Dance like it's the roaring 20's

I love TED talks.

Usually when I watch them I feel inspired, moved and also mildly inadequate.
Recently I watched one which left me feeling inspired, moved and really proud of myself.

A few weeks ago I had a birthday. I turned 25. Normally on my Birthdays there's a slight sense of panic and 'what am I doing with my life!' This year actually passed by quietly, without that. I actually feel solid with what I'm doing with my life and where it's going. In the past I was always stressed I hadn't accomplished enough! But now I see things a little differently.

In this Ted talk Meg Jay talks about how 30 is not the new 20. How being a 20-something is actually a sweet spot to get things moving in your life, not just a time to grow up while putting off adulthood. Finally somebody agrees with me!

Constantly people ask me why I do so much, work so many jobs, have so many projects on the go. People ask me why I got engaged so quickly. Why I don't relax, take it easy? What's the rush? they say.

There is no rush, I just like living my life.
I have high expectations for me and my life and I want to start working on them now, well I want to start working on them yesterday, but patience it's my strong suit. I've always been extremely persistent, driven, and I often over-extend myself. But I like that, I function well with my to do list full. (Many thanks goes out to Omnifocus, the magical app that keeps my life together!)

The only thing with me is that I'm not very good at owning it. At talking about my wins, achievements, and success. With some reading, journaling, coaching, therapy, and talks with my fiancé, I've come to determine this is because of my deep rooted fear of failure. I don't want to admit my successes - because I'll also have to admit my failure, and then it viscerally and literally feels like the world will end!

So in the blog post I'm admitting some wins, in hopes of overcoming my fears, and to inspire others. To not slide through your twenties, or any decade for that matter. Get passionate about something and make it happen!

Here goes: I've recently completed my second short film this year, and submitted it to it's first film festival in LA. I got my first 'Director' credit on IMDB for the other film I made this year. I'm looking into distribution options for both right now. When I Saw You is currently at the Cannes Short Film Corner. I just got cast in play which will be going up in October. I got put on hold for a major commercial and even though I didn't get it, I did get a very supportive email from my agent, which feels like a win. I'm currently working on two-three writing projects. (that varies depending on the week.) Tonight I'm back in acting class at The Foundry, doing Shakespeare, my favourite! And tomorrow I'm planning a special event to inspire other women to do any of the above, if it moves them.

The statistic of female roles in front of and behind the camera are dropping. And I want to do something about that. I believe women have stories to tell, and ways to connect and change the world!
Tomorrow night I'm organizing an networking event: The Female Voice in the Film Industry, with a panel discussion.
A great panel has come together and I'm so excited to talk with them on the topic of women's roles and the voice we have or could have.

If you live in Vancouver and want to experience this, and connect with other women, please come check out the event!
There are limited tickets, and a capacity at the venue, so I'm encouraging people to buy their tickets in advance.
If you're interested, here's the link with all the details:
http://thefemalevoiceinfilmnetworkingevent.brownpapertickets.com/

If you are in your 20's and don't feel so driven, that's ok too. This blog is in no part a judgement. But watch the TED talk. And please believe me when I say that every little step, each day, is what actually moves you forward, not aging.

Enjoy being a 20's something. - And might I add that with The Great Gatsby in theatres, every 20's is cool again!

This is a little inspiration for me. To remember that failing, falling, and making mistakes is part of it all:

 "Even the knowledge of my own fallibility cannot keep me from making mistakes. Only when I fall do I get up again."  - Vincent Van Gogh

Have a wonderful week!

xox
Jane

Is it all a Scam?

So I'm riding the bus yesterday, and I hear this couple talking. I'm not really listening, because personally I use bus time to people-watch and day-dream about film scripts, but they said something that grabbed my attention:
"blah, blah,... total scam!! Blah.. blah"
And it got me thinking, what is a scam?

I try to remember back to the first time I've heard the word, or maybe the first significant time.
I was maybe 11 or 13, and my dad shared an interesting email with me to see what I thought about it.

