The time has come, again...that's right, it's my birthday on Friday. Yay!! I LOVE my birthday! I love to celebrate, to toast, and I'm not gonna lie (guess its the performer in me) I kinda love the attention! ;) Birthdays are a time to rejoice in the fact that we've had the opportunity to live another year. But it can also be a reminder that we are another year older (a fact some people may not enjoy, because it is almost like a big old road sign saying "Ha, Ha. You thought you would be here at this age and honey, you ain't left the gate yet". Well, at least that's what my sign says. Yeah, my sign is pretty bitchy). And if you've been reading this blog you know that those moments for me, unfortunately, aren't few and far between. However, I also realize that I AM WHERE I AM SUPPOSED TO BE (even if I don't know why right now). Regardless of where anyone else is, I AM HERE!! There's a reason I'm where I am and I'm choosing to accept it.
That being said, accepting is not the same as giving up. Just because I'm here doesn't mean I won't get there (apparently I'm just on the slow track). I read a quote recently that resonated with me and I think it fits perfectly: "Wherever you are, is just fine…You can get to wherever you want to be from wherever you are… It’s time to stop measuring where you are in relationship to where anybody else is. The only factor that has anything to do with you is where you are in relationship with where you want to be." --- Abraham Hicks
So on Friday when I blow out the candles and enter my Jesus year (that's right, I just told you my age fellow Jesus believers, lol) my goal for the coming year is to stop comparing myself to where others are and focus on my own course. I'm the only one that can get me there. And I won't put blinders on to what everybody else does or has, but instead, will be happy for them and content in the fact that I'm on my own way!
Enjoy your life because its the journey not the destination that's important (and not everybody got the chance to live and love and laugh and celebrate another year) so I will be celebrating my life and the wonderful people I have in it. And I will celebrate the accomplishments I've made this year because even if they weren't the ones I expected, they were still great and I'm proud of the work I've done.
Here's to the next year...I can't wait to see what's in store, whatever it is, it will be fantastic because its all part of my journey!
Cheers (to me and you and yours)!!!
Roxy Strago
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Well HELLOOOOOO there. I'm still alive!!
Well hellooooo there!!! Remember me? Yeah, you may not and don't feel bad about yourself, its my own damn fault, is been awhile since I've posted here. I have to admit, I think I got burnt out. Not just about this blog but about a lot of things. I ended a workshop for the show I'm doing next year at the beginning of May and now its the middle of June. And what did I do to further my career or to create? Not a whole lot. I don't know why but I've been feeling completely disconnected from performing and its weird because it happened right after I had this amazing creative experience. I felt kinda out of it and it was hard to figure out where I fit in. I'm still trying to work my way through it, so this blog has kinda been (not the furthest) but pretty far from my mind. Not to say that I haven't thought about writing or actually tried to write an entry. In fact I started one on June 9th and it went a little something like this...
Guess what? Being born and raised in NY (yeah I know, Strong Island, but its still NY) makes me have as much patience as...honestly, I have no idea. I can't think of a good analogy and I'm getting pissed about that too, so forget it (see NO patience). Anyway, this is a really difficult thing...waiting Y E A R S for what you want (or have dreamed about since you were probably about six years old (officially when I was ten and I declared that this is what I would do for the rest of my life), and have been actively pursuing for 10 years. But I'm still here. I haven't given up or in. I keep trying. I also needed a break and I'm just starting to feel like I'm coming alive again. I've slowly started doing things I should be doing. Like submitting my headshot, and following up and (gasp) writing again.
I'm thinking of this post as a rebirth. I even changed my template for this here blog (do you like it? I think its pretty)!!!! And as today starts a brand new season I feel its a time to celebrate in a way. I think its ok to take a break for a bit and to crash and burn as long as you get back on the horse (even if it takes a little longer than you had hoped). The point is to keep going and work through the hard times (the times when you want to bang your head or someone else's against the wall), because hard work pays off (eventually) and patience is a virtue (one that somehow has eluded me most of the time) but as a "professional" I've accepted that I need it. God, who knew this whole making your dreams come true would be so freaking difficult? ;)
Keep at it kiddies...the good things come to those who wait (or pay for it, but that's a different blog for a different writer)!
Love,
Ms. Strago
I'm sad and discouraged and out of sorts...and quite frankly its pissing me off!! Why may you ask? Beats the crap out of me. I think it I have hit the proverbial wall my darlings and it sucks.
I'm reading the "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield and he said that "The professional arms himself with patience, not only to give the stars time to align in his career, but to keep himself from flaming out in each individual work. He knows that a job, whether it's a novel or a kitchen remodel, takes twice as long as her thinks and costs twice as much. He accepts that. He recognizes it as reality...He conserves his energy. He prepares his mind for the long haul."
