Tag Archives: acting

Feeling Like Things Are Picking Up (or I’ve Missed This Productivity)

Posted on January 24, 2024 | Comments Off on Feeling Like Things Are Picking Up (or I’ve Missed This Productivity)

When I worked at getting as ready as possible with things for my acting career, I knew that a lot of it was out of my hands. I took control of whatever I could, but there’s only so much I can do. I got a new agent, which was huge and the biggest thing I was worried about. And after that, I could start the ball rolling on a few other things that I was putting off.

I got new headshots done, which I had been putting off for a while. I would love to have my weight lower before taking photos, but I need something for now. And I was lucky that I got to work with someone I have known for a while and he was able to give me a good deal so the new photos weren’t quite as much as they could have been. It’s always fun getting to work with a new photographer because every photographer has their methods for helping you get the best shots possible. I think the photos I got in this shoot came out so good and I’ve already gotten the selects back from my new agent so I can get them posted on the different casting sites as soon as I get the retouched images back. Having new and fresh photos should be helpful, plus I feel like these have a bit more personality than the ones I’ve had up for a while. I can’t guarantee that I will get a ton of auditions because of the new photos, but I feel really good about how these represent me and the characters that I might be cast as.

But even before my new photos got onto the casting sites, I had my first audition through my new agent! It’s been a while since I’ve had an audition. Between the strike and then having my last agent close their agency, there weren’t many opportunities for me. I was still doing submissions on my own, but those are much more limited than what an agent sees. I was thrilled to get the email about the audition and was ready to get back into the swing of things.

This audition was a bit different from many that I’ve had. Before the pandemic, most of my auditions were in-person. Since the pandemic, all my auditions have been self-tapes. But this audition was on Zoom, so it was a mix of what I’m used to. I was able to audition from home so I could be comfortable, but I had casting watching me as I performed. I do prefer having casting watching me so I can make adjustments as needed, so I was excited to do a Zoom audition. But I did discover while getting everything set up that I don’t have the best set-up for a Zoom audition. I have a tripod for my phone to do self-tapes, but I didn’t have a stand for my laptop since I knew it would be better to use that for Zoom. But I was able to make things work with a big stack of books and using my desktop ring lamp.

I am looking at finding a stand for my laptop to add to my home audition equipment just so I have something ready if I need it. It also might be a good thing to have for self-tape auditions if I have a reader over Zoom instead of in person. But I wasn’t going to buy a bunch of stuff right away, so I made it work with what I had.

I felt so good after this audition. I have no idea if I will book the part or not, but it felt so good to perform. I know some people, including myself, question from time to time if this is still the career we want to pursue. I know my life would probably be a lot easier if I didn’t want to be an actor. But every audition and chance to perform proves to me that this is what makes me happy and this career is what I want to do if I’m lucky enough to have that opportunity. I also loved feeling like I was actually doing something for my career and not just waiting for things to happen. I obviously will have to wait for the next audition to come, but I know that I have been doing the work that got me ready for this audition and will have me ready when the next one comes my way.

I really hope that with all these things I’ve been doing recently, things will get busier for me. I know I might get stressed out with having to balance everything, but it will also be worth it because I know how much happier I was in general after my audition. I crave performing and I know that getting to do it feeds my soul. And I just want to have more chances to have that feeling because I know how awesome it is!

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Default ThumbnailSome Friend and Acting Time (or Still Helping With Self-Tapes) Default ThumbnailAn Isolation Audition (or Working On My Self-Tape Game) Default ThumbnailAlmost Getting To Act (or Being On The Other Side Of A Self-Tape Audition) Default ThumbnailAnother Self-Tape Audition (or So Grateful For Anything Related To Acting Right Now) Default ThumbnailMaking My Acting Bold (or Feeling Great From An Audition) Default ThumbnailAudition Prep (or Taking My Career Seriously)

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Ending The Year With A Very Productive Challenge (or Starting Off 2024 With Another Repeat)

Posted on January 10, 2024 | 2 comments

My monthly challenge for December was one that I knew I needed to do. I wanted to get myself as ready as possible for 2024 with my acting career. This was something that had really taken a backseat in my life over the past few years. I was still pursuing acting, but I knew I wasn’t doing things the best way I could. Things haven’t been what we all considered normal for the industry between the pandemic and the strike. But that’s also just an excuse because things have been happening since the pandemic, and commercials weren’t affected during the strike so there was still a possibility for me to audition. However, I discovered that I no longer had an agent during the strike. That was the kick in the butt that I needed to get back in gear.

