Happy Holidays! As we near the end of 2021, I wanted to share a SAMPLING of the wins (both professional and personal) that I’ve had this year. I study and teach at the Richard Lawson Studios, and one of the concepts at this studio is the tracking of wins and the corresponding celebrations for those wins.
I like this definition of “win” from dictionary.com: “To succeed by striving or effort. To succeed in reaching (a place, condition, etc.), especially by great effort.” In my classes, I also add this point of view: A win is anything that has moved you at least one step forward. And as an example, one of my students shared in class on December 14th that she accumulated 321 wins in 2021!
Tracking wins and celebrating them maintains the journey we are on to have the careers that we want. Tracking wins and celebrating them helps us stay in a state of gratitude and claiming for oneself. At the RLS, a few of the classes were assigned to do a “Wins Film” to take stock of their 2021 wins in 3 minutes or less.
So join me! What wins have you collected in 2021? Take stock of them and you’ll be shocked and amazed at how many wins you have. Large, small, everything in between. A win is a win. It all counts towards the journey.
On August 26th, 2021, I celebrated 19 years of living in Los Angeles. And what made my anniversary so special, what made it a full circle moment, was that I shot a role on an Amazon Prime feature film that day!
19 years ago, I flew out to LA on a one-way flight from NYC, armed with one suitcase, my leather CD book, and a resolution to pursue my artistic dreams full-time. I had no job lined up. I had no apartment lined up. I had no car lined up. I just had my dreams that out-created what I temporarily lacked. When I landed in LAX, I got into a taxi and immediately quoted Madonna when she landed in NYC in 1977 and got into a taxi as well: “Take me to the center of everything.” Madonna’s taxi driver took her to Times Square and my taxi driver took me to Beverly Hills LOL. The rest, as they say, is history.
As I sat in my trailer on August 26th, 2021, I was filled with so much gratitude. Shooting a role on my 19th anniversary of living in LA was not lost on me. But beyond the role, I was filled with so much gratitude because I am still doing what I love to do. 19 years later and I am still actively involved as an artist. 19 years later and I am still going. 19 years later and I am still standing. And it’s such a testament to my raison d’ĂȘtre, my career bus that contains a community of persons, places, and things that keep me going. My community. My DOIN (Declaration of Independence aka business plan that we learn to create and build at the Richard Lawson Studios.) My DOIN is so important and I literally pulled it up two days before I booked this role to add and edit some things within it.
I am grateful to still be on this journey when a lot of people have stopped their own artistic journeys to pursue other endeavors (no judgement by the way!)
I am grateful that since I landed in LA 19 years ago, I have become a more causative, 360-degree artist. To know that 19 years later, I have weathered the highs and lows, the ups and downs. I mean, come on: The Covid-19 pandemic could have destroyed and obliterated me, but I found myself so creatively plugged in during 2020 by attending classes over Zoom, by working on my writing, by building my own rocking self-tape station and being able to film self-tape auditions, by submitting filmed monologues and scenes to various casting director open calls, by teaching classes over Zoom, by researching various industry topics, by attending artistic panels over Zoom, etc.
2021 has also been filled with artistic excitement. Some highlights:
**Self-tape auditions for TV series on Hulu, Netflix, Fox, HBO, ABC, etc.
**My feature film script placed as a semi-finalist in a big industry writing competition (Scriptapalooza) and it will be promoted to a network of 125 producers for one whole year.
**The same feature film script film script also placed in the top 15% of discoverable projects on Coverfly.
**I placed as a semi-finalist (in the top 6% of applicants) for a program with the Writers Guild Foundation.
**I’m waiting to hear back from other established industry writing competitions and programs.
**I revisited and rewrote a TV pilot script and I am now revisiting and rewriting another feature film script.
**Weekly career administration group meetings where we hold each other accountable to our artistic goals.
**Attending weekly classes.
**Writing meetings with the PDP 3.0 collective.
**I bought printer ink so that I can print up my sides (yes, even buying printer ink is a big win!)
**Relationship map building and outflow.
**In the 36 hours leading up to my film shoot, I had to complete two Covid tests, I had wardrobe fittings, I taught class, and I had to film two self-tape auditions for two different primetime TV series on ABC (one of which was due in six hours!)
So, as I sat in my trailer, the last 36 hours was not lost on me. 2021 was not lost on me. 2020 was not lost on me. My 19-year anniversary in LA was not lost on me.