Guess what? Being born and raised in NY (yeah I know, Strong Island, but its still NY) makes me have as much patience as...honestly, I have no idea. I can't think of a good analogy and I'm getting pissed about that too, so forget it (see NO patience). Anyway, this is a really difficult thing...waiting Y E A R S for what you want (or have dreamed about since you were probably about six years old (officially when I was ten and I declared that this is what I would do for the rest of my life), and have been actively pursuing for 10 years. But I'm still here. I haven't given up or in. I keep trying. I also needed a break and I'm just starting to feel like I'm coming alive again. I've slowly started doing things I should be doing. Like submitting my headshot, and following up and (gasp) writing again.
I'm thinking of this post as a rebirth. I even changed my template for this here blog (do you like it? I think its pretty)!!!! And as today starts a brand new season I feel its a time to celebrate in a way. I think its ok to take a break for a bit and to crash and burn as long as you get back on the horse (even if it takes a little longer than you had hoped). The point is to keep going and work through the hard times (the times when you want to bang your head or someone else's against the wall), because hard work pays off (eventually) and patience is a virtue (one that somehow has eluded me most of the time) but as a "professional" I've accepted that I need it. God, who knew this whole making your dreams come true would be so freaking difficult? ;)
Keep at it kiddies...the good things come to those who wait (or pay for it, but that's a different blog for a different writer)!
Love,
Ms. Strago
Sunday, May 23, 2010
BE YOUR TRUTH!
***Disclaimer: actually written on Monday night, but due to the authors inability to get anything done, was edited on Tuesday and now apparently posted on Wednesday.
Summer vacation has come early, well at least for this here blog. My last entry was in the beginning of May and May is officially over and out!! Time really flies when you're the world's biggest procrastinator!!! Last week I had dinner with friends and we got to talking about how things could be better. And man, if they were better how great everything would be. If only our boyfriends would do this and not that, things would be amazing. If only we had this and not that then things would be PERFECT!!! If only...Really??? Would it?
I'm thinking no! Getting whatever we think we need to make our lives perfect will not make them perfect. Why? Because we are NEVER satisfied. Sometimes that's a good thing. It makes us strive for things. But when we look past the things that we do have and only look at what we want we have a problem. I'm not immune to it. I think that if I only had that big break in my career my life would be perfect. I'd never have to worry again. I'd meet the man of my dreams and live happily ever after.
But when I get want I want, will I be satisfied? And if I'm always looking for the things in the future, how much of the moments I'm living right now am I missing out on? Does that mean that I should stop wanting the things I want? No. But I can't forget the things I have today, I need to be grateful for them. “Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have, we will not be happy– because we will always want to have something else or something more”.– David Steindl-Rast.
Now here's the question, how will I be grateful?? Yeah, its easy to sit here and say that I will be glad and appreciative of everything I have but its also a load of bullocks because when life happens we rarely appreciate the everyday small things (unless you are more highly advanced than I am and for that, I applaud you)! So how will I truly be grateful? I will be ME. I will be grateful that I am me and that I have the opportunity everyday to be the best me that I can be. And I will be truthful about who I am, what I have to offer and what I want to do! This will be the SUMMER OR TRUTHS!! Right smack in yo face truths. It might be a scary summer but I think it will be worth it! Be your truth!
Maurice Fernandez says, "It is about hearing a calling for truth. Things you have denied, postponed, avoided, feared, but things you know were true. This is a time to be more truthful and follow a calling." The time is now. ROCK ON!
-Ms. Strago
Summer vacation has come early, well at least for this here blog. My last entry was in the beginning of May and May is officially over and out!! Time really flies when you're the world's biggest procrastinator!!! Last week I had dinner with friends and we got to talking about how things could be better. And man, if they were better how great everything would be. If only our boyfriends would do this and not that, things would be amazing. If only we had this and not that then things would be PERFECT!!! If only...Really??? Would it?
I'm thinking no! Getting whatever we think we need to make our lives perfect will not make them perfect. Why? Because we are NEVER satisfied. Sometimes that's a good thing. It makes us strive for things. But when we look past the things that we do have and only look at what we want we have a problem. I'm not immune to it. I think that if I only had that big break in my career my life would be perfect. I'd never have to worry again. I'd meet the man of my dreams and live happily ever after.
But when I get want I want, will I be satisfied? And if I'm always looking for the things in the future, how much of the moments I'm living right now am I missing out on? Does that mean that I should stop wanting the things I want? No. But I can't forget the things I have today, I need to be grateful for them. “Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have, we will not be happy– because we will always want to have something else or something more”.– David Steindl-Rast.
