Being Thankful

Here are a few of the many things I am thankful for:

1. I can belittle other posters on message boards with negative comments and make broad generalizations.
2. I can wait for my agent to call (email - whatever) instead of looking for work to submit to.
3. I can make crap, in every sense of the word, and post it online.
4. I can gripe about how much my family time takes away from my acting time.
5. I can sit on my butt and complain about how I never achieve anything...except, perhaps, a bigger butt.
6. I can stick pins in a Voodoo doll, or put a hex on, or whatever a person because they, oh, got picked instead of me.
7. I can search for fault in things with the same intensity with which Sherlock Holmes would search for a clue.
8. I can be abusive to my body. After all, all types are needed in this business.
9. I can speak ill of other people.
10. I can get bent out of shape when things don't go according to my plan.

Of course, instead, I could...

1. post comments which are more positive and hopefully helpful while avoiding making everyone in a given demographic a negative characteristic.
2. look for opportunities.
3. make things of good quality.
4. appreciate how much my family loves me and what they add to my life.
5. get off my butt and actually work at achieving something.
6. sincerely congratulate others on their successes. Perhaps even promote them.
7. find the positive in life. Even the trials.
8. take care of myself. After all, there's not much need for medically unfit actors. Even if the character is.
9. speak well of others, or, at least, hold my tongue.
10. be flexible.

The Business With A Capital B

Ever look at your schedule at the beginning of the month and think "I don't have very many acting commitments" only to review your activities at the end of the month and think "I did all that?"? Happens to me a lot. And that is just things involving physical contact. By physical contact, I mean non-virtual and not that other thing.

Why does this phenomenon of opportunities popping up during the month occur? Because I attend to the business side of my career. Networking event? I attend and endeavor to do the network part. Opportunity to pick up some knowledge/skill through legitimate channels which will be an asset next time a role comes up? Taking it. Research projects to self-submit to? Daily, except Sundays.

In fact, I do not think I have had a single opportunity arise because I was tending to the show side. I suppose it might be possible to find a Project B that I was cast in because I worked on Project A. But how do you think I got to work on Project A?

Concentrating most of your effort on the business won't stifle your creativity. The business side is what allows the creativity to be created.