Hello friends!

After several weeks of soul searching, I’ve figured out my new direction for ze blog and in life! From here on out (or until I have another wacky adventure to detail!) I’ll be devoting my blog to sharing my rocky path to establishing the life that I want in New York City after creating a life abroad from scratch.

I still find it hard to believe that six months after arriving back in NYC I am still floundering, still looking for enough of the kind of work I want to sustain my life in Brooklyn. I am a very lucky woman, indeed, to have family willing to help support me as I pickily seek the sort of work that is the work that I want–acting and writing jobs that will support me–not settling for a day job in a shop (though I loved every moment at the beautiful Lori McLean!) or serving in a restaurant. (Thank you mom + dad!)

So what’s my plan? Well, the other day I had a revelation: monthly goals.

I don’t know about you, but I can be the Queen of Procrastination. I love lists. I make them all the time. Most of them say exactly the same things and only the ink color, handwriting style (ya know: all caps, sloppy half-script, careful print, funky tag-inspired whatever) and margin doodles change. Yet these lists haven’t really helped me accomplish anything because most of the things listed are a bit larger and a bit more daunting than, “Do Laundry.” Even breaking the “big ones” up into smaller tasks hasn’t been enough to light the proverbial fire under me arse. Maybe a timeline will work.

My New Years’ Resolution this year was/is to go to at least one audition a week. So far I’ve made pretty good on that one, except for first two weeks of this month during which I was helping direct a production of Guys and Dolls in a NYC high school (which I will definitely be writing about!).

It has been a goal of mine for years to compile a working repertoire of monologues for auditions which includes all styles of theatre, accents and pieces by specific playwrights. I also need a reel. Also an agent. I also need to be finding venues to perform Lillian Smith: Being Heard.

I haven’t been putting in the work required to make these “needs” “haves.” An approach adjustment is necessary.

I also decided that I want to make this writing thing pay. I am going to start submitting my poetry to journals, applying for freelance writing gigs and shopping around Lillian Smith: Being Heard to agents and venues around the country, all the while also working on my Taiwan Play.

That’s a lot of ish right? A lot of ish that is not necessarily paying ish. This is where the monthly goals part comes in. Here are my active tasks for the end of February through March:

• Writing: create writing portfolio, submit poetry to journals and competitions, apply for freelance writing jobs and score some, mailings to literary agents, one blog post per week, GOAL: cash for writing, agent
• Acting: auditions + submissions (always), monologue work, Image Intensive with Sam Christenson, new headshots, GOAL: book acting job, understand how to market myself
• Lillian Smith: Being Heard: create 3 and 5 minute reels of piece, create working publicity packet and start making contacts at theaters and colleges around the country, GOAL: 4 gigs in the fall
• Taiwan Play: Finish transcribinggggggg, GOAL: finish transcribing (smh…)

A little less talk a little more action? BOOM. More soon. All will be revealed.