I knew I needed new headshots, but I wanted to see if I could get a new agent first since that agent would likely have an opinion on those headshots and I didn’t want to do a shoot only to need to do another one after that. It’s been over a decade since I’ve had to look for an agent, so I wasn’t sure how things worked now. So I decided to start with people I knew since that would be the easiest way to start and I would love to be represented by someone who really knows me and doesn’t just see me as another actor on their roster. My first submission was to someone I have known since I was in college. We did improv together when I was in my 20s so we’ve known each other for over 2 decades. She transitioned to being an agent and I knew that her agency represented actors both theatrically (for film and tv) and commercially. It seemed like it could be the ideal situation for me and I was hoping she would think the same. And fortunately, that’s exactly how she felt and I was signed to her agency when we met! I know I’m insanely lucky how easy it was for me to get a new agent and this isn’t how it is for most people. And I’m also grateful that I have stayed in touch with people I’ve been in classes with for this long so I would still have this connection.

Getting a new agent was a huge win for my challenge and technically that was the only thing I got done during December. I did shoot new headshots last week after discussing what looks my new agent wanted to see. That shoot was in January, but I think it still can count as a win for my December challenge since it only was delayed because of the holidays. And now, I feel like I’m really back to acting and I hope that the combination of the new agent and new headshots will result in some amazing auditions and some bookings!

I know that not all challenges can go as well as my December one did. I didn’t even expect it to go that well and was thinking I might still be submitting to agencies and trying to get meetings through the next month or two. But it was a great way to end 2023 and I’m hoping that my challenges in 2024 will be close to that successful.

For my first challenge of 2024, I’m doing a bit of a repeat again. But I’m modifying it so hopefully I can be a bit more successful at it. I’ve tried multiple times to create a budget for myself and get on top of my finances. I’m doing much better with it now than I did before, but I’m still not great at having a budget. So this month, my challenge is to find the parts of my life that I can create a budget for. I might not be able to budget for everything, but I can try to budget for certain categories so I can be more mindful of my spending. I think that creating a budget for meals (both groceries and going out) would be a smart one to have. Also, I’d like to have some sort of entertainment budget. I don’t go out that much right now, but budgeting to go out and do things would be smart as I try to be out and social more. I also want to look more carefully at regular or recurring expenses to make sure there aren’t things I don’t use anymore that I’m paying for.

Maybe by budgeting for a few categories, I can ease into creating a larger budget for myself. I have some unplanned expenses right now that I don’t have the funds for and I need to save up. Knowing where all my money is going will help me save for what I need to do now and what might come up in the future. I know that I don’t make a lot of money, but finding any extra money right now would be so helpful. I don’t expect everything to be perfect, but I’d like them to be better than they are now so I can continue to get things in order as I have more things in my life that cost me money.

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Default ThumbnailCleaning Up And Getting Ready (or Still More Prep For 2024) Default ThumbnailMy 2024 Goals (or Things Already Might Need To Change A Bit) Default ThumbnailFailing And Succeeding In One Monthly Challenge (or Another Repeat Challenge This Month) Default ThumbnailNew Year’s Workouts (or Ending 2016 and Starting 2017 With Orangetheory) Default ThumbnailAnother Monthly Challenge Down (or The Prosperous Heart) Default ThumbnailFirst Monthly Challenge Of The Year (or Setting Up For The Year And Self-Improvement)

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My 2024 Goals (or Things Already Might Need To Change A Bit)

Posted on January 3, 2024 | Comments Off on My 2024 Goals (or Things Already Might Need To Change A Bit)

Happy 2024! I hope everyone had an amazing New Year’s and the year has gotten off to a good start already. I had a pretty chill and low-key New Year’s (except for one thing) and that’s exactly how I like to do things. Before I went out to celebrate with friends, I set aside some time to work on my goals for 2024 and I came up with 4 that I really want to focus on for this year. But I might have to make a few modifications already.

My first goal for 2024 shouldn’t surprise anyone who has seen my goals over the past few years. I want to do at least 200 workouts this year. This is the same number I have had as my goal for a few years, and I don’t expect that I will ever change this since 4 workouts a week at Orangetheory feels right to me. I know I’ve had random weeks when I’ve done 5 workouts in a week, but I can’t imagine doing that regularly. I hope that I will do a few more than 200 this year, but this number allows me to have some missed classes if I get sick or something else prevents me from getting to a workout. But as long as I get to at least 200 workouts in 2024, I’ll be happy.

