Photo by Etienne Boulanger on Unsplash
Being an actress and writer looks like a lot of different things. Just because your job title doesn't include the word "actor" (or musician or painter or playwright or designer), don't be fooled. You're ALWAYS an artist, no matter what your are doing to pay the bills.
For me, being an actress and writer has looked like being...
A summer camp counselor,
a babysitter,
library assistant,
creative drama intern,
waitress,
children's museum gallery manager,
drama teacher,
substitute teacher,
Hollywood video clerk,
catering assistant,
lumber company office manager,
temp for the Circuit Court County judge of Albemarle County,
historical home administrative assistant,
graduate school assistant,
children's birthday party host,
surgical scheduler for a cancer institute,
arts administrative coordinator,
film extra,
blogger,
speaker,
and
an adjunct professor.
Why do I keep beating this drum of "We are not our jobs?" Because there are too many people out there that need to hear this, again and again and again, myself included. Until we believe it. Until we are not limited by it. Until we do the thing that we are here to do, without regard for how others label it.
Your JOB is one thing. The WORK YOU ARE MEANT TO DO IN THIS WORLD? Something else entirely. Never forget this.
Now? Let's get to work.