Now here's the question, how will I be grateful?? Yeah, its easy to sit here and say that I will be glad and appreciative of everything I have but its also a load of bullocks because when life happens we rarely appreciate the everyday small things (unless you are more highly advanced than I am and for that, I applaud you)! So how will I truly be grateful? I will be ME. I will be grateful that I am me and that I have the opportunity everyday to be the best me that I can be. And I will be truthful about who I am, what I have to offer and what I want to do! This will be the SUMMER OR TRUTHS!! Right smack in yo face truths. It might be a scary summer but I think it will be worth it! Be your truth!
Maurice Fernandez says, "It is about hearing a calling for truth. Things you have denied, postponed, avoided, feared, but things you know were true. This is a time to be more truthful and follow a calling." The time is now. ROCK ON!
-Ms. Strago
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Wow, I sound like a spoiled brat! Is that wrong?
When I started to write this blog my intention was to write about my journey as a performer and the trials and triumphs that come along with that. But I realized that I can't only focus on performing because my life is not only about my career (although sometimes it feels like it). So from time to time, I think I will focus a bit on my personal life and how it gets affected because of the career path I have chosen. A friend of mine recently had a baby and she is thrilled beyond belief, and I’m not gonna lie, there were a few times I felt my uterus tug...and then I snapped back into my reality.
See I’m at a point in my life where many other people have gotten married and are having kids. They have done the things you're “supposed to do” at my age (and they love it). In fact, many of my closest friends are either having babies, getting married or actively searching for a husband (don’t get me started on that one, lol), while I am searching for my next acting job. I’m not at that place now, and there is a tiny part of me that feels like I might be missing out. When I was sixteen and I thought about what my life would be like at this age now, I can honestly tell you, it was a hell of a lot different than the life I’m living. Is that a bad thing?
Recently, it has come to my attention that I SHOULD be doing these things now: getting married and having kids, making my own family. But should we do things because we SHOULD?!! Or should we figure out what and when is right for us? Should I feel bad that my life is not what society says it should be at this point?? Should I feel like a loser, or less of a woman if my goal at the moment is my career, instead of finding a husband? Do I want all those things, the husband and the family? Yes…I think so. But they aren't in my cards now and I don't want them at the expense of my other dreams. I know everyone makes compromises, but there are some things that I just won’t give up on. Why can't I have it all?!! Why can't I make all my dreams come true??! Wow, I sound like a spoiled brat! Is that wrong?
I know people are starting to think there must be something wrong with me. Especially with comments like “when are you getting married?” or “Hey, you really should get on that”. Or my personal favorite, “Oh, you’re still doing that? (meaning acting). Well, good for you”. And I know from their tone, that this isn’t a compliment. I’m also not sitting here and complaining about my life, because I chose it!! The reason I am where I am is because I made it happen; and if I’m not happy with it or want something else it’s up to me to make that happen. A fairy godmother is not going to come down and wave her magical wand (no matter how much I would freaking love that), so it’s up to me to make my life the way I want it to be. I’m on my way…S-L-O-W-L-Y!
And I guess in 10 yrs if I still haven’t found Mr. Right (hell, if I haven’t found Mr. I can live with long enough to get married), and my uterus is still tugging and I'm financially stable enough, I can try to adopt because everyone needs love and a home. But here’s thing, I don't know where I'll be in 10 yrs. None of us to do. We all have our "plan", but sometimes life has other plans. The only thing we have is a path & its our own (and I will not apologize or be judged for mine). I will just have to trust that my path will bring me my happiness. I’ll end on this quote from an email I just read (its about the search for your soulmate, but I think it can apply to all dreams), “Most who are looking for mates that they haven't quite found yet, are so interested in getting to where they're going, that they're missing the fun of going there.” Hmmm, somehow after all these years, I’ve yet to accept that life isn’t a result, it’s a journey.
This is mine! I hope you're loving yours!
-R. Strago
See I’m at a point in my life where many other people have gotten married and are having kids. They have done the things you're “supposed to do” at my age (and they love it). In fact, many of my closest friends are either having babies, getting married or actively searching for a husband (don’t get me started on that one, lol), while I am searching for my next acting job. I’m not at that place now, and there is a tiny part of me that feels like I might be missing out. When I was sixteen and I thought about what my life would be like at this age now, I can honestly tell you, it was a hell of a lot different than the life I’m living. Is that a bad thing?