My second goal for 2024 might need to be changed. The original goal I had for myself was to find a way to save money so I could finally go on a vacation. I still want to see if I can accomplish this goal this year because it’s been a very long time since I’ve had a vacation. I think my trip to Catalina was my last vacation, which was awesome, but I’d love to get away from LA for a fun trip this year if possible. But on New Year’s Eve, my car was hit by a firework and has some pretty decent damage on the door. My car is drivable and the lock and door work, but it will need to be fixed. And I know that any work I do on my car will be pretty expensive. I’m going to work on getting some estimates soon and I’m going to look into whether I want to go through my insurance or not (going through insurance might end up being more expensive if my premiums go up after making a claim). But the amount that I was hoping to have for a vacation may have to go into fixing my car instead and a vacation might have to wait another year. I’ll just have to see how expensive the repair will be.

My next goal is a continuation of one from last year. I want to go as full force as possible with my acting career this year. I am starting the new year in a good place with a lot of things happening for my acting career. I have a new agent, I’m getting new headshots, I’ve re-edited my reel, and I’ve worked on updating my online casting pages. There are other things I haven’t had a chance to do or look into just yet, but I’ve made a lot of progress in the last month that will help to support things moving forward this year. I know that getting auditions and booking jobs aren’t fully in my control, but I’m doing whatever I can to make sure I’m ready for opportunities and I hope that I see some new progress in my career over the next 12 months.

My final goal for 2024 is another one that I feel like I’ve kind of done in the past, but it’s still important. I want to find the time to enjoy life. It’s so easy for me to wake up early, go to my workout, work my day job, make dinner, go to bed, and repeat. Week to week my schedule is pretty consistent, which isn’t a bad thing, but it also makes time go by without me realizing it at times. I want to enjoy my life as much as possible because that is the point of life. I do make plans with friends when I can, but I need to be more active in reaching out to friends and scheduling things. I have some days that are really difficult for me to do things after work, but that’s not every day. So I should take advantage of the evenings when I do have more flexibility and do things that aren’t just sitting at home and doing nothing.

I know these goals aren’t anything crazy or extreme, but I think they are good goals for me to focus on so that I can make the most of 2024. I still will have my monthly challenges that will push me to do more than just these goals throughout the year. But I think these main 4 goals are things that will really benefit my life in the long run. And I hope in a year, I will be reflecting on these goals and proud of what I have been able to do.

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Default ThumbnailMy 2016 Goals (or I’ve Got Some Big Ideas This Year) Default ThumbnailMy 2023 Goals (or Some New Goals and Some Repeats) Default Thumbnail2020 Goals (New Year, Not All New Goals) Default ThumbnailMy 2021 Goals (or Preparing For A Year With Lots Of Unknowns) Default ThumbnailMy 2017 Goals (or I Know This Year Will Be Amazing!) Default ThumbnailWhat I Plan To Do This Year (or 2015 Goals)

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Cleaning Up And Getting Ready (or Still More Prep For 2024)

Posted on December 6, 2023 | Comments Off on Cleaning Up And Getting Ready (or Still More Prep For 2024)

It’s the last month of the year, which is insane to me! This year has flown by, but not just in the normal way that it has been in the last few years. So many of the things that seem to mark different points of the year haven’t happened the same way they have before. Having the strike happen made time feel like it stood still and skipped by at the same time. Even though it feels weird to be in December, I’m also feeling ready for this year to be done. It hasn’t been a horrible year necessarily for me, but I like the feeling of a fresh start with a new year and I feel like I have been setting myself up for what things might come my way in 2024.

In November, I had the challenge to work on cleaning out things that I no longer need. I have been noticing that I’ve had things that I just held onto because they were in my old place and they aren’t really useful anymore. And because I got a lot of new things when I moved, I had a lot of extra stuff that was taking up space that I didn’t need to use up. I didn’t clean out as much as I expected to do this past month, but that’s because I kept finding more things I wanted to go through. I know my desk will continue to be a project because I have so much that I used to use but don’t anymore. But I was able to get a lot of stuff cleared out of my closet and my kitchen drawers. I’ve also started to replace things that I have had for years with higher quality things so I am getting rid of the duplicates.

Even though I didn’t clear out as much as I thought I would by the end of the month, I did make a significant dent in the project and I’ve been creating new systems for reviewing what I still need to go through. And just like so many other challenges I’ve been doing recently, this one isn’t ending just because the month ended. I’ve been starting to work on my dresser, and I’ve gone through about a third of my stuff and found a lot of things that I was able to get rid of or donate.

And my challenge for December is yet another one to set myself up for the new year. But this is one that I’ve been needing to do and finally am getting around to it. I want to get all my stuff ready to really be back in the acting world again in 2024. This is going to be a big process and I know it won’t all be done in December, but I’m working on making a list of what I need to do and trying to get as much of it done this month.