On August 26th, 2021, I celebrated 19 years of living in Los Angeles. And what made my anniversary so special, what made it a full circle moment, was that I shot a role on an Amazon Prime feature film that day!
19 years ago, I flew out to LA on a one-way flight from NYC, armed with one suitcase, my leather CD book, and a resolution to pursue my artistic dreams full-time. I had no job lined up. I had no apartment lined up. I had no car lined up. I just had my dreams that out-created what I temporarily lacked. When I landed in LAX, I got into a taxi and immediately quoted Madonna when she landed in NYC in 1977 and got into a taxi as well: “Take me to the center of everything.” Madonna’s taxi driver took her to Times Square and my taxi driver took me to Beverly Hills LOL. The rest, as they say, is history.
As I sat in my trailer on August 26th, 2021, I was filled with so much gratitude. Shooting a role on my 19th anniversary of living in LA was not lost on me. But beyond the role, I was filled with so much gratitude because I am still doing what I love to do. 19 years later and I am still actively involved as an artist. 19 years later and I am still going. 19 years later and I am still standing. And it’s such a testament to my raison d’ĂȘtre, my career bus that contains a community of persons, places, and things that keep me going. My community. My DOIN (Declaration of Independence aka business plan that we learn to create and build at the Richard Lawson Studios.) My DOIN is so important and I literally pulled it up two days before I booked this role to add and edit some things within it.
I am grateful to still be on this journey when a lot of people have stopped their own artistic journeys to pursue other endeavors (no judgement by the way!)
I am grateful that since I landed in LA 19 years ago, I have become a more causative, 360-degree artist. To know that 19 years later, I have weathered the highs and lows, the ups and downs. I mean, come on: The Covid-19 pandemic could have destroyed and obliterated me, but I found myself so creatively plugged in during 2020 by attending classes over Zoom, by working on my writing, by building my own rocking self-tape station and being able to film self-tape auditions, by submitting filmed monologues and scenes to various casting director open calls, by teaching classes over Zoom, by researching various industry topics, by attending artistic panels over Zoom, etc.
2021 has also been filled with artistic excitement. Some highlights:
**Self-tape auditions for TV series on Hulu, Netflix, Fox, HBO, ABC, etc.
**My feature film script placed as a semi-finalist in a big industry writing competition (Scriptapalooza) and it will be promoted to a network of 125 producers for one whole year.
**The same feature film script film script also placed in the top 15% of discoverable projects on Coverfly.
**I placed as a semi-finalist (in the top 6% of applicants) for a program with the Writers Guild Foundation.
**I’m waiting to hear back from other established industry writing competitions and programs.
**I revisited and rewrote a TV pilot script and I am now revisiting and rewriting another feature film script.
**Weekly career administration group meetings where we hold each other accountable to our artistic goals.
**Attending weekly classes.
**Writing meetings with the PDP 3.0 collective.
**I bought printer ink so that I can print up my sides (yes, even buying printer ink is a big win!)
**Relationship map building and outflow.
**In the 36 hours leading up to my film shoot, I had to complete two Covid tests, I had wardrobe fittings, I taught class, and I had to film two self-tape auditions for two different primetime TV series on ABC (one of which was due in six hours!)
So, as I sat in my trailer, the last 36 hours was not lost on me. 2021 was not lost on me. 2020 was not lost on me. My 19-year anniversary in LA was not lost on me.
It’s so nice to be back. I hope everyone is thriving both personally and professionally. I have been missing in action because I have been focused on both the acting and writing sides of my career from self-tape auditions for co-star and series regular roles to submitting my writing content to various competitions and writing programs to just being fabulous đ I am grateful that I was able to stay connected and grounded with everything that occurred in 2020.
I hope to continue blogging on a more consistent basis so that I can include all of you on the journey I’m on to have the career I want, while also sharing the lessons and advice I am learning along the way.
The major catalyst that brought me out of blog hibernation was a friend and colleague of mine who I had the pleasure of talking to over the phone recently. A powerhouse of a person and artist, we caught up and by the end of our conversation, she asked, “What happened to your blog?” She proceeded to tell me that my blog was a way for her to stay connected and in the loop.