Recently, it has come to my attention that I SHOULD be doing these things now: getting married and having kids, making my own family. But should we do things because we SHOULD?!! Or should we figure out what and when is right for us? Should I feel bad that my life is not what society says it should be at this point?? Should I feel like a loser, or less of a woman if my goal at the moment is my career, instead of finding a husband? Do I want all those things, the husband and the family? Yes…I think so. But they aren't in my cards now and I don't want them at the expense of my other dreams. I know everyone makes compromises, but there are some things that I just won’t give up on. Why can't I have it all?!! Why can't I make all my dreams come true??! Wow, I sound like a spoiled brat! Is that wrong?
I know people are starting to think there must be something wrong with me. Especially with comments like “when are you getting married?” or “Hey, you really should get on that”. Or my personal favorite, “Oh, you’re still doing that? (meaning acting). Well, good for you”. And I know from their tone, that this isn’t a compliment. I’m also not sitting here and complaining about my life, because I chose it!! The reason I am where I am is because I made it happen; and if I’m not happy with it or want something else it’s up to me to make that happen. A fairy godmother is not going to come down and wave her magical wand (no matter how much I would freaking love that), so it’s up to me to make my life the way I want it to be. I’m on my way…S-L-O-W-L-Y!
And I guess in 10 yrs if I still haven’t found Mr. Right (hell, if I haven’t found Mr. I can live with long enough to get married), and my uterus is still tugging and I'm financially stable enough, I can try to adopt because everyone needs love and a home. But here’s thing, I don't know where I'll be in 10 yrs. None of us to do. We all have our "plan", but sometimes life has other plans. The only thing we have is a path & its our own (and I will not apologize or be judged for mine). I will just have to trust that my path will bring me my happiness. I’ll end on this quote from an email I just read (its about the search for your soulmate, but I think it can apply to all dreams), “Most who are looking for mates that they haven't quite found yet, are so interested in getting to where they're going, that they're missing the fun of going there.” Hmmm, somehow after all these years, I’ve yet to accept that life isn’t a result, it’s a journey.
This is mine! I hope you're loving yours!
-R. Strago
Monday, April 12, 2010
Sometimes I'm not only a procrastinator but I'm LATE too!
So I'm a little tardy with this entry (like a week and a half), whoops. Its not because I didn't want to write one or I forgot about it, but it turns out when you worry about things, they have a habit of coming true...see when I started this blog I had a fear (it wasn’t a big one) but it was, what if I run out of things to say or to talk about? And last Sunday it started to come true. I’ve had this happen a few times when I went to sit down at my computer but somehow I always came up with something sort of relevant to say (well at least I hope it was relevant anyway).
And this time? Negativo, I had absolutely no idea. It reminded me of the Sex and the City episode when Carrie doesn’t have anything to write about, so she starts to compare men to socks!! And then she thinks of writing about men and french fries (yes, I've watched entirely too many episodes of that show) and needless to say, thank God my blog isn’t about men or relationships, or I think I’d have NOTHING to say...well, I’d probably have a lot to say but there’d be no way I could help myself or anyone else on that subject. Come to think of it, know any good blogs on dating? Sorry, I digress. ;)
Anyway, what should I do? An idea. Sometimes throughout the day I come up with little pieces of dialogue for a play or a monologue or whatever when I talk to myself (and I do, I totally talk to myself). And sometimes things pop in my head that I think will be a good focus for this here blog. In my search for what to write, I figured let me check my email because that’s what I do with these things, I send myself emails or texts in the hopes that someday these little nuggets will turn into gold. And I found this: “Trust & show up. Frazzled & crazy & worried. Plan. Be prepared!!” WTF?? Did I write this? Did I read it somewhere and wrote it down because it affected me in some way? Beats the hell out of me, but I like it! It sounds good (which probably means I didn’t write it lol).
And this time? Negativo, I had absolutely no idea. It reminded me of the Sex and the City episode when Carrie doesn’t have anything to write about, so she starts to compare men to socks!! And then she thinks of writing about men and french fries (yes, I've watched entirely too many episodes of that show) and needless to say, thank God my blog isn’t about men or relationships, or I think I’d have NOTHING to say...well, I’d probably have a lot to say but there’d be no way I could help myself or anyone else on that subject. Come to think of it, know any good blogs on dating? Sorry, I digress. ;)
Anyway, what should I do? An idea. Sometimes throughout the day I come up with little pieces of dialogue for a play or a monologue or whatever when I talk to myself (and I do, I totally talk to myself). And sometimes things pop in my head that I think will be a good focus for this here blog. In my search for what to write, I figured let me check my email because that’s what I do with these things, I send myself emails or texts in the hopes that someday these little nuggets will turn into gold. And I found this: “Trust & show up. Frazzled & crazy & worried. Plan. Be prepared!!” WTF?? Did I write this? Did I read it somewhere and wrote it down because it affected me in some way? Beats the hell out of me, but I like it! It sounds good (which probably means I didn’t write it lol).