The biggest thing I need to do for my acting career is to find a new agent. I found out that my agent can no longer represent union actors and they also might have gone out of business. I don’t know exactly how long ago this all happened because I discovered this randomly and I wasn’t notified by my agent. No matter how long I’ve been without an agent, I need to find a new one to really be back in the game. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to find representation, so I’m easing into this again by starting with reaching out to people I know. If I could get represented by an agent who already knows me, that would be amazing! If I have to start reaching out to agencies that I don’t know personally, then I’ll do that but that won’t be until the new year.

I also need new headshots. The ones I have are fine and I still look like those photos, but they have been used for a while, and having fresh headshots can help when I’m being submitted for auditions. The timing of doing the new headshots depends a lot on whether I get an agent that I already know. I would prefer to be signed by a new agent and then get new headshots so I can do the photos that they want for me. But if I have to start reaching out to new agents that I don’t know, I should get some new photos to add some more variety to what I have and then I will probably expect that I will have to still get more photos after I sign with someone. So that’s another reason for me to hope that I can find a new agent soon.

I also worked on cutting a new version of a demo reel, although I don’t have a lot of work that I can choose from that is recent. But I made something that I think looks better than what I had before. I did some work on my acting resume, but I might be making some more adjustments on that after I’ve had some more time to think about it. And I’ve been working on my stuff on the online casting sites so everything is updated and ready to go.

Some work has been coming back as the strike has been suspended (by the time you are reading this, hopefully, the new contract has been ratified and the strike is officially done), but things are still slow. It’s normally slow this time of year because of the holidays, and most productions don’t want to start up only to have to shut down again for holiday time off. But I’m hoping that once the new year starts, things will be getting back to a more normal pace and I want to do whatever it takes so that I can be a part of the acting world again. I’ve had too much time feeling disconnected between the pandemic and the strike, and I’m ready to go full force again and see what wins will come my way.

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Default ThumbnailStill Getting Ready For 2024 (or I Feel Like I Keep Finding More To Do) Default ThumbnailGetting Ready For The New Year (or Trying To Set Myself Up For Good Things) Default ThumbnailNew Things To Think About With My Acting Career (or I Need To Plan Things More) Default ThumbnailGiving Myself Some Breathing Room (or Just Getting Ready For Other Things This Summer) Default ThumbnailStarting To Plan Some Next Steps (or Researching Classes and Looking At My Schedule) Default ThumbnailReally Getting Ready To Get Back To My Workouts (or I’m Not Sure I’m Ready To Work That Hard Yet)

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Trying To Help My Fellow Members (or 2 Weeks And 2 Roundtables)

Posted on November 29, 2023 | Comments Off on Trying To Help My Fellow Members (or 2 Weeks And 2 Roundtables)

I’ve written a lot about my union service lately for a lot of reasons. One is that there hasn’t been any work since we have been on strike. But the bigger one is that I have been passionate about union service since I got involved. It’s really easy to not pay that much attention to what is going on and not worry about voting or anything else like that. But it’s so important to know what is happening because if we are lucky, these contracts and elected officials will be the ones who can make a big difference in our working conditions and pay.

As soon as the strike was suspended, there was a lot of discussion about the contract ratification vote. These usually happen during the summer when the new contract is decided (since we don’t normally go on strike and take 118 days to get a new contract). But the process is the same as it normally is. We received the summary of what changes will be coming in the new contract. There are informational sessions held so we can learn more and get our questions answered. And then we vote. For every contract I’ve voted on for SAG-AFTRA, the vote passes and the contract is ratified.

But this time, things don’t feel as simple as they usually are. I don’t know if members are more involved now that we’ve had a long strike if the idea of AI is worrying them, or what else might be triggering. But this contract ratification vote has been a lot more contentious than the others. The union has been trying to alleviate fears as much as they can. They have been doing more informational sessions than I remember from the past. The lawyers rushed to complete the full memorandum of agreement, which typically isn’t done until after the vote is completed. They have been putting out as much information as possible to make sure the misinformation is corrected. For example, I’ve heard some members worry that there will be no more background jobs because of AI. But not only does the new contract prohibit productions from using AI instead of the minimum number of covered background, we got the minimum number increased!

After seeing the misinformation going around online, I knew I had to do something. So I teamed up with another delegate, David Blue, and we decided to create some livestreams to get the correct information out to members. These were going to be similar to the You Are The Union livestreams I did a few years ago, but we were just going to focus on the new contract. We invited members of the Negotiating Committee to answer questions that members had about the new contract. Because of some of the conversations we had seen on social media, we were very cautious about making sure things would stay respectful and calm. And the first livestream we did was magical! It went better than we could have expected or hoped for and we knew that we got a lot of information out that needed to be there. And the comments we were getting after it was done showed us that other members felt the same way.

