Validation

WARNING: This is about to get deep....

I envy those who don't have a craving for validation in anything they do in life. That have enough self confidence to push through even when every thread of common sense is telling them to give up. The definition of validation: to prove something to be sound or logical.

I know what you're thinking..."This is a blog about a Chicago Actor, what the hell does this have to do with that?!"...well, I can answer that simply...EVERYTHING!

Acting is a very volatile career (if you could call it that) and everyone handles that insecurity of work differently. Myself, I'm freaking.

I call myself a singer, actor, dancer and try to live the life, pushing myself in every direction to accomplish my goals....but nothing seems to come into fruition. I feel like all I need is a little validation to continue doing what I'm doing in hopes that it will pay off in some fulfilling way in the end, OR the answer to all my questions....when is enough, enough?

I think most people who are struggling, ask themselves this same question, but it is ultimately that person's need or desires that answer it for them. But what do you do when you are having an inner war between your desires and your head?! This is currently where I find myself.

Have any of you ever been in this position? Have you ever questioned what you were doing? Did you choose to continue in hopes of success, or change and find happiness elsewhere? Do you regret it?

Much love and confusion,
Charissa Hope

P.S. I'm not giving up my dreams, just questioning how to achieve them.

"Haul Out the Holly!"

....Put up the tree before my spirit falls again!"

It's that time of the year ya'll!! Holidays are right around the corner...literally...they're next week! Didn't you know?!

I had no idea how close they were till just today. Thank god a majority of christmas shopping is done, because that could have been a disaster!

Now for actors, singers, and entertainers alike, the Holiday season is a joyous one, in the fact that there are tons of new job opportunities for part-time employment! Ever want to be Santa's Elf....hell, Santa HIMSELF (well his helper obviously!)? This is the time to grab up those small fun roles, christmas Yuletide shows, and promotional gigs and just have fun!

Also, please don't forget that this is a holiday to remember and to love one another. It's not about gifts (although they're bonuses in the deal), it's about sharing your appreciation for each other. Be it family, friends, close relatives, and even complete strangers.

So, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Etc Etc!

Have fun, eat all you want, and fill your heart with happiness!

Now, please enjoy these funny holiday pictures!

To all my Ho Ho Ho's: Merriest Christmas to you all!

*Charissa*

Needing The Cash Flow!

Clark Kent during the day, Superman by occupation

Hello Avid (or non-avid) Readers!

I apologize for not having posted in quite a while, however, like most actors who are waiting for the work to pick up, I've had to commit to a day job.

For those that are considering acting as a career, this is where things get real. Regardless of your standing in the industry, there are always going to be times where the work isn't as plentiful as we'd like.  So while we'd all love to have a full time career performing, it's normally imperative for most actors to have a side job or even a second career to help supplement the bills.

The cliche side job for an actor is normally waiting tables. HOWEVER, there are TONS of jobs you can get during the day that are also flexible with your audition schedule. Sometimes you just need to be creative. 


Actors and Entertainers have a leg up on competition because we've been trained to have excellent communication skills. So normally jobs that require any type of face-to-face or over the phone contact with customers or clients is a great option. 

Some of my resources to find side-work:

Craigslist - No, I'm not telling you to buy furniture. Craigslist has ads for all types of talent needed (as well as other side jobs). I personally find gigs as a promotional model and listings for band gigs! Now, craigslist does have it's shady side, so please be smart when going through the ads. Don't responds to anything that says nude! Also there are ALWAYS listings for film students that need actors for their projects (they don't pay, but it's good experience). 

Temp Agencies - There are hundreds of agencies out there that can help you get temporary work where needed. A lot of the jobs can be receptionist/assistant work (which is great and give you lots of study time for roles), substitute teaching work (if you have the qualifications), children's parties, etc. They understand that you have to be flexible to accommodate your auditioning schedule.  

Newspaper Want Ads - The want ads are a great resource for local gigs. Don't ever fall for the "You can make thousands just sitting on your ass" listings (they're normally crap scams). 

Extra Work - There are ALWAYS television shows and movies being filmed around the country and the world! Who do you think they get to be in the background of all those shots? YOU! Extra work is good to meet other in the business and really get our name out there. However, be forewarned that the hours are long (sometimes up to 15-18 hours) and the pay can be very little ($75 or 12 hours). If you do a google search for Background Extra work in your city, you're sure to find an agency or two to sign up with.

Recycler.com - Cool website, almost a cross between the Newspaper want ads and Craigslist. 

Now, of course these aren't the only options. An actor is also trained to be a chameleon and really pick up on the environment they're in. So the options are truly limitless! 


Some other ideas:
1) Waiter/Bartender
2) Receptionist
3) Promotional Model
4) Photographer
5) Nanny/Babysitter
6) Dog Walker/Pet Sitter
7) Telemarketing


Again, if you have any other resources, please feel free to share and I'll mention them in my next blog.

What side-jobs do you have? 

RIP Leslie Nielsen

Today we certainly lost a legend. His brilliant dead-pan comedy will never be forgotten. With his first credit in 1950, he performed in literally hundreds of television and films. He said one of my favorite quotes: "Doing nothing is very hard to do . . . you never know when you're finished."  Thank you for years of laughs!

CBS:

 Leslie Nielsen, who traded in his dramatic persona for inspired bumbling as a hapless doctor in "Airplane!" and the accident-prone detective Frank Drebin in "The Naked Gun" comedies, died on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 84. 

