Goal!!!!!

Goals 1: Set up some new goals
Goal 2: Attempt to accomplish these goals in the next 365 days

It is a new year, a new start, time to re-organize, re-evaluate, and find that rejuvenation

Have you set new goals for this upcoming year? If so, what goals have you set and why?

I think it is important to look back and see you what you have accomplished for the year.  As an actor, it is hard to constantly see what you have not gotten rather than what you have gained in your career.  So many times, I find myself saying, "Why can't that be me?"  Sound familiar?  Well, this year I have challenged myself to celebrate all successes in the industry and state, "Me too!" and not "Why not me?!"  There is a piece of the success pie for me in this industry, and I am going to enjoy that slice!

Goals can sometimes be a lofty idea, but I think they are important to give you momentum.  As human beings, energy is a driving force every day.  Energy affects us until the moment we die, and so I feel goals can help boost our energy to accomplish the things we so desperately want.  This year, I will set my goals, and I may not accomplish all of them.  However, if I do not dream big, and set big goals, I may never know what I can accomplish as a person and an actor.

My challenge to you: Set three goals for yourself to accomplish throughout 2013.  Then re-read these goals and set one more goal that you think is just out of reach.

For myself:

1.Book one commercial as a principle role
2.  Book a role in an indie film or upcoming pilot
3. Get into all 3 grad school Acting Programs

****Get back into running shape and by August 2013 be able to run a half marathon.

Reach for the stars and keep on rocking it like the Rock Star you are are.

13 is a my lucky number so here is to a very successful and lucky 2013 for everyone!

Live, Laugh, Love and Enjoy the moment in front our your face!


McGee

The Three C's: Change, Challenges, Courage

As a write this, I am currently sitting in a Starbucks since I do not have internet or cable in my apartment.  What? Why? How could this be?....you might ask...Well I am moving and those two items have been cancelled due to the upcoming move.  While the start of this week has had some challenges due to the lack of internet and how our society is very dependent upon this, it has given me time to reflect and get new things accomplished.

The end of the year is always a time to reflect on what has happened and what one has accomplished this past year.  The new year brings much change for me personally and while change can be a scary thing, I am very optimistic that all of the new changes in my life will lead to great things. 

How do you view change? Do your routines which are a part of our daily life bring comfort? Does altering your routines bring about enourmous fears? Or does change invigorate your spirit?  I think change is for the most part a good part of natural progression.  So many times I find myself settling for what is comfortable and not genuinely being happy with where my life is at the current moment.  Change your mindset and change can be extremely beneficial.  A new year, a new start, a new apartment! Bring it on 2013! It is my year.

Challenges: I think as a nation we have faced many challenges.  The massive shootings as of recent have renewed my appreciate for my daily moments.  I am reminded how often I take getting a cup of coffee at Starbucks for granted.  Challenges can often create an extemely bumpy road for many of us.  My self included.  Many times, I find myself complaining and wallowing in self pity.  That needs to stop now.  Challenges help us to appreciate so many things and we need to see challenges as such. 

Courage: what does this word mean to you? Courage can take many forms on a daily basis.  Courage is the many men and women that depend our country.  Courage is taking a stand for what you truly believe in like human rights for all people even if you may not be in the norm.  Courage is going after your dreams even when it is not always successful both finanically and artistically but it is truly a huge part of who you are.  You will not stop chasing your dream because it takes courage when other people tell you no.  Courage. So many moments of courage have happened to me and all people this year.  Have the courage to keep your dreams alive  because in our modern society is not always easy to dream. Have the courage to dream and DREAM BIG!

2013 is almost here and it is good to look back and look forward.  However, I will use one of the C words to close.  CHALLENGE! I challenge you this Holiday season to just look at the now.  As an actor use it as an acting exercise.  How present can you be in this moment happening right now?  So many times I get frustrated and upset with my past actions, or what will happen.  I challenge you and myself to enjoy the moment to moment events of this Holiday season and truly be present.  You might get more than just sweaters and gift cards from it!

Live for today, Laugh often, and Love this Moment

McGee

Being Present is the Real Present

Well the Holidays are upon us which means Cyber Monday deals, Black Friday brawls, loads of food, and festive parties.  With all of our gadgets, computers, and the internet, I find that we are constantly having to check our phones, or play with the iPad rather than really being engaged with what is around us.

How present are you in the day to day moments of your own life?

I have to admit that I may have an addiction....to my phone.  Especially in New York City, I find myself constantly checking my phone for email, text messages, looking up things on the internet. I do it sometimes when I am out with friends and then there is the panic attack when I cannot find my phone.  "Please call my phone....oh no it is on vibrate, quiet, everyone quiet...." the buzzing happens and then every migrates to the next room.  "O, sorry it was in my bag..."  It happens to me on a weekly basis.  This onslaught of panic over my phone.  Why do I have such strong feelings over this inanimate object?