Because that went so well and people were asking for us to do another, we hosted another livestream this week. And that was just as successful as the first!

From the time that David and I decided to do these livestreams to the time that we hosted the second was just under 2 weeks. It was a crazy whirlwind time, but it was worth it. I know we don’t have as big of a reach as some other people might have, but we’ve had over 1,000 views on the first livestream replay already and it’s still being shared online!

If you are a SAG-AFTRA member and you have some questions about the contract, please check out the replays of the livestreams that we did. We created a YouTube channel just to host them.

Votes are due by December 5th, so you’ve got just under a week to get your vote in. And it’s a much easier ballot than officer elections because it’s online and you are only voting for one thing. I’m not going to try to convince anyone how to vote because that’s not my right. If you want to know my opinions about certain issues, I’m happy to share those. But everyone has to vote the way they believe and make sure they are being an informed voter.

And in less than a week, I guess we will see what happens. But no matter what, I’m so proud of what we were able to accomplish with these livestreams and how many members we were able to help.

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Default ThumbnailYou Are The Union (or Finding More Ways To Educate Other Union Members) Default ThumbnailCelebrating A New Contract (or Feeling Good About This Accomplishment) Default ThumbnailAuthorizing A Strike (or I Got My Vote In) Default ThumbnailThe Strike Is Over! (or It’s Now Time To Vote And Pass The Contract) Default ThumbnailGiving Myself Some Breathing Room (or Just Getting Ready For Other Things This Summer) Default ThumbnailAnother Amazing You Are The Union Livestream (or Learning So Much About Being A Better Ally)

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The Strike Is Over! (or It’s Now Time To Vote And Pass The Contract)

Posted on November 15, 2023 | 1 comment

After 118 days of SAG-AFTRA being on strike, the strike finally ended last week! I don’t think that anyone thought it would take this long to get to a deal when the strike started. I feel very certain that we had to go on strike because what was offered to us was not reasonable, but I really hoped it would be a short strike. It was shorter than the writer’s strike, but I never thought it would last over 100 days.

Nobody wanted to go on strike, but I will say that the solidarity that I saw on the picket lines was very inspiring. All of us were working together for a common goal. That’s a rarity for this industry. We all understood why we were on strike and why it was necessary. I went to the picket lines as often as I could, which wasn’t as much as I would have liked. But I made sure I supported my union and fellow members online when I couldn’t be there in person.

I knew that our Negotiating Committee was working hard on a deal when the other side was willing to meet with them. Of course, the other side didn’t want to meet that often and it took over 100 days from the start of the strike to the next time they met. This wasn’t our choice, but it was what we had to accept. And when they were meeting, those negotiating for us knew what our priorities were and what protections we would need. Finally, we had a tentative deal which was agreed to by every member of our Negotiating Committee.

The next step was for the Negotiating Committee to bring the deal to the National Board for them to decide if the deal was approved for the membership to vote on. That vote passed, with 86% of the National Board approving it. That is higher than many of our past contracts, so I’m really excited about that. And now, all 160,000 members will have an opportunity to vote to hopefully ratify this new contract.

We have a few weeks to vote, and I am taking my time to make sure I understand the new contract. I feel very certain that I will be voting yes because there are so many amazing things in this contract. It’s not everything we wanted and it’s not perfect, but no negotiation ends with one side getting every single thing they asked for.

Some people wanted to make AI forbidden in the new contract. But what we got was that AI can only be used with our consent when we are told exactly what it is used for. And if we are not on set because they are using an AI version of us, we have to be paid our day rate just like we would if we were on camera. That’s amazing to me! We also got increases in our residuals and new streaming bonuses for high-performing shows. We never had those bonuses before so that is an entirely new way we can make money with our contracts. And the one I’m most excited about is the new rules for self-tape auditions. We now have to have at least 48 hours (not counting weekends and holidays) for self-tape auditions. I’ve had some in the past that had less than 24 hours before they were due. We now have a restriction on how many pages these auditions can be. And we cannot be required to do any fancy camerawork or editing for an audition. Those are awesome because I’ve seen some crazy self-tape instructions that say you have to film in multiple locations.

I know the contract isn’t the easiest thing to read and all members should educate themselves about it before voting. I attended a Zoom informational session about it that happened earlier this week, and I know there will be more coming up. There’s also an in-person informational session later this week that members can register for. Things are being announced as they are scheduled, so I expect there will be more than what has been announced so far so all members should have a chance to learn more about the contract and get their questions answered.

