Blog Post to a Young Artist

Here's a first- a request! I received this delightful message from an absolutely lovely reader who I will call Smachel.

 I have a request for your next blog: Write about the times you wanted to give up theatre but didn't and what kept you going.

Okay Smachel, I used your request as a prompt. It ended up not being exactly what you asked for, but I hope you enjoy anyway...

 What if I had magical blog that could travel to the past? And young SPJ could turn on her modem, dial up on her AOL account and read blog posts from her future self? What would I want to say to her? 

Balm in Gilead.. SPJ age 20.

Well if we are being completely candid I would want to say first and foremost...

DON'T GET MARRIED AT 21. Seriously. Don't.  Fall in love, yes! Enjoy the ride! It will be amazing! But just hold off on marriage, okay? There are some people who can find their happily ever after at 21, but you are not one of those people. You had 6 different majors. You regularly wear pajama bottoms in public because you can't figure out what to wear in the morning. You accidentally tripped through a Psych Final.You are not someone who should get married right now.  And 23 year old divorcees drink too much, eat too little, and have a lot of baggage.  Don't. Get. Married.

Whew! Well now that we got that out of the way...

I guess the 2nd thing I'd like to say is- Maybe worry less about being a working actor and more about being an artist. Hey! Look Little SPJ, I see you over there in the past rolling your eyes at the word "artist". I know, I know. You think that's pretentious. You think that is idealistic. You are realistic and pragmatic. You've got career goals and a plan of action. You know how to write a cover letter and just got some fancy new black and white headshots. You have a pager. You are ready to hit the ground running and you know you need to treat this not like a hobby, but like a J.O.B. 

Yes. Yes. And...what is a "job". The Webster Dictionary defines "job" as a regular remunerative position. That's what you are thinking, yes? That you wan to get up every morning, Monday- Friday and go to your regular, paid Acting Job. Frankly my dear, making this a goal is equivalent to deciding that you are going to fall in love with a millionaire. Impossible. Love doesn't work that way. Love is mysterious. Love can strike you like a bolt of lightening or slowly dawn on you like a sunrise. You can fall desperately in love with someone you barely like, and never fall in love with your best friend. You could possibly fall in love with a millionaire, sure. You can stack the odds in your favor by making choices that have you hobnobbing with millionaires, but at the end of the day, no matter who you are, no matter how many smart choices you make, there is no guarantee that the person you fall in love with will have a million dollars. Theatre & Love are closely related. The Theatre is mysterious. It is unpredictable. And no matter how talented you are, no matter how many smart choices you make, there is absolutely no guarantee that you will be able to make a living in the Theatre.

 Now before you go find that bottle of valium I know you keep in the bottom of your underwear drawer, let's take a look at the myriad of other definitions good ol' Mister Webster has for "job"-

a piece of work: the object or material on which work is being done: something produced by or as if by work: something done for private advantage: something that has to be done: task: an undertaking requiring unusual exertion: a specific duty, role, or function

No talk of remuneration or getting paid. no talk of regular or constant. Lots of talk about WORK, though. Private Advantage. Duty. Role. Function.  A job is a lot of work. A job is something that gives you some kind of personal fulfillment. It is part of you. It is your role.

So make smart choices young SPJ. Dream big.  Go Hard or Go Home. Maybe you will meet and fall in love with your millionaire.  But maybe you won't. Maybe you'll discover that you actually don't want or need that millionaire at all. Maybe your dreams and goals will morph and change and grow. So please remember, as long as you are working hard at making or being a part of theatre, as long as you gain some joy from making or being a part of theatre, as long as theatre is part of how you function in some way, a part of who you are- You. Are. An. Artist. And no paycheck (or lack there of), audition (or lack there of), critic, casting director, agent, teacher, disgruntled parent, or concerned friend can tell you otherwise.

Oh. And two more words- Brow. Wax. You'll thank me.