I understand the value in technology, especially the iPhone that I panic over.  While the advancement of technology has made our lives easier, I feel in some ways it has disconnected us from one another.  Instead of playing Mario Brothers in the same room together, now you have the ability to play in separate states.  Instead of playing board games and talking, people play Words with friends on Facebook   Instead of calling someone on their birthday we write a message on their Facebook wall.    How many times will you check your phone while you are with family over the Holidays?  Do all these advancements really connect us as human beings?

As an actor, it is extremely important to be present in the moment.  I think it is something that I am constantly attempting to get better at.  However, today, at one of my auditions, I felt really present in the moment and in the end, if I get the job or not, it does not matter.  I felt like a better actor.  I pride myself in the honesty and truth in my work as an actor, and I felt like I left that in the audition room. So many times actors phone in their scene work or monologue, and I am guilty of it at times.  You just go on autopilot.  However, human beings react to the people and  the environment around them.  Therefore, it is an actor's job to be present and respond to the people and environment created.

This Holiday season are you going to be on autopilot or truly present in your daily moments? I feel if you take the time to enjoy that snowfall rather than complaining about it, or smile at the person who cuts you off in line at the register  rather than yelling some four letter words,  you will have a better present than you can find at Best Buy or Walmart.  I could be wrong though...you never know until you give it shot.

Enjoy the company of those who surround you this Holiday season, enjoy the food that people have prepared, and don't stress the small stuff because in the end, these are the things people, including yourself. will  remember for years to come.


Live for today, Laugh Often, Love this Moment

McGee

Falling Off Your Bike

We have all fallen off the bike and gotten right back on.  I remember learning how to ride my bike and I would scrape my knees, but I was so determined to learn how to ride a bike.  But my question is....are we meant to fall off the bike in order to learn something?

Mistakes...are they really mistakes? Or are they more of a moment of discovery and learning? Maybe if we viewed our mistakes as less of a negative thing and more about a positive moment of self discovery and learning, we would be more productive and less critical of ourselves.

For example, yesterday, I had a commercial audition that was a very unconventional commercial.  I flubbed the lines, did not have a great rhythm , and did not feel great about the whole process.  It is good to learn what I liked and did not like. But maybe everything I hated about my audition, were the exact things that the producers loved?! In all reality, maybe those things were not "mistakes," but it is my own way of viewing them that defined them as "mistakes."

I know there have been many moments in my own life that I have felt like I have made a mistake, but maybe all of those things were meant to happen in order for me to learn and grow.  Yes, it is difficult to be less critical of myself and my accomplishments.  There have been many twists and turns, but I think that is part of the enjoyment of life.  The road of life can have many paths and sometimes you fall off that bike but  the main question  is.......will you get on the bike again and take the same route or is it time to take a new path?

I find sometimes when we encounter "mistakes" in life, it is often a time to reflect on how life is flowing and maybe do something new or take the path less traveled.  Often times people feel stuck and on autopilot due to the expectations of society, family, friends, coworkers, etc and continue like a hamster running on a wheel.  I know that I felt that many, many times.  However, sometimes you need to stop running in order to gain more momentum.

For myself, this past year has been a year of many ups and downs, and I had many moments of learning/discovery ("mistakes") and now am applying for MFA Acting programs.  It is a different path and alternative path and I would not have gotten here without my "mistakes."  But I couldn't be more content with this decision and maybe another path will ultimately present itself through this whole process.

We all fall off the bike from time to time.  It is o.k. to scrape your knees...it reminds us that we are human. When you get back on the bike, which path are you going to take the next time?

Ride your bike, scrape your knees, pop a wheelie, ride the bike with no hands...it is your journey...enjoy the ride.

McGee  

The F Word- Feel it and Fight the Frustration

We have all felt this way one time or another. No the word that I am talking about is not that dirty word but it may make you say a few swear words every once in a while or many times depending on the day.  The word I am talking about is frustration.

We have all been frustrated with our lives, a certain situation, or a significant other.  Sometimes it is even frustrating being frustrated and it is a perpetual cycle.  You just cannot escape this feeling and this feeling consumes you.  

What is the most frustrating thing in your life holding you back from being more positive?

Yes, frustration holds us back.  We sometimes get consumed by what is going wrong, or this specific event and cannot let it go.  As an actor, I have to say at this moment, I am completely frustrated.  I feel stagnant as an artists and want to feel like I am making more progress  (both financially and artistically) and am not at this  place that I projected for myself years ago.  But where does this frustration come from? Some of it is societies expectations yes. But mostly it comes from ME. Yes, I just admitted it.  It comes from me.  Lately, I have been more introspective which is a great thing.  However, it forces me to dig deeper as a person which I hope will in the future shape my work as an actor.  

Once I admitted that I am frustrated and that this frustration lies within me.  I realized I must deal with it rather than have simmer inside like a pot ready to boil over.  Everyone has certain way of dealing with frustration.  How do you deal with this frustration?

One idea is find something that you enjoy.  I love to run because it clears my head and I feel like I am phyiscaly clearing my body.