And so here we are. Do it now! And because we both had a synchronistic week that helped us to reconnect, I knew what I wanted this blog entry to be about. You see, before we called each other and caught up, I had been wanting to write a blog entry about how to respond or react when your friends are winning and succeeding. So, here is my take, my advice, on that. Because the way I responded over the phone when hearing my friend’s successes is a way you should respond as well.
When your friends are winning, be happy for them! Celebrate with them! Cheer them on! Because what goes around, comes around. If I react with a sense of jealousy or resentment, then I’m just putting out a negative energy that A) They feel and B) The universe feels. And I’ve just cut myself off from any abundant, wonderful inflow that can come back my way.
Be happy for your friends! Today it’s them. Tomorrow it’s you. We are coming up together. They are not better than me. I am not better than them. We are in this together. And so when my friend shared her wins, I was truly enthusiastic and proud of her.
I remember attending an alumni panel in LA. The panel was made up of industry types from actors to TV executive producers. I saw some friends of mine in the audience and this was the first time we had seen each other since graduation. Afterwards, we caught up during the reception portion of the event and we got to the famous question, “So, what have you been up to? What have you been working on?” When it was my turn to share, I did so with enthusiasm, excitement, and a real sense of wanting to share. When I was done sharing my recent wins and successes, there was a silence in the air before they said, “Well. What have you been working on?” and they proceeded to the next person. I didn’t receive any acknowledgement. They were filled with jealousy, envy, and resentment. As if I had done something wrong. It feels shitty when you feel people resenting you for the hard work you’ve done. Needless to say, I kicked them off of my career bus with the quickness.
If you’re struck with jealousy, ask yourself why. There are plenty of opportunities out there. There are plenty of jobs out there. There are plenty of doors that can open. There are a myriad of ways to create for yourself and get yourself noticed. Stay the course. It takes work. A sustained effort. Keep track of your journey so that you know where you started, where you are now, and where you are headed next.
So when your friends are winning, respond like Queen Meryl Streep below:
2020. What a fucking year. I’ve been away fighting the good fight for racial equality, preserving our democracy and continuing to administrate my career. Hope all of you are well and also fighting the good fight.
In looking at creating a new blog entry after being away for a long period of time, I couldn’t help but circle back to the power of art and of being an artist. Amongst other things, staying connected to my art has kept me sane, present and grounded in the midst of all of the incredible challenges that 2020 has brought to all of us. I’ve had many wonderful wins despite the crazy twists and turns of 2020.
As 2020 quickly comes to an end, I wanted to challenge myself to do 31 things for my career over 31 days in December. I call it “31 Days of Christmas” because quite frankly, doing administration for my career is fun and rewarding. It feels like Christmas every time I’m in the driver’s seat of my career. And I wanted to create this challenge because I know how easy it can be to slow down and take it easy during December. To think that things are over. However, I want to maintain a sense of outflow to create inflow…inflow that will pay off immediately in December and also in 2021…plant those seeds and water them!
And it won’t be 31 things just to do 31 things. I don’t want to be busy for the sake of being busy. These 31 things will be influenced by my raison d’etre (purpose; reason for being; reason for existence) and to advance my postulates. So I am moving and administrating with intention.
I’m excited because a lot can happen in 31 days!
And no worries, I’ll still make sure to celebrate along the way, take in the holiday spirit, drink some eggnog, play Christmas music, read some good books, relax, have some champagne, watch some Christmas movies, etc.
So come on. Does anyone want to join me? Let’s do this!
According to Google: Assign (an actor or actress) repeatedly to the same type of role, as a result of the appropriateness of their appearance or previous success in such roles.
According to Lexico: Represent or regard (a person or their role) as a stereotype.
According to Wikipedia: In television, film, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups. There have been instances in which an actor has been so strongly identified with a role as to make it difficult for them to find work playing other characters.
There have been instances in which an actor has been so strongly identified with a role as to make it difficult for them to find work playing other characters.
After working with, acting with, coaching and teaching many actors, this is a fear that comes up. And I’ve been asked many times what my point of view is on the topic of typecasting.
For ME, the best advice I can give is:
Get typecast. Get typecast so you can get in the door. And as you’re getting in the door, create the evidence for yourself that reveals what else you can do (and, most likely, what you’re more interested in and passionate about.) So that when you’re on hiatus from your series regular role or after you’ve booked X amount of roles as a particular casting, then you’re creating and distributing content to your team, your followers, your relationship map, etc…that reveals another aspect of your casting that you are probably more interested in, more connected to and more passionate about.
