Auditions & Coaches

So I am a member of a few casting websites. Basically, they send you the castings in which you fit the criteria. Out of the gazillions of jobs I've submitted myself for, I've gotten actual auditions for two ... both did not turn out as planned...

My very first audition opportunity was for a Fitness DVD for a "major" client. I don't know who the major client was, but I do know that the company has done DVDs for Billy Blanks, Kim Kardashian, Bob from The Biggest Loser, etc.  I was informed of the audition on a Thursday ... and the audition was that Saturday. It wouldn't have been a problem, if I actually lived in LA. Anyway ... I have a video to explain the problem further.

My second audition opportunity came from a writer/acting coach, via skype (So at least this time I wasn't out of $300). Prior to the audition we had chat convo on skype .. where he basically told me that he doesn't normally hire actors without a lot of experience. So I told him that I could change his mind (trying to sound confident). Anyway, the audition happens, I get nervous, I'm pretty bad apparently. According to him anyway ... blah blah blah ... and so now I have a new acting coach! 

I definitely need all the knowledge and experience I can get, so no complaints here! At least now I will have gotten my first bit of LA coaching before I get to LA. He honestly hurt my feelings a bit with his critique, but it definitely won't deter me from my dream, if anything I will work even harder. I still love it. All I can do is soak it all in, learn all that I can, and do my best! 

K, bye!

A little inspiration this morning ...

‎"I embrace the change of my life as a miracle in action."

“Don’t let yourself be weighed down by what other people think, because in a few years, in a few decades, or in a few centuries, that way of thinking will have changed.  Live now what others will only live in the future.”   - Paulo Coelho

“Yes, I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can find his way by moonlight, and see the dawn before the rest of the world."  - Oscar Wilde

‎"Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it."

“To dream anything that you want to dream. That’s the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed." - Bernard Edmonds

“Somewhere in your make-up there lies sleeping, the seed of achievement which, if aroused and put into action, would carry you to heights, such as you may never have hope to attain." - Napoleon Hill

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” - George Bernard Shaw

“I found that every single successful person I’ve ever spoken to had a turning point and the turning point was where they made a clear, specific, unequivocal decision that they were not going to live like this anymore. Some people make that decision at 15 and some people make it at 50 and most never make it at all.” - Brian Tracy

"You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you. If you don't have that kind of feeling for what it is you are doing, you'll stop at the first giant hurdle." - George Lucas

***All of these are via thedailylove.com ... love that blog!

First Fitness Competition!

I competed in my very first fitness competition this weekend - NPC Oklahoma! It was tons of fun, I definitely learned a lot. It also made me start to think that being a personal trainer would be a great job to have during my acting journey. That way I can do the two things that I enjoy the most. Exercise and acting!

Anyway, with it being my very first show, I think nerves got the best of me during judging. I forgot to keep the smile up, and my sassiness wasn't quite on point. I turned it up a lot in the night show, but by that time it was too late and the judges had already made up their minds. Now that I have one under my belt I feel like I have a better grasp on what to do for the next one.

Competing is definitely expensive and it's cutting into my ability to save for LA, but I feel like I'm getting a lot out of it as well. If I can't walk out on stage confidently and at least ACT like I know what I'm doing, then I probably can't do it in other aspects either. So I'm working on my stage presence and nerves, so I think it's beneficial. :-)

Anywho! Very very fun weekend. I loved being around all the fit people! The next show is July 23 in Springfield, MO. I have three days of eating absolutely anything, and then its back on the diet and training. I am making the most out of my three days, but I can't wait to keep improving my body and do this again in 5 weeks!

Blahhhhhhh

Man oh man, can parents bring you down with a quickness or what?!?! I love my parents to death, after all they did give me life and supported me for the first 18 years of my life (and still do on occasion). But when it comes to dreaming big, pursuing out of the ordinary goals, or just pushing the norm in general, they are not with it.

In the case of my dreams of pursuing acting and moving to LA, they make me feel like an idiot for even fathoming it. They have already told me I'll be wasting my time ... they basically told me that I am going to be broke and selling myself on the corner .... they have absolutely no faith in me whatsoever.

Now I'm all for proving people wrong and shutting up the Naysayers .... but ... when its your parents, it definitely weighs on you a little (a lot) more.

On the one hand, it pisses me off that my own parents think that I would fail so miserably. They are supposed to be the ones that have faith in me, that support me, that push me to my full potential.
On the other hand, my parents came from a super small, super country town in west Arkansas. Coming to Fayetteville and being able to get a college education and live comfortably was achieving the dream for them. They want me to play it safe and stick around Arkansas and live "comfortably" like them....yeah, not happening. Fayetteville is a beautiful place, and a great place to raise a family ... but I'm not planning on having a family any time soon (if at all), and it's not like Fayetteville is going anywhere. I can always come back.

Ugh, anyway ... I just had to vent. My feelings are hurt beyond belief. I'll get over it and keep moving forward and it definitely won't stop me from pursuing everything that I want to do. But if I have kids, I will never deter them from their dreams. I want them to reach and exceed their potential, even if it's in a bunch of different things.

‎"You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you. If you don't have that kind of feeling for what it is you are doing, you'll stop at the first giant hurdle." ~George Lucas

Progress Update

Ummm ... well there hasn't been too much progress really. Let's see....

I received an email from THE casting director that helped choose the cast of the majority of the Disney shows that are currently on the air (Wizards of Waverly Place, Sweet Life, Sunny with a Chance, That's so Random, etc), and she is also the casting director for Blue Mountain State on Spike. She remembered me from the cruise, asked about my progress with training/classes, told me to let her know when I make the move to LA, and she would get me in for castings that I was right for. She seemed very genuine and down to earth and willing to help, which is awesome. And maybe she sent similar emails to everyone, I don't know. I'm just glad that she at least remembered me. Anything is a start, right?

I read an acting book last week. I read it in one sitting, it took me about 4 hours to finish. It was called Acting with Integrity: The essential "how to" book for aspiring actors, by Ryan Kitley.

It was an easy read and definitely informative. I'm trying to get as much knowledge as I possibly can. I don't want to go into anything blind, not smart (or efficient).

I have my second installment of my acting class on Wednesday ... we are supposed to have a dramatic monologue memorized from a play that we have actually read. I haven't quite found a play or monologue yet, so I need to get on that.

My first fitness competition is on Saturday! My competition suit is being tailored as we speak, my shoes should be delivered either today or tomorrow, and I have my stage routine ready! I'm really hungry (which means I've been sticking to my meal plan), and I have been working out like a maniac. After Saturday, I will know if it is something I want to continue doing, or if I want to chalk it up as a great experience. Even though I really really really miss all those beautiful foods that are bad for me, I'm pretty sure I'll want to continue.

Hopefully I'll have some awesome pics to post afterwards!