Balancing Acts

Be it that I've taken some time away from this section of my site, I almost beat myself up, in paranoia of missing out on potential connections. Quickly, I shifted my thought and nestled into the understanding that I cannot not be everywhere and make every connection at once; no matter how much society will have me to believe that it is the way of the era. I had to recalibrate and redefine what my Journey means to me.

In June of 2011, I moved to New York with the mission to cultivate my career and take things to the next level. It was a true leap of faith, in every sense of the word, and much to my gratification. I booked my first gig a month in, and it's proven fruitful since then. With that initial gratification came this "vow" (of sorts) to stay in New York, no matter what, until I got to where I wanted to be. At the time, that meant Equity-status and Broadway. I seriously would not even so much as visit home - which was an easy 3-hr bus ride away - simply because I feared missing out on some great opportunity that would lead me to my purpose for moving to the Big City. That's just ridiculous, right? But it was a real train of thought. I wanted to devote my full self to leveling up and getting the best experience possible. Thus, learning the hard way, how to navigate.

After burning myself out a number of times - saying yes to every offer, sometimes working overlapping projects and not resting properly - I had to realize that I wasn't about "booking" more than it was really about maintaining a work-life balance. That sounds like something more befitting for the Corporate realm, but it's very much necessary in our industry of Creativity and Entertainment. The more I was making my career a nine-to-five, the more I was resenting not being able to have fun auditioning, or taking a rejection with a grain of salt. It became the crux of my life and almost the bane of my existence. It wasn't until I learned that life experiences feed my Art experiences that I began to release this empty "need" to "make it." Now, for me, "making it" hold a completely different meaning, and one that I am thoroughly pleased to be living in.

May you be the balance you need in your path. Until soon-ish...