Again, that’s just me. You have to make your own personal decision at the end of the day. If you don’t feel comfortable being typecast or if you have strict policies and principles against that, cool. Then be about creating and carving out what you want to do, what you want to play and how you’re going to achieve that.
Ultimately, what do you see for yourself and how do you get there? Follow your instincts.
Hello artists! How the heck are you?!?! Wow! It’s been a MINUTE since I last posted a blog entry! My focus over the last few weeks has been on putting the finishing touches on the pitch package I’ve been building for the new TV series I created and developed.
I hope your summer 2019 has been filled with exciting artistic possibilities and opportunities!
As consumed as I have been with my new TV series, I had a moment one day that reminded me of why I entered the entertainment business in the first place: I was a little kid when I first watched Christopher Reeve play the role of Superman. Christopher Reeve played the role of Superman in the 1978 movie.
It was several years later that I would watch this film for the first time…and it changed my life forever. I KNEW right then and there that I wanted to save the planet with my super powers. Every time I watched this version of Superman as a kid, I would tie my baby blanket (which I still have) around my neck and “fly” around my room…visiting places on Earth and beyond…and fighting any bad guys in the process.
I knew that I wanted to be Superman. I wanted to be on screen and fly and save and protect and be a hero. I knew that I didn’t want to be a normal person. I didn’t want to be an anonymous entity. I didn’t want to be ordinary. I didn’t want to be like everyone else. I wanted to be someone. I wanted to stand out. I wanted to be a star. I wanted to fly. Superman represented what I wanted to be and so I started my journey of being an actor…an artist…an entertainer. Superman made a difference in his world………….and I wanted to do the same in mine.
Superman was the moment I knew I wanted to be an artist.
What was THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU KNEW you wanted to be an artist?
I’d love to read your answers in the comments section!!!
On July 10th, 2015, I launched my weekly blog, Chasing The George! Happy 4th Anniversary! Wow, what a journey it has been! And I feel like my intention and mission has always remained the same:
Hey everyone! I created this weekly blog on July 10th, 2015 upon the recommendation of one of my mentors, Richard Lawson. I am a working professional actor and writer who works hard and understands the concept of what it means to have a career. So he advised me to create a blog where I would share my advice, my journey, my stories and interests with other artists. A âHollywood 101â if you will that reveals and shares the sustained effort, work and fun it takes to have a career in this industry.
âChasing The Georgeâ is a play on the phrase âChasing The Ambulanceâ. When an ambulance is in emergency mode, they cut through traffic with intention. Nothing gets in their way. Some people will illegally chase after that ambulance because they too can get to their destination faster. While I donât condone illegal activity, I do love the concept of chasing a career with that same intention and focus. I am the ambulance. Chasing The George is a reflection of my intention and focus to carve out the career I want in Hollywood.
I hope that my advice, my personal stories, my enthusiasm and my sometimes funny and direct approach will inspire you to carve out your own fabulous and exciting career in Hollywood.
So pull up a seat and welcome to Chasing The George.
Thank you to everyone worldwide who has read my blog and who continues to read my blog. I love and appreciate your support!
There are so many more exciting things coming up! I am a working artist who is living the life of a working artist. My wins continue to expand and grow every year. My journey continues to expand and grow every year. My knowledge continues to expand and grow every year. I love being an artist and I will continue being an artist.
Below the picture, I wanted to re-share some of the blog posts from 2019.
Celebration is a vital part of the journey. Celebration marks the journey. Celebration acknowledges the work you’ve done to achieve a win, a moment, a milestone.
I had a wonderful, blessed past week of artistic wins. I was able to share them with everyone in my universe and beyond. I was able to enjoy the inflow that resulted from my outflow. And I was grateful to understand that my wins are a collective. My wins are connected to my friends, peers, colleagues, teachers, classmates, etc. who have helped me get to where I am today.
I want to recap my wins for the past seven days below and how I celebrated. And now that I have celebrated, it is time to move forward with the next step of career administration. I have celebrated, and now it is time to get back in and administrate the next steps for my career.
Here are my wins from the past week and also my celebration of those wins:
**The Doppelganger, a film I wrote, executive produced and co-starred in will play at the AMC Theater this July in Manhattan as part of the Dominican International Film Festival. More film festivals to come!