"Dear Sir/Madam,
I am the Prince of (important far away Country). I am (blah, blah) and I have X amount of $$$ that I want to give away to you!
Please give me all your banking info and sell me your soul. (blah, blah)
P.S. Thank you for helping me out!"

It was slightly more eloquent than that, and very official sounding. I was in the childhood frame of mind that yes, of course, we should indeed take the money off this person's hands! That is when my father explained to me that is was a scam.
Though he didn't really explain what a 'scam' was.

Since then I've heard the word used for all sorts of things! "Those shoes are so over priced, what a scam!" "My massage therapist keeps telling me I NEED to come back, what a scam!""My email's been hacked, don't open the messages, it's a scam!"

Last week I even caught myself using the word. I had an audition to put on tape, (for a US pilot that shall go unnamed) and in doing my actor due-diligence I research the project to find out anything I could about plots, scenes, other actors, etc. And what do I find? About eight news articles on the first page of Google telling me all about the actress who's been cast in the role I'm auditioning for! But it's being shot in Canada, so apparently they 'have to' see a certain amount of Canadians. What a scam! Or is it?

The main reason 'scam' has been on my mind is actually because of a sticker. A sticker you might be seeing around town...

Two friends of mine, Sage Brocklebank and Patrick Sabongui are making a movie called SCAM. And they gave me some stickers to hand out and stick about town, to raise awareness about their film.


Their production company, Dreams Beyond Thirty, brought you “Felony” The Fringe Play, the award-­‐winning smash hit at last year’s Vancouver International Fringe Festival. Their latest venture is a new movie, “SCAM”: an electrifying crime drama about the very real phenomenon of telephone fraud, the scammers who perpetrate them and the elderly victims they prey upon. 


Fascinating right? But the way they're making their movie is actually what's interesting! The film is an entry in the CineCoup Film Accelerator: a nation-wide competition that awards the winner with a ONE MILLION DOLLAR budget and a guaranteed theatrical release in Cineplex Odeon theatres in January, 2014. 

You know what a big fan I am of creating one's own work! The contest ushers in the new generation of independent filmmaking so that micro­‐budget films can compete with Hollywood blockbusters!  

They need some help. Because Cinecoup is about the people. People's involvement and people's opinion's actually matter.
The more 'likes' and fans they get on the site, the closer they get to move towards that $1 million!

Meet the team and check out the trailer because we can help them reach number 1! How cool will it be, when they actually make their movie, to be like 'Ya, I voted for that, helped make it happen, no big deal!'
That could be you!

Have you ever been a victim to a scam? On their facebook page they want to hear about it. Big, small, hilarious, tragic, they want to hear it all!

I decided that my taped audition situation wasn't a scam, it was a reality of the film industry. A reality we have here in Vancouver, because we rely so much on LA. That's why I want to help build an industry here, and this Cinecoup project is helping with that!

Support work that's being created and made in your backyard, because trust me, it comes full circle!

xoxo
Jane

Busy Bee and being me.

This afternoon I had a great meeting with my mentor Julia Benson. We talked about all the projects I have on the go, my wins and what I really want to work on for forward my career.

All of that was super helpful, but the best part of meeting with her was our conversation about finding more joy and gratefulness in what we already do. After reading an article this morning all about being SO busy, I checked in with myself and Julia about what I really want in life, what really makes me happy and what makes me sing.

This article was shared with my by my acting teacher Bradley Stryker and it has a great outlook. I really want to share it with all you, because I'd like to grow to be less of a hard working, pushing, busy bee and just BE a little more. Check it out here, and see if any of it rings true for you.

I have also published another guest blog with AnthroPhysique, which has a similar topic, about how we push ourselves without listening... It's health related but I think it can be applied to all areas, and I'm striving to do a little more of that in my life.

Happy Friday all, enjoy that sun!!

xoxo
Jane

Another Guest Blog over at AnthroPhysique

Interested in following what Chad and I are calling #TheJaneExperiment ??

Check out the latest update.