And this week I'm trying to apply it (or at least trying to figure out what it means). I think its like that saying "Success is where preparation and opportunity meet”. So be prepared and show up, even though you're scared and feel out of place and trust that you are enough. Sometimes when I start a new project with other people (which I did last week) I get scared that I'm not talented enough, or smart enough, or I'm too shy, or not right for it, or (God forbid) I'll make a freakin mistake (I can go on but I won't, I'm even annoying myself) and I decided to throw caution to the wind and F*#k it. I'm throwing myself in, head first and letting things happen and in the process I think I'm not only learning about the "art" of it (whatever that means), but more importantly, I'm learning about myself. I think that's kinda the best thing we can hope for...to show up, move forward, trust in yourself no matter how you are feeling, let it go and learn. That's all I got for now.
Man, I just hope I have something to say next week! ;)
-Roxy
Sunday, April 4, 2010
I'm a LIAR!!
I’m a LIAR!!!! I’ll explain in a bit, but its true!
What a crazy week! It started off not too good (grammar?) when Sunday night I waited by my computer refreshing my mail, oh, every few seconds to see if my play made the finals (by the way, I promised myself I wouldn’t do this and there I was doing it) until around 12:30am Monday morning rolled around when I found out we didn’t make them. Sigh. So yeah I thought I’d be completely be fine with this news and boy was I completely WRONG!! I started to cry (I know, I know...DRAMA). But see not making the finals made me feel like a loser, because if I can't even advance in this festival, how can I get something really big to happen in my career? And then the big moment hit (a moment I’ve had a few times before), I wondered if it was time to pack it all in. That’s when the waterworks really kicked in because the thought of giving up or losing my dreams was almost unbearable.
Now here is why I call myself a liar, because if you read last weeks blog post I stated (yes, I’m actually going to quote myself here), I stated: “As much as it would be amazing to hear tonight that I made the Finals, I don’t have to make them to feel like I’ve accomplished something…that’s enough!” Wow, it appears I’m full of crap. So after I cried & cried & cried some more, I finally stopped & said to myself, "f#*k it". Because I realized just how much I still want this!! So now is the time to get it together & work your ass off like never before. So that is what I promised myself I would do.
I won’t lie to you again, Monday SUCKED!!! I sulked like a little baby. I was a complete brat!! And Tuesday rolled around and I decided the time was now. So I called to set up two seminars with two different agents. I went to my singing class so I could do what I love probably almost more than anything which is to sing (cause that’s what you do in a singing class, in case you didn’t know)! Then I headed to the Network to pick out sides for the upcoming seminars and then I did probably my second favorite thing in the world to do: SHOP!! Got two cute dresses at H&M and I didn’t use my credit card, yay!
Wednesday night I checked my “professional” email and saw that I got an email from a casting director for a commercial the next day but here it was like 9:30pm and I didn’t know the time or what I needed to do and it was so last minute and I’ll have to take off from work. What should I do? (yes, this is actually what goes through my head). I emailed him back for info…didn’t find out until 8:00am when I woke up, that the audition is at 11:30 and I need to wear a sexy dress. Oh dear God. Now comes the real true me (and its very difficult for me to admit that this is what runs through my mind, but I promised that this blog would be as honest as it could be so I’ll admit it to you). I started writing him an email that I couldn’t make it. You may be asking yourself, what the hell is wrong with this girl. That’s a freaking excellent question and if you know the answer, please email me pronto!!! I was thinking all kinds of crazy thoughts. What should I wear? Do I want to wear a sexy dress? I'm not sexy! What time will I get back to work? What do I have to do there? What if I’m horrible and he never calls me in again? What if this is an April Fools joke?(no kidding, that thought ran through my head as well as a few more that I won't mention). So before I hit send, I took a shower and remembered the promise I made to myself. So I picked out a dress, got my headshot, I deleted the email that I wrote before, I got on that train and tried to do the best impression of sexy I could muster (well, not on the train but you know). And while I was there I couldn’t believe I actually thought about not going. What an idiot!!!! I’d love to tell you that I got a call back, but being that the call backs are tomorrow and this being pretty late Sunday night and since I didn’t hear from them yet I think it’s a safe bet that I didn’t get one, but that’s okay. It’s okay because I pushed myself. Maybe "normal" people don’t have these thoughts going through their heads and the palpable fear in their stomachs, but this "nut" does. So when I push through that fear, I feel like I’ve accomplished something.
