A dear friend of mine called me this weekend. He wanted to get back into the acting biz and wanted to know how to do so. I was so excited because he is super talented and got a great look. However, the first thing he said to me was, “So, I should probably find a monologue, huh?” Oh my dear friend... Not that you shouldn’t have a monologue in your back pocket, BUT… the industry has changed so much in the past 20 years. It is no longer good enough to be super talented and hope that someone will discover you at a casting. Technology has improved exponentially to the point where we have the internet and YouTube now and all submissions are now digital. Taped auditions are the new norm and having a reel is a requisite. It’s not just a picture and resume anymore. Actors access has the option to have a video slate (WHAT. I personally think that absurd).

In 2014, it’s not good enough to just be talented. You also have to be a business man/woman. You have to be an entrepreneur. You must brand yourself, market yourself, sell yourself, and hustle. Or you need to have YouTube videos of you with over a million hits. Ugh, where’s the fun in that? It sounds stressful and not fun at all.  I have a few friends who started getting into the biz 20 years ago.  They started their careers on shows like “Married with Children” and “90210” (the Luke Perry/Brandon Walsh version). They have griped to me about how back then it was so much simpler. They got called in to audition for a role, they brought their talent into the room, and if casting liked them or thought they were the ones for the job, they were hired. SO SIMPLE.

Nowadays, there are thousands upon thousands of people wanting to be an actor, reality competition shows are inundating our televisions searching for the next “star”, and even more people want their 5 minutes of fame posting their videos on YouTube hoping to have their video go viral. The odds are 1000 times harder to “get discovered” than before. Overwhelming? Feel like it’s pointless to even try? Don’t feel defeated! There’s a solution!

            All you need to do is TAKE ACTION & TELL YOUR STORY.  You actually have more control and more opportunities than you think you do.  That’s a good thing! With the advancement of technology, you can now:

·      Shoot your own scene, short film, web series, and movie. High quality video cameras are now super affordable. Hell, you can even shoot something on your iPhone and edit it with iMovie!

·      You can self-tape an audition and send it in to casting!

·      You can promote your film on social media and CONNECT WITH PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD!

But how can I possible stand out from the crowd??“ TELL YOUR STORY. Follow your bliss. Write and create films that inspire YOU. Put scenes on tape playing characters that you want to play. You are unique and different enough to stand out. Just tell your stories from your heart.

What speaks to you? What are you passionate about? What message do you want to spread? A lot of people write from their experiences, and I have to say: YOU CAN’T SCRIPT REAL LIFE ANY BETTER. Some of the best stories that I’ve heard are the ones that actually happened. You are the only person who has experienced your life. Your story might be similar to someone else’s, but guess what? That’s okay! Because that makes you RELATABLE. So, BE BOLD & BE YOU! You are special enough to stand out. No one can be a better you than you.

SAY YES TO THE YING: What’s your story?

Rock the Love,
Alicia

#yestotheying

My trip home to Atlanta has turned out to be amazing. My agent in LA arranged a meeting with an agent in Atlanta. It turned out to be a wonderful introduction and at the end of our talk, Gerra from Avery Sisters Entertainment decided to bring me on! I am beyond excited! This means that I will now be going out for shows like "Walking Dead", "Homeland", "Drop Dead Diva", and the CW's "Vampire Diaries. Fantastic, no?! It's a step in the right direction and I'm so grateful.

I really owe major successes like this to living my life the way that I want to live it.  I do what's best for me, what I need to stay healthy and happy.  It's taken me a long time to properly take care of myself, and it feels great! If something doesn't feel right, I won't do it.  Doesn't matter what anyone else says. I do my best to stay positive and have a healthy mindset. I know there's all that hooplah about "just be positive", but I'm telling you from experience, being negative is so much more work! I still have to work my ass off to be positive and to get where I have gotten, but I'm so much happier <3

TIP:
One thing that has really helped me is meditating. For all you peeps out there who can't sit still for an hour, well, guess what? Neither can I! Thank goodness Deepak Chopra has these 15-minute mediations that are AMAZING!! Check them out on his website 
http://www.chopra.com/meditationtips and see what you think. There is a FREE meditation there! Try it. It's only 15-minutes. 

Am I a yogi now? Hells no. My mind still races at 1,000 miles per hour as I challenge myself to accomplish more each day. However, doing these mediations every morning has allowed me to take time for myself, which has been a total blessing. It centers me for the whole day, and somehow, life is just a little bit easier.

Let me know if you try it and what your experience is.  I hope it helps you as much as it is helping me!

Rock the Love,
Alicia