Well, I guess my “vacation” is ovah!!
Almost a month ago, I put it out there that I would love to live a more creative life.
My first step was accepting the first opportunity with an open heart and to commit to learning from that opportunity.
So, I attended a small seminar that was mainly to learn about a new way of thinking and breaking through personal subconscious barriers. The four columns that uphold this new line of thinking are quantum physics, Eastern philosophies, neuroscience and a trick or two from theatre. I am a science nerd at heart and love this sort of stuff, so if it helps with what it says it does, then great! But even if it doesn’t, I would still love to find out what these people are teaching and how these four methods are combined. There were some interesting stories that were told. My fave was about the natural mind versus the acquired mind. The natural mind is the “empty” brain that we have when we are born. The acquired mind is what we have stored in the brain through experience. They say that the majority of everything you know is learned by the time you are 7 or so. The hostess spoke of turning down more money when it was offered to her. The theory is that she had learned that she was only worth so much and wouldn’t know how to handle this new responsibility. Coincidentally, her sister was also offered a crazy good promotion and turned down the offer as well. When they finally talked about it, it turned out that both offers were much more than what their mother had made as a nurse when they were growing up. The seminar hostess made sure to tell us that both offers were made in different places and times and they hadn’t discussed it with one another at all, AND that they both talked themselves out of taking the opportunity. So the question is: is this somehow a subconscious betrayal that they’ve learned as children and did it truly affect their decision? I am so incredibly excited to be able to attend this 3day workshop at the end of the month!! What will I learn about myself that I’ve supressed? Ugh, in some ways, I don’t really want to know.
So that has become opportunity one.
Opportunity dos came in a Facebook message from the gorgeous Jillian Toby-Cummings asking if I would be interested in working on Aladdin Jr. for Theatre in the Mountains. At first, the thought terrified me. Then I thought about the seminar, so with a big inhale, I replied back saying I would be happy to do it. For a while I didn’t hear anything so I thought maybe it wasn’t going to happen. But then, I got more emails, and soon availability was talking and auditions. So now I can’t wait.
Opportunity three came via email from Nancy Kwong asking if I would be interested in being a part of the performing group at the West Valley Light Opera ERMA Awards. It’s just a song here and a dance there, so of course I’d be happy to do it. The rehearsals have been few and far between and the banquet is at the end of the month. It’s on the last day of the seminar, so I have to RUSH home and change and get to the dinner before the entertainment begins to get all situated. Boy this one is gonna be tough.
Number four: Was one that was poorly planned on my behalf. I wanted to audition for WVLO’s How To Succeed partially because I wanted to do another show, but mostly because I want to stop being so fearful at auditions. There were about a dozen auditions happening within these last two weeks that I wanted to audition for as many as I could. Turns out that the “Succeed” auditions were first. I didn’t think I was impressive in the least, but soon after the callbacks, I was being offered Bart Bratt, the Personnel Manager. Cool, but I said I’d like to get back to them because of the other auditions. The producer, Sergio Pena, is such a great guy and I get along well with him, so he made me feel like I was terrible for not doing his show. He first told me “I totally understand, what you are trying to do as far as creating a career and how it’ll affect shows, but not when it’s my show.” On top of this, he and I spoke about it over dinner one night when we were hanging out AND he said I should try to audition more outside of my little corner of comfort. So he talked me into doing the show. That clever little man! hahaha
And last but not least, number 5: I’ve been taking classes at Zohar Dance Studios for a couple of months now. I guess every year during Christmas they have a winter recital. Now I have NEVER been one to want to join in this, but the teachers are just so nice and fun and enthusiastic about teaching that when they asked me to participate I had to say yes. The number I am in is called Inner Man. It’s me and 3 other guys each trying to be the Alpha Male. The music is tribal and percussive so it’s easy to feel that sort of primal urge, but some of the movements are tricky, tricky.
I told my partner Perry this morning at breakfast: “I know I said I wanted to live this kind of a life, but I didn’t expect it all to just jump right into my lap.”
But I am ever grateful and cherishing every opportunity and moment of it.
The Actorvist 
Just goes to show what can happen when you open yourself up to what the universe has to offer and give up the concepts of over-planning everything. I’m about ready for all of this stuff, too. So what’s this seminar? How much is it? You think I should go?
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They are something like “acting coaches” but what they teach are little methods to help unlock emotions and energies and to pull yourself back out when you don’t need it. It’s limited to 25 people and it’s the only time that’s being done in the area so a lot of the SF actors were scrambling to reserve their spot. It’s more often done in LA or NY. It’s a bit pricey. I’ll text you the price. I don’t think you can just walk in. You have to go to the seminar to get the application for the workshop. The cool thing is that once you’ve learned the techniques you don’t have to do any sort of additional workshops, because you already know the stuff. I made sure to ask that at the seminar last month. I didn’t want to have to commit to an ongoing class that is constantly asking for money, you know? But they assured me that it’s just a one weekend thing and they also are in constant communication with their past attendees, some of whom are celebrities. That’s kind of cool. Too bad I can’t go to an LA or NY one to bump elbows with famous folks. hahaha
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I’ve been reading your posts through the last several weeks and it’s so impressive and inspiring how you’ve wrapped your arms around improving your life. I think its crazy freaky how the universe provides to us once we open up to it. You are obviously proof of that with all the new opportunities that came to you when you applied your courage and faith in yourself.
Who the heck wants to go to the grave with lives still left in the jar, right? Onward and upward!
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Mary, gurl you are so right! I think part of what’s attracting me to that seminar also is that as a child I remember a lot of negative reaction from things that I did. That’s part of what’s been so hard about taking compliments and believing them. Although, don’t get me wrong, if I am failing at something, I would love to know. I don’t wanna be like the American Idol kids that think they sound great when they really don’t. Haha.
Thanks for the love, my dear.
And yes indeedy, Onward and Upward!!
Miss you!!!
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