On the way back to the train, I got an email from an old director/writer friend who cast me in the first professional play I ever did in NY after I graduated college. He needed my number. I later got a call from him asking if I would be in his workshop for the new play he’s writing. It’s a 3-4 week workshop and I will be paid (I'm sorry, what did you say?? Money? Yes, money…clearly I don’t do this just for the money, but man when you get real money on top of it, its AMAZING!). So I immediately said yes. Crazy thoughts came into my head again, but I won’t bore you with them as I refuse to entertain them. I’m learning that when you (well, me) open yourself (well, myself) up to new experiences and push through your (well, my) fears, good things start to happen. It’s a lesson well learned. And its one that I hope I continue to learn! God knows my fears aren’t going anywhere, but I will not let them have the power to control me anymore!
The time is now people. Make things happen!! Because you (well, I guess me too) ROCK!
-The R Stragster
What a crazy week! It started off not too good (grammar?) when Sunday night I waited by my computer refreshing my mail, oh, every few seconds to see if my play made the finals (by the way, I promised myself I wouldn’t do this and there I was doing it) until around 12:30am Monday morning rolled around when I found out we didn’t make them. Sigh. So yeah I thought I’d be completely be fine with this news and boy was I completely WRONG!! I started to cry (I know, I know...DRAMA). But see not making the finals made me feel like a loser, because if I can't even advance in this festival, how can I get something really big to happen in my career? And then the big moment hit (a moment I’ve had a few times before), I wondered if it was time to pack it all in. That’s when the waterworks really kicked in because the thought of giving up or losing my dreams was almost unbearable.
Now here is why I call myself a liar, because if you read last weeks blog post I stated (yes, I’m actually going to quote myself here), I stated: “As much as it would be amazing to hear tonight that I made the Finals, I don’t have to make them to feel like I’ve accomplished something…that’s enough!” Wow, it appears I’m full of crap. So after I cried & cried & cried some more, I finally stopped & said to myself, "f#*k it". Because I realized just how much I still want this!! So now is the time to get it together & work your ass off like never before. So that is what I promised myself I would do.
I won’t lie to you again, Monday SUCKED!!! I sulked like a little baby. I was a complete brat!! And Tuesday rolled around and I decided the time was now. So I called to set up two seminars with two different agents. I went to my singing class so I could do what I love probably almost more than anything which is to sing (cause that’s what you do in a singing class, in case you didn’t know)! Then I headed to the Network to pick out sides for the upcoming seminars and then I did probably my second favorite thing in the world to do: SHOP!! Got two cute dresses at H&M and I didn’t use my credit card, yay!
Wednesday night I checked my “professional” email and saw that I got an email from a casting director for a commercial the next day but here it was like 9:30pm and I didn’t know the time or what I needed to do and it was so last minute and I’ll have to take off from work. What should I do? (yes, this is actually what goes through my head). I emailed him back for info…didn’t find out until 8:00am when I woke up, that the audition is at 11:30 and I need to wear a sexy dress. Oh dear God. Now comes the real true me (and its very difficult for me to admit that this is what runs through my mind, but I promised that this blog would be as honest as it could be so I’ll admit it to you). I started writing him an email that I couldn’t make it. You may be asking yourself, what the hell is wrong with this girl. That’s a freaking excellent question and if you know the answer, please email me pronto!!! I was thinking all kinds of crazy thoughts. What should I wear? Do I want to wear a sexy dress? I'm not sexy! What time will I get back to work? What do I have to do there? What if I’m horrible and he never calls me in again? What if this is an April Fools joke?(no kidding, that thought ran through my head as well as a few more that I won't mention). So before I hit send, I took a shower and remembered the promise I made to myself. So I picked out a dress, got my headshot, I deleted the email that I wrote before, I got on that train and tried to do the best impression of sexy I could muster (well, not on the train but you know). And while I was there I couldn’t believe I actually thought about not going. What an idiot!!!! I’d love to tell you that I got a call back, but being that the call backs are tomorrow and this being pretty late Sunday night and since I didn’t hear from them yet I think it’s a safe bet that I didn’t get one, but that’s okay. It’s okay because I pushed myself. Maybe "normal" people don’t have these thoughts going through their heads and the palpable fear in their stomachs, but this "nut" does. So when I push through that fear, I feel like I’ve accomplished something.
On the way back to the train, I got an email from an old director/writer friend who cast me in the first professional play I ever did in NY after I graduated college. He needed my number. I later got a call from him asking if I would be in his workshop for the new play he’s writing. It’s a 3-4 week workshop and I will be paid (I'm sorry, what did you say?? Money? Yes, money…clearly I don’t do this just for the money, but man when you get real money on top of it, its AMAZING!). So I immediately said yes. Crazy thoughts came into my head again, but I won’t bore you with them as I refuse to entertain them. I’m learning that when you (well, me) open yourself (well, myself) up to new experiences and push through your (well, my) fears, good things start to happen. It’s a lesson well learned. And its one that I hope I continue to learn! God knows my fears aren’t going anywhere, but I will not let them have the power to control me anymore!