Find a new activity.... I recently joined a new acting classes and every Wednesday I feel like I am engaging as an artist.  This helps me feel like I am making progress.

Third....reevaluate your goals and maybe make new ones.  It is ok to reexamine your goals.  Never in a million years would I think of doing film.  However, now it is a major focus and I have developed a decent reel and feel confident in my tv/film auditioning skills.  

You are allowed to be frustrated.  It is only human. But deal with your frustration and don't let it fester in you! Yell the f-word a million times if you have to.... !

 F***k, F8887,F$$$K!!!!

As always,

Live for today, love this moment, and laugh always!

McGee

The dreaded R Word

Relationships...This can be a scary word to some people, but we have relationships with people every day.  The person who gives you a coffee, your parents, your boyfriend, your wife, your child. Some are more meaningful than others, but they are relationships that impact your daily life. Most can be positive and uplifting, but some can be toxic and dangerous.

My question for today: Why do we hold onto certain relationships? What keeps us from letting go?

I think the answer is comfort.  We find some sort of comfort and soothing feeling in familiarity.  When those people and relationships are great, it creates a positive and more energetic world for us.  However, there are those relationships that sometimes tear us apart and make us become more toxic ourselves.

As an actor, I think it is important to have a good core of people who you surround yourself with.  These are the people who support you through it all.  They make you laugh when you need to, listen to you vent when you had a bad day or audition, and make you a better person.  As the years progress, I have slowly realized this group is very important to me, and I hold these people to high standards.  Sometimes they don't match those standards and that is alright, but there are very few people who enter this circle. The few, the proud.   But once you are in the circle, you are good people in my book.Sometimes this circle changes and that is alright too. These were people were part of my journey for that moment in time.  I needed them for that moment.

As an actor, you are constantly fostering and building relationships with many different people.  Managers, agents, producers, casting directors, directors, and fellow actors.  It is important to be true to who you are, and these relationships will definitely prosper. When people do not stay to true to who they are as artist, they enter into toxic relationships that can sometimes lead to a spiraling downfall.

As I grow as a person and an artist, I had my fair share of both blissful and toxic relationships.  I have learned from all of them and they have helped me grow. Growth is always a good thing.

What relationship do you want to see expand and help you grow? For when you grow like a tree toward the sky you are closer to reaching your dreams.

Dream Big, and Laugh Hard and Don't be Afraid of Building a New Relationship!

Patrick

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Fear is something that stops us as human beings on a daily basis.  We are afraid of speaking up for a friend who is being verbally attacked, because we are afraid of what other people might think of us.  We are afraid of telling the person we have fallen in love with that we truly do love them for fear of them not feeling the same exact way.  We are afraid of leaving a job that we hate and gain no personal enjoyment out of, because we are afraid of leaving the comfort zone of stability that we have created.  Or we are afraid of the dark and the monsters that lie there!

 What are the monsters that you are afraid of in your life?

I cannot help but return renewed and inspired after working with a truly dedicated and focused group of young adult actors.  The source that sparked my inspiration was watching these actors be fearless and taking major risks in the work they were doing as teenagers.  Yes, teenagers! I was so self conscious as a teenager so to see them leap and take a risk in a safe environment was so inspiring.  I was reminded  and struck by the quote, "Fear is only as deep as the mind allows."  We are only afraid and do not take risks, because we think about these fears. So stop thinking about them and take that leap that you need. I know, I know easier said than done. 

As an actor, I am constantly concerned with what other people think about me as a person and a performer, and it has taken me twenty some odd years to start to not care about others and focus on me.  When I attempted to do that, I freed myself and became a better actor and took major risks in my auditions and my performances. But I am still working on it.

I find myself and watch other performers consumed by this fear of letting other people's opinions or ideas shape them and their careers. When you are concerned with, "oh they think I am too short, oh I cannot sing as well as that guy, oh this shirt makes me look......(fill in the blank)" your work suffers.  Those fears creep up all time for me especially at auditions when I am nervous.  Why am I nervous? Because I am more concerned about other people than myself and my work.  I am not nervous when I rock out to Billy Joel in the shower so why should I be nervous in an audition room.

   I am not saying that all people's opinions or ideas should not be taken into account.  Finding a good network of people whom make you a better person, which in turn will make your work fuller and more effective, is important.  Positive constructive feedback from a casting director, acting coach, or vocal coach can be extremely helpful.  However, as I have discovered, there is no right way in this business and you will get many conflicting opinions on everything from how to read sides to what not to wear.  My advice is to find what works best for you, because when you are confident in your own skin nothing else matters.

Also, keep a light on so that those monsters do not creep out of that dark place. How you say? Dream. Always Dream to keep your hopes high, because hope is that parachute that helps you when you take that first leap to something new.  Take that leap in your life, in your work, and in whatever you feel most passionate about.


As Always


Live for Today, Laugh Hard, Love this Moment!

McGee