quit so I’m with baby 24 hours.  Ten minutes before going on stage, I was holding Baby M in my arms and wondered what the heck I was going to do.

THIS WEEK’S MANTRA:  DOING NOTHING IS OKAY

NO MORE NON PAYING WORK…(Reasons you shouldn’t work for free)

…Unless it’s working with people who I know are kick ass.

I made this vow earlier in the year but I FORGOT it because I thought JUST THIS TIME I will work with a student film director.  I’ve been given a lot so I feel like sometimes it’s good to give back.  However, this director was a poor writer, a bad director and had a bad attitude.  It was an unpleasant experience.  She questioned my acting skills, she got frustrated with me and we just didn’t jive.  But I thank this director because she REMINDED me of my vow I made earlier in the year and to stick with it.  So thank you, Rigid Not So Great Director for that reminder.

It depletes your energy.
When I first started in acting, I did tons of student films.  I did it for the experience, I did it to cut my teeth and have stuff for my reel.  Now that I’m a little more established and with child, I’ve decided that I can only work for pay.  And I mean it this time.  It takes time and energy that could be devoted to my daughter, to my husband, to myself…and my career.

You deserve to be paid.
Artists deserve to make a living and flourish!  We deserve to work with the best in the industry.  We deserve nice treatment.  Period.  The idea that artists should be starving is a bunch of hooey.  Selling out is a myth that unsuccessful people like to complain about when someone else makes it.

You need to get out of your comfort zone.
My coach always asks me, what does giving 100% mean to you?  It means focusing on the goals you want and not accepting everything that comes your way.  Doing amateur work is easy, you work with amateurs.  It’s harder to get to the work you really want…sometimes so hard you might take amateur work to fill the dead time.  But does it add value to you?