The time is now people. Make things happen!! Because you (well, I guess me too) ROCK!
-The R Stragster
Sunday, March 28, 2010
S#*t, that’s selfish!!!!
First, I must apologize for my absence last week. I feel I have failed myself (and you) but I’ve convinced myself that because I was performing in my play I could take a week off (truthfully I can justify just about anything because quite frankly, I didn’t have a show last Sunday, so it wasn’t like I couldn’t sit at the computer). Actually, I did sit at my computer and I wrote a little bit about how the festival was going and how we got through it and I think people liked it and then I stopped. I just didn’t feel inspired and I’d rather write something that I care about than just throw words together that are semi-grammatically correct and call it a blog post. Then I actually thought, “does it really matter if I don’t write one this week? Will anyone miss it?” And then I kinda felt like, I don’t even know if anyone reads this so who cares if I don’t post one and so I didn’t. Looking back on it, I’m disappointed with myself that I didn’t write one, because my goal when I started this was to write one weekly and now I can never go back and have that week again. Writing this now, I figured this out…I can’t write for other people. I need to write for myself and hope that it says something to someone or makes someone think, or makes them, in a very tiny way, feel inspired but I CAN’T do it for someone else. Shit, that’s selfish and soo not me, but there it is.
It dawned on me today that I do things for other people (and not like “Oh let me help you cross the street” but more like “wow, they'll finally think I'm worth something if I do this”). I do things for other people’s approval and you know what? That’s utter bullshit!! And you know when I realized it clearly? (I mean, I noticed this trait more than a few times but I didn’t realize that its not okay until I watched the movie Rudy today). Oh I can just hear a few of you chuckling, Rudy? Yes! I’ve never seen the whole thing before and it was one of my dad’s favorite movies. And I can’t honestly tell you I watched the whole thing today either, but I watched the last half hour (pretty much knowing the story of this kid who’s dream it was to play football for Notre Dame even though he was five feet tall and without a huge amount of athletic ability, but he never gave up) until he didn’t make the dress list (which I’ll be honest, I have no idea what the hell that means. My family loves football, I love the commercials at the Super Bowl, but apparently not making the dress list totally sucks). Here’s the part stolen from IMDB that blew my mind…
Fortune: Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey what are you doing here don't you have practice?
Rudy: Not anymore I quit.
Fortune: Oh, well since when are you the quitting kind?
Rudy: I don't know, I just don't see the point anymore.
Fortune: So you didn't make the dress list, there are greater tragedies in the world.
Rudy: I wanted to run out of that tunnel for my dad to prove to everyone that I worked...
Fortune: PROVE WHAT?
Rudy: That I was somebody.
Fortune: Oh you are so full of crap. Your five foot nothin', a hundred and nothin' and you hung in with the best college football team in the land for two years, and you were also going to walk out of here with a degree from the University of Notre Dame in this life time you don't have to prove nothing to nobody except yourself and after what you gone through if you haven't done that by now, it ain’t gonna never happen, now go on back.
Rudy: I'm sorry I never got you to see you're first game in here.
Fortune: Hell I've seen too many games in this Stadium.
Rudy: I thought you said you never saw a game...
Fortune: I've never seen a game from the stands.
Rudy: You were a player?
Fortune: I rode the Bench for two years, thought I wasn't being played because of my color I got filled up with a lot of attitude so I quit, still not a week goes by I don't regret it, and I guarantee a week won't go by in your life you won't regret walking out letting them get the best of you. Do you hear me clear enough?
So now I’m about to cry as I watch this, because you know what, that shit is TRUE!!! Who am I doing all of this for, and I’m not talking about this blog, but who is all of this (everything I do) for? Why wasn’t I overwhelmingly proud when we did our first performance at the One-Act festival? Why didn’t I believe my friends and family when they said they liked it? Why do I never hear applause but I can’t forget the one person who doesn’t think I’m pretty enough for this business?? So, and excuse my french, what the F*#K has to happen so that we feel we have accomplished something? Do we need to win an award to feel like we are successful? Why do I need everyone’s (or at least the people I hold in high regard) to swoon over what I do, for it to mean something? And if they said that it was fantastic, would I even believe them? Shouldn’t I just feel like knowing what I did was enough?
So that is what I’m taking with me from this festival. As much as it would be amazing to hear tonight that I made the Finals, I don’t have to make them to feel like I’ve accomplished something. I wrote a play. I got to work with people I love and then I got to perform it for more people I love (and some people I didn’t even know). And then as a bonus, I got to perform it for members of the industry and that’s enough!