For the full story check out:

CBS News Story

What to do when you don't have a job....

So you have all this creativity and no outlet for it.....what the hell do you do??

I mean there are tons of ways to waste your time but what's something productive to do? Here's a list of ideas I've found:

• Clean the house - don't really recommend this one. WHile I keep my house exceptionally clean, it gets boring and I've ultimately become "Suzy Homemaker" which is my worst enemy!

• Take Classes - dance, voice, acting, painting, improv, exercise, yoga. Whatever it is just to get your creative juices flowing! I'm sure there are tons of dance studios, gyms, and acting classes around you just have to take the time to look them up. Do yourself a favor and don't put it off till "tomorrow". Meet my friend GOOGLE , he'll help you find what you're looking for!

• Read - I know it sounds dull, but nothing gets my creative mind running more than a detailed book. Some of my favorites: The Hunger Games (3 part series), Twilight (duh!), Making it on Broadway (not a novel, but EXTREMELY valuable!), and Neverwhere.

• Open-Mic Nights - This one is new to me, but Chicago has a couple of places with "Open-Mic Nights" for every genre...including  musical theatre! YEA! They have someone who can play the piano (for those of us who can't :) ), you bring your book of music and sing! Or tell jokes, or whatever! This is also a GREAT place to be heard by agencies, producers, etc. TIP: Get there early!!
• Few places to go in Chicago:
• Petterinos - Monday Night Live 
• 3160 - Tuesday Night Open-Mic 

• Flash Mobs - this option is one we've all heard about, but very few of us have actually participated in. I, for one, am dying to do it! Here's the latest example below:

• Websites to check out:
• Urban Prankster - get connected with others in your area (around the world!)
• Flash Mob
• Social Media - you're all on it! Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, just search flashmob. 

If you have any other ideas or something I forgot, please spread the word and post in the comments. I'll be sure to mention them in my next blog :)

Peace!
C-note!

Who are you?

Something I had to learn in the last few years

The greatest lesson and hardest struggle any actor can learn is knowing their type and what they're good at.

For instance, myself being a short, curvy Caucasian blonde, I would have no chance at being in the musical "In The Heights", where it's mostly edgy Latinos singing in Spanish and rapping....even though I'd be damn good at it and almost auditioned with a brunette wig on....that's besides the point. Now put me in an audition for "Legally Blonde"? I've got that shit!

Know your type. Let's define "Type":  a number of persons sharing a particular characteristic, or set of characteristics, that causes them to be regarded as a group, more or less precisely defined or designated.

Are you tall? Shot? Skinny? Curvaceous? Sexy? Frumpy? Young? Middle-aged? Old?....there's no shame. Society ingrains in us that we should all want to be tall, thin, super-model types that never eat, but that's not what 99% of us are. We have to be honest with ourselves and see who and what we really are. And actually, from what I've seen, there are more parts nowadays for people with odd bodies than the "super-model" types anyways!

If you're having trouble deciphering your "type", ask a close friend. However, be prepared to not get the answer you may be wanting. What your friend will tell you is a good thing! You want an outsiders opinion so you can see how the world is viewing you and you can play off of that. So embrace your differences and let the world know who you are!

I recently read an article on creating your type and marketing yourself that was VERY interesting:

What TYPE of an Actor Are You? by Bob Fraser

The best place to start is to beat the casting directors to the punch -- decide on your "type" yourself. Learn the basic types -- and how they are sold -- and then choose what fits you best. Pay particular attention to that word "unique." It means that the product must be differentiated from other, similar, products.

This industry has a nasty knack of destroying people's self esteem (was totally a victim at one point). However, I believe, if you take the lesson that every audition, every class, every encounter is a learning experience to make you grow more, I think it may help some people. No one is perfect, and EVERYONE has room to expand on their craft, so if you go into situations with an open mind, I can guarantee that you will be better received and you may actually learn something that you didn't know before!

I hope this has helped some of you!

Charissa Out!

Time on my hands

Hi!


Okay I've started these blogs countless times, always with the intent of writing daily and on a timely manner....yeah, well that never worked out obviously. Times are different now though. Now, I don't have a job, I don't have a million things I need to be doing...what I do have, is time on my hands (like how I worked in the title? very clever :) ).


For those that don't know me personally, Hi!

My name is Charissa. I'm currently 24, and a recently married, semi-out-of-work actor/singer living in Chicago, IL. I grew up in South Florida (don't know why we capitalize the "s" in south...but we do) and went to college in Orlando, FL at UCF, where I ended up working at Disney World for 5 years as a performer and Universal Studios for 3 years as an Entertainment Production Coordinator.


As I mentioned, I just got married 17 days ago, so still in newlywed mode which is WONDERFUL! My husband is amazing and my best friend and I couldn't ask for a better person to share my life with.

I've always been a hard worker and determined to excel at what I'm doing...so you can imagine what being out of work is like for me.....to tide me over I've been picking up random acting gigs here and there from student films, promotional modeling work, extra work for television and films, etc...not exactly paying the bills, but it's something to do and a little bit of money.


In the meantime, I figure it's a good lesson for other aspiring actors to take. So one of the things I'd like to accomplish with this blog is sharing my experiences trying to find work in the big, bad entertainment world!


I really hope that my life lessons can help others. So with that being said, anyone who's reading, if you have any questions, experiences, or suggestions of topics that you'd like to share, my ears (or eyes, since this is an online blog) are open!


Thank you for your support and I hope this works out!! :)


Ciao
*Charissa*