Persistance

Tonight I was reading an article in the backstage acting trades to hopefully learn more about the industry.  I read this article that had a long list of tools or advice to help an actor and his or her career.  Lots of times when I read this articles it is a lot to stomach and Im not always sure I get much out of it, but on this point list a specific word, and topic was covered that help me put all the advice into perspective so I could take something away from it.  It was persistance, you have to be persistant is basically what its saying, not give up, do plays, audition, perform, continue putting yourself out there.  One of the reason this rings true to me is because when I met my agent for the first time he came out in the hallway and got me at a open call.  He commented on my look, asked me what I liked to do, we had a conversation, I really didnt have that much to say, I was just kind of excited that I had some how found myself sitting in his office, a little dumbfounded, that was probably the time I should have been alert and ready for conversation, haha anyway he had a lot to say and it was fine.  He let me know that the reason he brought me in his office, and wanted to take me on as a client was because he knew I was serious because I kept coming back, I was persistant.  Now, let me add here, I was living very intentionally but really had no idea what I was doing as far as pursuing the agent, but I never quit, and I landed an agent.  I think that my career will be defined by things like this, but the agent was just 1 wrung, even though I was a little high when I left that office knowing that I must have done something right some how, I thought I must have a little bit of the right idea on how to do this.  I have to approach my whole career like this, it cant be just to land the agent but it has to be to market myself, to book the next job, to find creative and meaningful work, to pay the bills, to network, to stay positive, to work out.  Now that is a long list of things after a simple idea so I will also quote Al Pacino, he the name of the game is you want to find work that is acting, the name of the game is to have a script a performance and an audience.  You need those things and you have to work hard but believe one thing will lead to the next.  You have to open yourself up in performance so its about the unknown and you dont really know how your going to appoach it at all.  So I have tried a few things out here and read a lot on acting, so i have my experience and my research.  But what rings with me is the word persistance, thats one of the only words that makes sense to me, all I know that it means not giving up, not getting discouraged.  I have been auditioning a lot commercially lately, an open all for a movie and thats about it.  I need to be an active participant in my career.  I have to overcome that mindset that says you will go here and get discovered and become famous, but rather think you will go here and do the work you came to do, the work you love, and yes have high hopes, hope something great comes of it, but love what your doing while your doing it and things will unfold itself.  I will not give up, I have a lot to give, and I must keep giving it.

Hey Guys!

Today I woke up and filmed myself doing a scene for an audition.  Then I cleaned my room with the time I had left and shortly after headed to an actual face to face audition. Killed it.  Did a little Taebo today, let a random person use my phone for the first time, usually avoid these things, hopefully good karmas on the way.  Tonight I have been working more and more on my audition scenes but it gets to a point where the lighting is bad enough were it is really not worth it, so tomorrow i will continue between certain hours as the deadline for that audition is near us.  Any how, this 2013 I have swam at the beach, had many auditions, been working out...and eating.  I saw zero dark thirty which was just an awesome movie.  Meeting some new people in my park la brea area that seem pretty cool.  Still live with a bunch of dudes, that certainly is what it is haha.  Tommorrow I have an audition early in North Hollywood so will have to get a good head start, I am thining granola bar, water, or some juice for energy, heck maybe a few crunches :).  Love coffee but realizing it makes me a little shaky in performance.  Im sure I will see, run into, and perhaps meet some interesting characters on the way, o L.A. there is no place quite like you.  Hoping to get more out there this month, feel good about some of the monolgues Im working on.  Hope grandpa Don and everyone back home is doing great.  I am doing well, staying positive, and not giving up on my dreams! 

As the dream continues

I have had a few not so productive days.  I had an audition yesterday.  And basically the whole group cleaned house over the weekend.  My working out has slow down.  But I realize something.  I was feeling and looking better from my better eating and working out.  I think it just needs to be more in moderation.  Your not going to see the results over night, so with persistancy I know that i will be just fine.  Ive been looking into some local theaters looking to find a paying play.  I realized that there are a lot more theaters then the one that I went to originally that actually will pay for performance, which in my mind makes sense.  You got to be performning, and you cant just pay to perform.  Back to my last blog, its a marathon not a sprint.  I am starting to believe that is really true.  Everyone is allowed to be frustrated, but if your not happy where you are because you didnt get it over night, thats just not a very good excuse.  You have to find a way to be content with where your at and working extremley hard towards the future by being in the present and now.  There was a valentines day back in 2008 when I went ahead and saw the first college play production at USF since I started school there, when I saw it, I knew I had to try it, be a part of it, at least check it out, and nothing was going to stop me.  I think that whether it is seeing some cheap theater somewhere or something I might need to check out some venues and see which one calls my name and pursue.  I know its not film and I know you cant make a reel out of theater, but people can watch theater, and a lot of times in theater you get to meet people after the show.  I think it is worth a shot to see if the theaters worth a darn.  Amongst actor friends I have realized that one thing we talk about is our agents and how much they are sending us out.  You can be mad, thankful, greatful, upset, not happy, whatever it is you feel based on where there sending you.  But if thats your only basis for how you feel about how your doing and the direction your heading the industry I think you do yourself a diservice, you need to create your own work, and you gotta have thick skin.  Jon Stewart said something on the daily show that was hilarious, "If at first you dont succeed, F&#$ it!  Instead of thinking of inspirational quotes I have been drawing on that, I have a lot of things to figure out for myself right, but for me, that quote basically reminds me that if your not where you want to be yet after a short period of time, it is a huge diservice to yourself to just give up, if its your dream you gotta make it happen.  Im ok that everything didnt fall into place right away as far as the classes and everything I took.  If it was that easy, what would be the point.  Anything worth doing is hard.  Back to theater, it is my roots, I dont really think its a bad idea to check out the scene, use what you know to open up new avenues.

