Happy Thursday

Happy Thursday! This is my favorite day of the week. My adoration for Thursdays started when I was little. I had tap class on that day, after I buy some comic books or magazines,and then had a favorite t.v. show to look forward to at night. My love of Thursdays has just grown as I have. When Thursday comes, even if I'm having a bad week, I know everything is going to be better because it's my day. Today, I won a free book from the ladies at the midnightmooncafe.blogspot.com. One of my favorite places on the web to indulge in my mystical side. The sun is out and spring is here. Anything can happen on a Thursday.

Tuesday

It is a beautiful sunny blue sky day in New York. I'm back to looking for work again. I'm more in tune with the gypsy style of my life now. While I'm auditioning and interviewing, I work on other projects. I have my writings to work on: poems and stories. Practice on my monologues and take out movies I want to see from the library. The library is my best friend. They have a great collection of movies. So I ordered online a slew of movies I want to see. I go through all my acting contacts and follow up with some people. Today, I have to see about my order of more copies of headshots. So I do my best to use my time wisely. Keep all those creative fires burning.

How can I serve as an actor?

On Wednedsay evening, I was listening to actor and coach, Peter Pamela Rose, talking about actors on casting director Jeff Mitchell's show on blogtalkradio.com. I went to a seminar she had at Aftra's last year that really inspired me. Peter said actors must ask themselves How can I serve as an actor when they go to audition. So I had three auditions this week and I tried it out.

I went in to every audition by saying that to myself. Peter is so right on the money. It switched the focus from being all about Shell to how I use my talent to serve the script right now. I was so relaxed and free. It reminded me why I still my love of acting. I always felt a calling to be an actor since I was a little girl. Some people are able to walk away from acting, but I can't. Acting is my blood and my soul.

So I am here. I say How can I serve as an Actor? This is going to be my new guiding force this year. Not how I can get ahead but how I can use my talents for the greatest good. I'm not saying that me being an actor is going to change the world; perhaps, as an actor I can help, uplift and entertain some people from a role I'm doing in a movie, play or television. Who knows? I have been called and I must serve.

Feeding My Soul

To be a creative person in whatever profession you choose, you constantly have to feed your soul. Creativity comes from the deepest part of us. If we neglect that, then what we create will come out weak and pale imitations of the greatness that is in us. Even worst, a dry thirsty soul leads us to more shadowy pursuits that draw us down a wrong road away from who we truly are.

This week so far, I fed my soul by going to the movies to see Meet The Browns starring Angela Bassett, watching Dangerous starring Bette Davis, reading Claiming Your Creative Self: Everyday Lives of Women by Eileen M. Clegg, reading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, finding a new Shakespeare monologue to work on, listening to podcasts, listening to music, baking cookies and laying down on my bedroom floor watching the sky. As different as all of these things are they are feeding me and allowing me to keep flowing artistically.

If you haven't fed your soul lately, do so today. Don't wait. Get quiet and listen to what your soul needs. Even if it seems outrageous, go seek it out. Soon you'll find yourself feeling better and your creativity bubbling up. Just step back and see what wonderful and imaginative things come from you now.

The coolest Brotha in the galaxy

Much love to the coolest brotha in this galaxy and beyond: Billy Dee Williams turns 71 today. I could not let this day go without showing my deep affection and esteem Billy Dee. When I was kid in the 70's, there is no one that could touch Billy Dee Williams. He was the one of the first Leading Black men of the silver screen with starring roles in Brian's Song, Lady Sings The Blues, Mahogany.

By the time the 80's came, he became even more famous if that is possible starring as Lando Calrissian, the original owner of The Millennium Falcon, in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi. The suave and handsome Lando who though put in a tough situation proved heroes always come through in the end.

Billy Dee Williams is still acting in a variety of films and tv: Ladies Man, Undercover Brother, Constellation, Night Shift: General Hospital. What I also find fascinating is that he is a prolific painter as well. You can check out his artwork here:www.bdwworldart.com/

Happy Birthday Billy Dee!!

Fab Bette

“Without wonder and insight, acting is just a trade. With it, it becomes creation."- Bette Davis

Today is the 100th birthday of my favorite: Bette Davis. She can play it all: strong, vulnerable, dangerous, witty and coy. I can watch Bette and never be bored. I find something new every time I see one of her films. One of my acting teachers, Hope, use to say if you find something that you like an actor doing it, steal it and make it your own. If you feel bad about stealing it from them, remember they stole it from another actor. So I am sure Bette won’t mind if I borrow a thing or two from her.

My favorites Bette Davis films are:

Now Voyager: (Vulnerable and romantic Bette)

Jezebel: (Out doing Scarlett O’Hara Bette)

The Letter: (Conniving Bette)

All About Eve: (Strong Bette)

Dark Victory (Lively and Serious Bette)

The Winter Guest: (Edgy and romantic Bette)

Happy Birthday, Bette!! You are greatly missed.

“Oh Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars”- Bette Davis as Charlotte Vale in Now Voyager.

40 isn't fatal!

I have a confession of a secret fear of mine. Something that haunted me but I never spoke about.
Mine is about turning 40. About three years ago, I started sitting in the bed sweating about what would happen if I didn't accomplish all my dreams by the time I am 40. I always had two images running in my head: one of my mom telling me that she cried when she turned 40 and that Linda Evans commerical for Clariol when she declared 40 isn't fatal.

It's not like when next year I turn 40, I will be in an updated version of the movie: Logan's run now called Michelle's run. Being hunted down because I didn't accomplish more of my acting goals. When I turned 39 in January, something inside me began to loosen up. I used the energy I had wasted fretting to what I needed to do now to get closer to my dreams. Action is always the cure for worry.

So when I turn 40 next year. I plan on celebrating. I am shooting for Paris in January for me.
Being able to turn 40 and embracing all that I have been and all that I will become.


Just found this site and i think this is awesome:http://turning40.net/