I talk about how fit I am and and how I LOVE running!.... not.

http://anthrophysique.com/2012/06/29/run-jane-run/

Have great weekends!

Happy B-day Canada, you're looking pretty good for your age.

xoox

Great article about being a writer...

http://kellyoxford.tumblr.com/post/25930198150/last-weeks-latimes-article-ran-in-chicago

What she says is really truthful and inspiring and I hope to have the guts to do it. Push through the waiting, the crap and enjoy writing because I love it!

What do you do despite the fact...?

The content, rather than the frame.

Stuff.

Sometimes I feel so stuck up on the stuff. The 'Can I pay my rent?' 'Does my agent like me?' 'What the hell is my brand?' 'Should I get a haircut?' Stuff.

This evening I went to a forum for the mentorship program I am involved in, (Fulfilling Young Artists) the topic was auditions.

I usually experience such workshops to be focused on 'hitting your mark' or 'how to use the chair to your best advantage.' All fine, dandy, and helpful to learn, but the Mentors this evening spent a great deal of the time chatting about what feeds us, as artists, outside of our auditions. Outside of our work.

This has been something I've been working on lately and there was much that I really needed to hear:

Mainly, it was a healthy reminder of how my acting doesn't actually mean anything about me as a person. And I forget that, all the bloody time!

Of course, it's me, so I look at that, journal about it and get therapy on my issues such 'needing to be seen' or 'seeking love and approval.' But when I don't feel fulfilled elsewhere in my life, it feels like acting is my only life boat to creativity, passion, and freedom of expressing myself.

Yes, it all come back to feeling fulfilled. Something I'm still figuring out, possibly always will be.

As I was thinking of what that might be for me, (thoughts included family, art, kids laughing, music, great fabric, and dancing around my living room) I was reminded of a quote from A Course in Miracles, saying that "life is about the content, not the frame."

Our world, our culture seems so hung up on that frame! (pun intended!)

It's easy to get caught up in the 'should' of life or the little things like 'Are my headshots great?' and 'I need this, I need that' and blah, blah, blah.

Some days I forget to take the time to connect to why I really do this. Without that I think we lose sight of our bliss, and then out comes jealousy and spite to rear their ugly heads.

I want to tell stories, share my truth, and create amazing art. But for a while I was only doing that in my acting, either in class or at the rare few auditions I did get.

As of late I've been finding other avenues for my 'creative energy' to flow, and I seek to find gratitude for the opportunities I do have to do art in my life!

I'm especially grateful and happy that I took a plunge and got back into writing, it is a huge source of joy for me.

But I had avoided it, because 'It's not a good plan B' and maybe 'Anyone can do it' or 'It's another time-consuming hobby which makes no money and takes time away form building my acting career!'

Complete crap.

It makes me happy, gets stuff out my head, and apparently even inspires other. I have also been dancing more, belting in the shower, thinking of setting up an art corner in my apartment and finding more and more writing projects (Including a short one woman show I will be mounting in August - - more to come soon!)

Yes, I still really want my agent to call, and I'd love to book a guest star or audition for a Carl Bessai film! But maybe, hopefully, over time, I will get to the place where the audition will become just another time to play!

I'm making myself a goal; to focusing on the love, the joy, and the bliss in all the areas of Art that I adore. Instead of future tripping about that darn outside frame.

I challenge you to look at your life, and wonder how you could chose to embrace different avenues of art, even in small baby step ways.

Have a lovely week!

xox

Guest Blogging!

Hello all!

I know I've neglected my blog as of late but I've had some fun projects brewing; one of them I get to announce today...

I will now also be guest blogging at Anthrophysique.com!!

If you would like to follow me there and read my first blog, take a jaunt right over Here, and see what I'm cooking up!

I have some exciting new blog topics on the way on this site as well!

And since it just decided to start pouring rain here in Vancouver I may sit inside and finish one up this afternoon!

Also if anyone is interested I may bring some guest bloggers on to my site, or even do some v-blog style interviews. Interest? Thoughts? Requests?

Have a great day! Hugs, xoxo