**A feature film that I am in, Zombie TV, has finally received DISTRIBUTION! It’s a spoof on zombies and reality television. 8 contestants are locked in a house with zombies. The sole survivor at the end of the night wins one million dollars. Does my character win????? Stay tuned!
**I submitted a self-tape monologue to Twinkie Byrd’s Flip The Script monologue competition. The competition was in conjunction with NBC. Out of the 1,200 submissions received, she sent 64 auditions over to NBC. I was one of the 64!
**I was on the set of the SAG web series, The Rejects, playing the role of Kenny. So much fun!
**I had two commercial auditions!
**I had a wonderful meeting with a fellow Vassar graduate about the literary agent world and they gave me so much homework to do!
**I am finishing up my tweaks on the three episodes, the series bible and the season one chart for me new TV series.
I am an artistic warrior!
And here is how I celebrated:
I bought Madonna’s new album, Madame X, on vinyl. (By the way, fun fact: Madonna earned a #1 album with Madame X on the Billboard 200 albums chart and a #1 song, Medellin, on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart today. She extends her record as the artist with the most #1’s at every Billboard chart combined, with 163 number ones!!!!!!!!!!)
Here’s a video montage of my wins from the past week:
Hey artistic warriors! How the hell are ya?! I’ve been gone for a few weeks and I’ve missed you all so much. So, where you at?! We are halfway through the year (can you EFFING believe it?!?! “She’s a woman!” Thank you Miz Cracker)
That being said, I thought this was a good time to check in and assess the artistic journey so far. What goals have you accomplished that you set for yourself back in January? What goals did you set for yourself back in January that you flinched on? “Flinch” meaning to pull back, back away, shy away, draw back. What goals started off with a bang, but for this reason and that, they/you lost steam and momentum?
What have you accomplished and celebrated? Do you have a list of your wins since January 1st and have you been celebrating along the way? I have five recent wins that I need to celebrate. I’m telling you this so that I am held accountable as well (To celebrate, I really want to buy a record player and some Madonna albums in LP form released from the year 2000 and beyond: Music, American Life, Confessions on a Dance Floor, Hard Candy, MDNA, Rebel Heart, and of course, the new album coming out on June 14th, Madame X…shameless plug and devotion to the Queen of Everything)
So, where you at my fellow artistic warriors?! Let me know in the comments section below.
For me, on the actor side, I need to schedule a new commercial headshot session. I’ve already picked out my wardrobe and will take pictures of myself in them and send to my agent for feedback. Once I solidify the looks, I will book a headshot session. For me, on the actor side, I need to buy a white ascot for a SAG web series pilot shoot that’s coming up. I had an impulse that my character would wear that. I shared my idea with the creator and they loved it. Also, looking at what scene to do in class from my new casting list. And more things to do…
For me, on the writer side, my focus has been on my new half-hour TV series. So far, I have 1) Three episodes written; 2) I have created a spreadsheet for season one that contains the main characters, their A&B storylines, the episode titles and descriptions, etc.; 3) I’ve written a series bible. My goal is to finish all tweaks by the end of June 2019. For me on the writer side, I want to utilize my relationship map for help and guidance. I’ve already begun reaching out to people (Two of whom I flinched on reaching out to for a while and they offered to meet with me!) For me, as a writer, I want to submit the pilot episode to various writing competitions. For me, as a writer, I want to secure literary representation and pitch meetings.
For me, on the writer side, I will continue submitting my film, The Doppelganger, to more film festivals. Good news coming soon in this area. Stay tuned.
For me, on the 360 degrees of my career, I just joined an amazing career administration group that will kick my ass and hold me accountable. I already shared my enthusiasm with the leader of the group and that I’m coming into this group not knowing anything (meaning that I’m willing to listen and learn…that I don’t have to know everything. It’s actually freeing to know that I don’t have to have all the answers. Ask the next question. Then ask the next question.)
For me, on the 360 degrees of my career, making sure I make noise in order to be considered. To show up more in the rooms I am in. To demand of myself that I be considered. To be uncomfortable. To look at where my energy is going because where I place my energy defines me. Thank you Keili Lefkovitz for this paragraph of advice.
Part of my artistic journey, which I call Chasing The George, is that I’m not perfect. That I make mistakes, but I learn from them. That I don’t know everything and that’s okay. That I don’t know everything, but what I DO know, I know it fucking WELL.
So, where you at my fellow artistic warriors?! Let me know in the comments section below.
Chasing The George 