Keep Calm and Carry On.

Rule number 1 as an actress, remember who you are and be proud of it. The industry that we have chosen to work in is harsh to say the least, People will try and mould you, push you and change you. In some cases this is fruitful and can lead to beautiful creations of characters, sometimes we all need to be pushed that little bit more. However, the uniqueness of a character is unquestionably connected to the uniqueness and originality of the actor. It is the actor who brings his own energy and creativity to a role that is remembered, not the actor who does what everyone is expecting, or necessarily wanting to see.

Since graduating i have found that i have a very strong connection with the characters i have played. I know them, and understand them and as a result when playing them i want to show all aspects of their character. When i see a character written on page, i see a kind of empty rainbow, black lines separating each section of white filling. I am the artist, it is my job to find the characters colour's. What is her blue, when is she green, is she ever yellow? i ask questions of my character, challenge her, challenge myself. At the end of this analysis i will have a one of a kind collection of colour that represents the person i will be playing. If there is a lot of one colour i need to question this, justify it ensure that everything i know about the character is coming through; is shown in her colours. There are a million different shades of every colour, and a billion combinations of rainbows.

This is a process that i use, that works for me. Obviously there are other techniques that can and must be employed, but for me this use of colour allows me to 'sense' my character. I will not have written anything, i will not have told myself anything about her beforehand, i will wait until i read the script for the first time and see what colours emerge.

I believe the characters i play are real, they are as dark and as light as the people i have chosen to spend my life with. I believe in my method and approach, my outlook and my mentality. I still get people trying to change me, manipulate me, take advantage. Trying to make me play one sort of character, or tell me its not worth the hassle. Well to me it is. Keep calm and carry on has become my mantra. There is nothing in this world that i get more satisfaction from than acting, it has become the strongest force in my life and it makes my own personal rainbow brighter.

Brand New Burst!

If this week could be described in one word... it would be .. PROACTIVE! I literally have not stopped! I love the beginning of a new year because there is always this fresh burst of energy waiting to be used in one direction or other. I am one of those people that always has about a million things going on all at once and so one of my new years resolutions ( i have about 7 hah) is to take more time, and be less hectic. This in mind i decided that i would take a couple of days off this week when everyone else is out of the flat to sort out any lose ends from last year, and work out what i was going to do with this one. I can't work in mess or clutter so after a sorting out internet and phone lines, painting the stairs and doing every piece of laundry in the house (don't wash red sheets with flatmate's blue and white scarf.... also never wash wool on 40 degrees oops... learning things already!) i was just about ready to start.

I spent the days emailing contacts from last year and new contacts that i have met through people during the last few plays i have done. I think everyone must be enjoying this new year energy burst as I received reply's almost instantaneously!! As a result i now potentially have meetings with two people. And have also secured an audition!

The audition is for the fabulous 'Vagina Monologues'. You may have heard of this production before as it is quite well known. I have auditioned for and performed with V-Day London for the past three years. It is an absolutely wonderful campaign that strives to end violence against women permanently. This year V-Day London is hosting a See You Next Tuesday Festival and the performance of the Vagina Monologues will be a part of it! All the proceeds go to building the 'City of Joy' for the women and girls of the Congo who are being so brutally treated. I would encourage everyone who reads this to get involved with V-Day i will be hopefully be performing in the festival, but even if i'm not, i'll be there supporting the cause all the way!

So, with that being said i need to prepare! Off to Istanbul for a couple of days tomorrow for some r&r then straight back in to things on my return! If the rest of the year continues to be as rewarding as this one i'm really looking forward to it :)

Start as we mean to carry on...

So... 2010 here we are . This is my first ever blog and i'm really excited about being able to write about the highs and lows of my experience as i start my first full year out of drama school. I am hopeful that there will be some fantastically jubilant moments documented on here, however i'll try and tell all the horrendous ones as well (can't enjoy one with out the other). I trained at Drama Centre London graduating with distinction and am now aiming to work, solely, as an actress...... sounds simple doesn't it ?!
I have decided to write this blog because last year i never had time to remember things, i was so very hectic, and i know that i will have forgotten, misplaced, thrown away (however you wan't to say it) important lessons i learned. I also think that it is important to remember the journey that you go through to become what you want. I believe in 2010 i am going to come at least one step closer to achieving my goal.
This year i simply aim to be more than i am. More inspired, more focused and more determined and to initiate this change in me i have chosen to document all my experiences as an aspiring actress on here. Wish me luck xx