27. Even when you’re sleeping

Tooth fairy Sarah wished her tiara was bigger

Remember when you were little and couldn’t wait to get up the morning after you’d lost a tooth and see what the tooth fairy had left you. Well that was how it was for me. Even while I was sleeping, something exciting was always happening.

Things don’t just stop because you do. I am reminded of a blog posted by Ben Whitehair once on PBvsPB where he shared his trip away, getting out of LA and feeling how refreshing it was. He didn’t feel guilty about being away, he felt inspired and recharged.

The same can we said for anyone in this profession who takes a week or two off for holidays, romance, or perhaps even for a mini life crisis. And right now there are many casting directors and agencies taking holidays. People are getting ready for the last few solid months to 2011. Even though it’s quiet now it is about to get busy.  If you plant the seeds, work constantly in the business, are progressive, polite and focused, when you get back to it nothing will have changed. 

I know this because recently I took three weeks off to go back to Oz and reconnect with family and friends. During the first week my head was brainwashed with thoughts of “what am I missing”…”what’s going to happen while I’m gone”…etc. In the second week I slowed right down and started to really enjoy my holiday. By the third week I wasn’t even thinking about acting things.

And because of this I inadvertently did two things – I gave my mind and body the proper rest it needed, and I came back with much greater clarity about the direction I wanted my career to go in than I left with. And I’m busier than ever with things I was working on before the trip.

“Just so easy when the whole world fits inside of your arms”  ~ Jack Johnson

The second reason why we must consider this approach is for those times when we are not busy because of an industry lull, as opposed to it being anything you have done. Continue working, progressing, planting seeds, and even when you are sleeping things WILL be happening.  You are never forgotten even if that Casting Director hasn’t seen you for 18 months.  You will be remembered when the right part comes along. I know this because Casting Directors have told me this many times.  And I’ve even met directors again two years after an audition and they’ve reminded me of a part I auditioned for and asked me to come in for another role at the right time.

Take a deep breath and feel the world around you. Centre, focus and remember, even while you sleep your work continues to get done for you if you’ve been putting the hard yards in.

Right…I’m off to write a script. That Bank holiday was what I call taking a breath 🙂