I do hope that this contract is voted up and ratified. If we don’t, going back to the table means we will lose some of the things we have won. And as I said, it’s not perfect, but it’s got some great things in it. And when we negotiate again in less than 3 years, we will be in a much stronger spot to get even more protections for all members and make our profession even stronger.

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Default ThumbnailAuthorizing A Strike (or I Got My Vote In) Default ThumbnailGetting Informed About A Contract (or A Union Meeting Before A Vote) Default ThumbnailAnother SAG-AFTRA Election (or 318 Million Reasons To Vote Yes) Default ThumbnailCelebrating A New Contract (or Feeling Good About This Accomplishment) Default ThumbnailStrike! (or Getting Out To Picket) Default ThumbnailThe Importance Of The Writers Strike (or I Support The WGA)

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Not The Conventional Convention (or We Are Having An Intermission For Now)

Posted on October 25, 2023 | Comments Off on Not The Conventional Convention (or We Are Having An Intermission For Now)

This past weekend was the SAG-AFTRA Convention. It was going to be our second virtual convention, but we learned last time that virtual conventions can be just as productive as in-person ones. I hope the next one will be in-person because I love seeing people face to face and there are many fun little things that can’t be done with a virtual convention. But because the union knew while planning this convention that our negotiations might still be happening, it was safer to plan for something virtual. I don’t think anyone expected the convention’s first day to be the 100th day of the strike, but that’s exactly how it worked out.

Because the convention was virtual, there weren’t as many things that I had to plan and prepare for. I did make sure that my work schedule wouldn’t be affected too much, but I also knew I would be able to work while attending the convention again. I didn’t have to change anything with my workouts or plan out outfits in advance, which was nice. I think things weren’t as hectic leading up to the start of the convention due to so much attention being on our strike, but I also think that having a much calmer election season helped too. Even without the usual craziness, I was ready for things to start.

The convention usually has a similar schedule. The first thing we do is elect the last few officers that get elected at the convention and not during the election. Then we work on voting for or against different resolutions that were submitted before the convention started. And on the last day, we have a few speeches followed by using all remaining time for more resolutions. So as expected, once the convention started, we got to work on the officer elections. Things took a bit longer than they were scheduled for, but I think it always goes that way. With a virtual convention, there were some technical issues. But with an in-person convention, there are always technical issues as well. They just are different types of issues for each one.

I personally got to vote for 3 officer positions. Our Executive Vice President, which all delegates vote for, the Los Angeles Vice President, which only delegates from Los Angeles vote for, and the Actor/Performer Vice President, which all delegates from around the country that are actor/performers vote for. I was really excited that the candidates that I voted for were the ones that won those races.

And once all that voting was done, it was time for all of us to have a short lunch break. The break was only supposed to be 30 minutes, but it kept getting pushed back. We knew that the negotiating committee had a meeting during our lunch break, so some people were wondering if maybe that meeting was taking longer because negotiations were going to start again. And when we finally came back from our lunch break, that’s exactly what we found out.

A few weeks ago, the AMPTP had walked away from negotiations and we were just waiting for them to agree to talk to us again. They announced they agreed to meet again while we had our lunch break. And since negotiations were going to start again in a few days and our negotiating committee wanted to have time to prepare so they could be as ready as possible, it was decided that the convention was going to be put on pause. We were going to have our speeches and a quick keynote that afternoon, but voting on resolutions, which were supposed to be on Sunday and Monday, was going to be postponed until a later date.

This wasn’t what anyone expected to happen, but I agreed with my fellow delegates that it was the best thing for us to do. Negotiations haven’t been easy, and that should be the focus right now. And we will get back to voting on resolutions at some point and finish our convention. But hopefully, when that happens we will be done with the strike and we can focus more on the convention and less on picketing.

As I’m writing this post, it’s the first day back of negotiations. I don’t expect us to hear today that a deal was made, but I’m hopeful that we will hear back soon about a possible deal. I think the AMPTP sees how much support we have and they know that what we are asking for is what is fair and nothing unreasonable. I don’t know how long after a deal we will continue the convention, but I hope it’s not too long because I do enjoy working with my fellow delegates on union service like this. I can’t control when I audition or book work, but I can control some of my involvement in union service and I do take my elected position seriously and want to represent my fellow actors the best I can. And finishing out my voting when the convention returns is exactly how I can do that.