So, here’s the deal…I’m gonna continue to write this blog, even if no one reads it because it makes me feel good and it makes me a better writer. And I’m gonna keep writing plays and such, because I want to share things with people and I hope that others feel and think about things when they get performed. And I’m gonna keep acting and singing because deep down in my soul that’s what I feel like I was put here to do, and I’m sorry if I’m not at as good as Meryl or Barbra or Idina or anyone else I will inevitably compare myself to, because I only have to be as good as me! I will continue to try to be as good as I can be, but I can’t be someone else and I can't do it for anyone else’s approval!!
Whew, now this selfish bitch needs a glass of wine! ;)
-RoxyS
It dawned on me today that I do things for other people (and not like “Oh let me help you cross the street” but more like “wow, they'll finally think I'm worth something if I do this”). I do things for other people’s approval and you know what? That’s utter bullshit!! And you know when I realized it clearly? (I mean, I noticed this trait more than a few times but I didn’t realize that its not okay until I watched the movie Rudy today). Oh I can just hear a few of you chuckling, Rudy? Yes! I’ve never seen the whole thing before and it was one of my dad’s favorite movies. And I can’t honestly tell you I watched the whole thing today either, but I watched the last half hour (pretty much knowing the story of this kid who’s dream it was to play football for Notre Dame even though he was five feet tall and without a huge amount of athletic ability, but he never gave up) until he didn’t make the dress list (which I’ll be honest, I have no idea what the hell that means. My family loves football, I love the commercials at the Super Bowl, but apparently not making the dress list totally sucks). Here’s the part stolen from IMDB that blew my mind…
Fortune: Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey what are you doing here don't you have practice?
Rudy: Not anymore I quit.
Fortune: Oh, well since when are you the quitting kind?
Rudy: I don't know, I just don't see the point anymore.
Fortune: So you didn't make the dress list, there are greater tragedies in the world.
Rudy: I wanted to run out of that tunnel for my dad to prove to everyone that I worked...
Fortune: PROVE WHAT?
Rudy: That I was somebody.
Fortune: Oh you are so full of crap. Your five foot nothin', a hundred and nothin' and you hung in with the best college football team in the land for two years, and you were also going to walk out of here with a degree from the University of Notre Dame in this life time you don't have to prove nothing to nobody except yourself and after what you gone through if you haven't done that by now, it ain’t gonna never happen, now go on back.
Rudy: I'm sorry I never got you to see you're first game in here.
Fortune: Hell I've seen too many games in this Stadium.
Rudy: I thought you said you never saw a game...
Fortune: I've never seen a game from the stands.
Rudy: You were a player?
Fortune: I rode the Bench for two years, thought I wasn't being played because of my color I got filled up with a lot of attitude so I quit, still not a week goes by I don't regret it, and I guarantee a week won't go by in your life you won't regret walking out letting them get the best of you. Do you hear me clear enough?
So now I’m about to cry as I watch this, because you know what, that shit is TRUE!!! Who am I doing all of this for, and I’m not talking about this blog, but who is all of this (everything I do) for? Why wasn’t I overwhelmingly proud when we did our first performance at the One-Act festival? Why didn’t I believe my friends and family when they said they liked it? Why do I never hear applause but I can’t forget the one person who doesn’t think I’m pretty enough for this business?? So, and excuse my french, what the F*#K has to happen so that we feel we have accomplished something? Do we need to win an award to feel like we are successful? Why do I need everyone’s (or at least the people I hold in high regard) to swoon over what I do, for it to mean something? And if they said that it was fantastic, would I even believe them? Shouldn’t I just feel like knowing what I did was enough?
So that is what I’m taking with me from this festival. As much as it would be amazing to hear tonight that I made the Finals, I don’t have to make them to feel like I’ve accomplished something. I wrote a play. I got to work with people I love and then I got to perform it for more people I love (and some people I didn’t even know). And then as a bonus, I got to perform it for members of the industry and that’s enough!
So, here’s the deal…I’m gonna continue to write this blog, even if no one reads it because it makes me feel good and it makes me a better writer. And I’m gonna keep writing plays and such, because I want to share things with people and I hope that others feel and think about things when they get performed. And I’m gonna keep acting and singing because deep down in my soul that’s what I feel like I was put here to do, and I’m sorry if I’m not at as good as Meryl or Barbra or Idina or anyone else I will inevitably compare myself to, because I only have to be as good as me! I will continue to try to be as good as I can be, but I can’t be someone else and I can't do it for anyone else’s approval!!
Whew, now this selfish bitch needs a glass of wine! ;)
-RoxyS
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