Marathons

I have never ran a marathon.  An actor friend of mine Brett Zimmerman reminded me something that has been said to me twice in the last two days, its not a sprint, its a marathon.  He really said some good stuff so Ill just say it all, he said "It's important to have patience, discipline, composure, and the will not to get discouraged while accomplishing the goals we have set out to achieve!"  Thats one of the best things I've heard in a long time.  I think sometimes I tend to sprint and not let up, that doesn't work to well in a marathon.  Everything he said is important but I think probably the most important part is to not get discouraged, I have really had a tough time with that one.  Also Im realizing that I may need to set some goals, I dont feel like I dont have any its just sometimes I dont know if Im really working towards them. I have been working out a bit lately.  Yesterday I did a free simulation biking class for 60 minutes.  I took the toughest class they had an the instructor said she couldnt believe how well I did for the first time.  I was kind of shocked too.  I have been doing a mix of advanced and begginners taebo as well, and I still run but not as far.  Also have been doing more abbs.  Again with that unfortunatley I cannot cut off my belly in one day.  It will take awhile and I shouldnt over do it.  I have been eating fruit and more protein.  And trying to make sure I eat something in the morning.  Today I applied for entry level positions at NBC universal and Edge works casting.  I think that if I can get busier I will feel better about myself.  I know when I worked at a summer camp once I didnt love the job, it was ok, not the worse.  But I found myself in decent shape without even really trying, I didnt realize how much having a job kept me active.  It sort of stinks that I havent found anyway to work in an artistic way at least part time or something but Im hopeful that something will show up. 

Hold on

I realize that I need to hold on.  Not sure what this means quite yet.  Back in the day I wrote my own version of a song called hold on by Tom Waits with lyrics about a man named Gutzom Borglum(didnt look up how to spell it) who built Mount Rushmore and Crazy horse.  I feel like Tom Waits is one of my biggest inspirations of someone that I dont actually know.  I have been looking at paintings from one of my friends at school and am inspired by the work he is doing as well. I am also very inspired by my uncle Mike.  I am also very lucky and have romodels in my life that care about me and inspire me as well.

Ok, so I started writing this last night and my computer turned off and I felt like, hmmm.  Im going to write instead.  So I started writing on paper and it was kind of liberating because I didnt have to edit myself at all, I tend to explain things out on my blogs.  So basically I just wrote down exactly what I wanted to got to the point basically.  In the middle of writing I realized some of it might be funny.  So it might be useful for material.  Cuz a lot of times when I blog here i basically in a nice way right about how I want to improve, what im doing and frustrations.  So whether its a way to explore stand up material, web series stuff or whatever, who knows, not me, cool stuff.  Anyway not really sure where this is blog is going, was thinking it was a gut check time blog.  I need to get my shit together, haha.  Well anyway I already said this but I worked on a new shows set last week.  I got turned into like a small character, no lines, but they actually have me receiving a line from a character and reacting which is pretty radomly cool I guess, but means nothing, haha. Psshh I dont really have much else to say.  My standard saying I applied for a few jobs and everything else all applies to the standard blog talk.  While it is all true.  But anyway I didnt really know where I was going with this blog or how it would continue.  But bascially its really simple, I just need to find a way to make it work, thats it.  I mean come on man, think outside the box.  Be Eric you jerkface.  Ok I dont like negative talk to self, but its kind of true, like, do it, idk.  Its not impossible you gotta keep the hope alive.  It might take awhile to get like your bearings wrapped around routine or what not but you gotta stay proactive even if its not possible to stay positive, maybe thatll lead to positive.  I think not having a car, is a pretty big setback.  But what you gonna do, its gone. Alright out be back soon.