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Strike! (or Getting Out To Picket)

Posted on July 19, 2023 | 1 comment

While there are some things about the entertainment industry that I feel most people don’t know about, I think the current strikes happening are mainstream news. The strike with the WGA and the AMPTP has been going on for over 2 months now. And as of last week, SAG-AFTRA is now on strike as well. Going on strike is not something that was taken lightly, but it was something that needed to happen. Our negotiating committee has been working hard to get us a good contract, but we are just too far apart in what we want. A document went out this week showing what we are asking for and what the AMPTP has countered with, and it’s clear that there wasn’t going to be an agreement and a strike was necessary.

I have been wanting to go out to a picket line to support the writers when they were striking, but it just never happened. But now that we are on strike as well, I feel like I need to be out there. And I’ve been able to go for the 3 days so far that we’ve had picket lines. I had to work out things with my day job, since I can’t just take time off of work. But what I arranged is to take a very early lunch break so I can go to the picket line before it’s too late (and too hot). I’m only able to be out there for just under an hour, but I know that time is better than not going at all.

I’m only going to Amazon Studios because that’s very close to my place. I do drive over there because that saves me time and I have such a limited amount of time I can be away from my work. But it works out well for me to be there since it’s not one of the really popular picket locations so they need people there. Also, it’s been really hot out, but I know it would be even hotter in the valley where the popular studios to picket are.

I haven’t been going to the picket with anyone else, but I’ve met some friends randomly while walking around and I’m starting to recognize people there. It seems like most people go to the same locations each day. Even if I’m there on my own and don’t talk to anyone else there, at least I’m getting in my steps.

There is a bit of novelty with being on a picket line right now. This is my first time picketing and I do like feeling like I’m a part of something big. But I also know how important it is for us to be making this statement. The future of the entertainment industry is at risk, and it’s important that we make sure that there is a career path without being a celebrity in this industry.

I’ve had a lot of friends ask me how they can help, and there are a few things you can do.

First, unless you have a contract that obligates you to do so, please don’t cross a picket line. That means not crossing one physically, but also not doing something that would be virtually crossing a picket. Do not promote or provide free publicity for any films or tv shows from major studios. We aren’t asking for a boycott at this time, so you can still go to movies and keep your streaming services. But don’t post online about what you are watching.

If you want to join a picket line, you are welcome to do so. The picket locations are posted on a strike website along with a lot of FAQs for both members and non-members. You can also bring supplies to the picket lines such as water or snacks. I know those would be appreciated.

And if you are in a financial place to do so, you can donate money that will go toward those who are out of work because of the strike. The Entertainment Community Fund is a great place to donate and they have been helping people across the industry.

While many of us hope this strike will end soon, it seems like we might be in this for the long haul. But I know it will be worth it because we cannot give in and give up what is fair. Some people are talking about the strike lasting until the new year, and that is possible. But it will also be interesting if this strike affects a lot of the fall tv season because fans will be upset at the studios and that could swing things our way. We will just have to wait and see what happens and I’m going to keep showing up to picket every day that I can to support what is happening.

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Getting Myself Set For The Summer (or Union Things And Celebrating)

Posted on July 5, 2023 | 1 comment

As I wrote last month, I seem to pick monthly challenges at the perfect time. I pick things that end up being exactly what I need at that time and it really has benefitted me. And sometimes, those benefits have been just to focus on something that I know will be taking up a lot of my time. And that was the case for June.

I set my monthly challenge to be as involved in union service as I could be. There were some limitations that didn’t allow me to do everything I wanted to do, but I was getting a lot done last month. I was continuing to support the strike against the AMPTP as much as I could. I didn’t get out to any picket lines, but that’s just because of my job and not really having the chance to take time off while things are a bit crazy at work. But I was still supporting things as much virtually and sharing information so others could make it to the picket lines.

But the bigger thing I was working on was mainly behind the scenes because it wasn’t announced until the end of the month. Normally during union elections, there are 2 major slates that both have candidates running for various positions. This year, there has been a big sense of unity among union members and that has also changed what will be happening in the elections this summer. Instead of the 2 major slates running their own candidates, we will be having a unity slate with some candidates from each of the major slates. This is a big deal and it took a lot of work to make it happen, but I think this is something that will really benefit the union and could be a refresh for elections that we all need. There are still other candidates that will be running outside of the unity slate and there might be another slate created since there have been talks about some independents doing that in the past, but having the 2 main slates combined is going to make things very different this year. And I’m so grateful I have been a part of the work behind this (although a small part compared to others) and that I will be running on the unity slate.

I will still be doing a lot with union service this month, and likely more than normal since it is still election season. But I have picked another monthly challenge for July that I think will be perfect for me.

