Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

    Hoping to initiate a precedent here – writing in every Wednesday with some words of wisdom from my experience in this big wide world of ours. While working my way up the real life ladder, I have a feeling these posts will be full of the “should’ve”, “could’ve”, “would’ve” ‘s of finding the right job, the dream job, the right apartment in the right location, maintaining friendships (maybe relationships) while trying to figure of all this out.
   So here’s today’s:
   We all know the age old, so-called sage advice, “Don’t quit your day job”. Too often it is mentioned in jest, perhaps at a person’s frustrated attempts to carry a tune in a bucket. However, all to frequently we actors, artists, and soft-scientists alike are offered this counsel as wise and successful family and friends try to sway us from a path littered with wanderers, broken-hearted, and penniless. One would think a mere glance at the numbers who actually “make it” would certainly dissuade us quitting our day jobs. But perhaps I am too naïve and optimistic.
   I recently took on a day job with the hope of making a little extra money in between acting gigs. It’s a restaurant job - how cliché, right?! - but it’ll pay the bills for a little. However, I came home this evening to find my inbox full of casting notices and audition appointments in the next few weeks in addition to a posting for a job I’d be perfect for and would absolutely love in New York. My head told me to ignore the job posting and hang onto the stable day job I just started working a few local auditions in here and there, but my heart, gut, and every other piece of me told me to submit. Would it be so wrong to have options?
   And so, in spite of my head, I continue to submit my headshots, resumes, cover letters, and references for auditions and dream-job openings alike. I am too young to squelch opportunities that arise. And so I offer this age old, so-called sage advice, “It doesn’t hurt to try”. Options are opportunities.
   So, no, I will not be giving up my day job. Not just yet at least. However, I’m also not about to let it get in the way of my career. I’m living in the moment for now, taking one day, one audition, one day job shift at a time, awaiting new opportunities to throw a shiny golden wrench in my all too full Google calendar. Good thing there’s an “edit’ button.

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