Actively NOT working

"for the majority of performers not working is as much a part of the job as working." A quote from Mark Iles comment on Emily Rose's Blog: 'An Angry Generation'
http://emilyrose91.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html

I am currently taking a year out from auditions and professional performing. I am, however, finally starting to see how this change in direction in my life is proving to be of benefit to me.

The time out has given me space to think about what I really want from my profession. It has been said to me before by several people, including Aydesola, that success is not neccessarially about what you acheive in your career, but about how fulfilled your work makes you. This sentiment keeps coming back into my mind and has made me think about my direction, or lack of. I have always tried to be as strong in all areas of performance as possible (a jack of all trades). Although I do not think this has been a negative thing so far, I do feel that now it is time for me to focus my efforts and I intend to concentrate not neccessarially on what I am best at but rather on what will give me real job satisfaction in the long-term.

As stated by Mark (above) a key to success in this industry is knowing what to do to get by when you are out of work.  I think this relates both to the neccesssity of earning money and persusing performance work and to personal satisfaction.

In my time out I am doing several things to help on both these counts.

I am earning money by working a part-time admin job to keep me afloat and in my spare time (with the guidence from the blogs of others) I am slowly setting up an online professional portfolio. This is including a professional facebook account, my own website and a demo recording.

I realised just how much I miss singing so have invested in a PA system and once my demo is recorded I am going start promoting myself as a  professional singer available for hire. I am also currently rehearsing the part of Olivia for an amatuer production of Twelfth Night. Having been seperated from performing for so long it is lovely to feel that I am involved again in some capacity and I am learning so much from getting involved again.

I have many ideas up in the air: ideas for progression of my career as well as ideas for specialism. I haven't settled on where I want my career path to lead yet but thats O.K. The things I do know are that I need to be able to connect with what I'm performing, be emotionally involved and that I have to be enthusiastic about my work. If I am I could practice and perform all day, if I am not I will not put the effort into my work.


I would like to say a big thank you to my fellow students. This course is starting to become my main sorce of information for my professional practice. As well as getting feedback on my own thoughts and research, the blogs of the other students are giving me invaluable information often from personal experiences that are more helpful than my books. Cheers! :-)