July is the last full month of my 30s. I turn 40 at the beginning of August and I’m pretty excited about that. I haven’t really been scared of aging, but I think that I was a bit more fearful of turning 30 than I am now about turning 40. I think my 30s have been the best decade of my life so far and significantly better than my 20s. And I want to celebrate how great my 30s were before I celebrate turning 40. So my challenge for this month is just that simple. I want to spend July celebrating and enjoying the last full month of my 30s. I know that aging is something that some people don’t look forward to, but I think more people now are enjoying aging. And age really is just a number and I believe that there is no guideline of where you need to be in life at certain ages. When I was younger, I believed in that idea more. But now, I am just enjoying my life and I don’t really care about the number attached to my age.

I don’t have anything in particular that I want to do to celebrate the end of my 30s, but I will be making sure that I appreciate what I accomplished in the last 10 years and how I have been setting things up to be even better in my 40s. And I’m thinking I should be doing something bigger for my birthday this year since it is a milestone, so planning my birthday will also be a way to celebrate what my 30s meant to me. I’m excited about this birthday and about being in a new decade of life soon, but I also don’t want to forget everything I was able to do in my 30s and remembering how that time turned me into the person that I have become and will be going into my 40s.

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Giving Myself Some Breathing Room (or Just Getting Ready For Other Things This Summer)

Posted on June 7, 2023 | Comments Off on Giving Myself Some Breathing Room (or Just Getting Ready For Other Things This Summer)

I feel like I’m picking the right monthly challenges at the right time. I seem to know that I will need to do something in the coming month and focusing on it really allows me to make sure I do what I need to do. Sometimes I don’t know why I need to do something until the month is over, but it’s always a great lesson for me. And this past month was no exception.

The overall challenge I set for myself was to be ok with not being perfect. I wanted to let myself use that idea for different things throughout the month, but it mainly concentrated on one part of my life. And that was how I plan out my blog posts. I’m almost 11 years into writing and until May I wrote a post every weekday. Coming up with 5 posts a week is not easy. Sometimes I have ideas for each day and I can be excited about what I want to write about. But more often, I struggle to come up with ideas and I know that my posts can become repetitive. So my challenge with not being perfect was about being ok with not writing every single day.

As you can tell from the posts I posted last month, I did go down to 2 posts a week. My Monday post was my workout recap and then my Wednesday post was about something else. I debated if I wanted to also do a Friday post because I did have things that I wanted to write about, but I knew that it would be a better challenge if I did limit myself to just 2 posts a week. Sometimes I didn’t write about things as quickly as I normally would. For example, this post would have been on Thursday or Friday last week if I had my old writing schedule. I had to be more selective about what I was going to share, but that also allowed me to not focus on turning things I do into posts. I liked not having that stress and I know that this was the exact thing I needed to do for myself.

Giving myself permission to not feel perfect really did release something from me that I didn’t know I seriously needed. And my plan is to continue to not worry about posting every day. Right now, I think keeping it to twice a week is a good option. Later, I might want to add in a third day, but I want to do another few weeks with just 2 posts a week to see how I feel about it. And maybe it’s something I keep flexible and I write 3 posts if I have things I want to share but only do 2 posts if I don’t feel like I need that third post.

Releasing the stress of having to always think of posts has been great for my mental health. And I think I will need as little stress as possible as I get prepared for a potentially stressful summer. This summer is election season for my union, and that’s what inspired my challenge for June. This month, I challenge myself to stay involved in union things as much as I can and try to help others be involved as well.

I’ve already been working on this with the strike authorization vote. I worked on making sure all the people I knew voted and understood what the vote meant. Most people understood that the authorization vote didn’t mean we were going to strike, but we were giving the negotiating committee the ability to call a strike if necessary. And I’m so proud of the union because we had a really good voter turnout (at least for us) and almost 98% of the members who voted approved the strike authorization!

Union elections are always stressful, but adding in contract negotiations adds to that. We will have our regular elections plus we could be voting on a new contract if one is presented to the members. And if we don’t get a contract, there is a chance that we will strike. This is a lot of information for members to take in, especially if they haven’t been involved in the past. Even for me, things can get overwhelming with staying on top of all the things we should know to be informed voters.

But with all the craziness and potential stress, there are so many ways for me to stay involved and connected with my acting career. I know that I will be stressed (and not having to write as many blog posts will help to not add more stress), but it will be worth it. I know I feel better when I’m involved and active with the union. I look forward to the different opportunities that will be coming during this election season and contract negotiations. I might feel like it’s too much in the moment, but once I get through this summer I know I will be grateful that I did whatever I have the ability to do.

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