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Untraditional Improv Practice for this Holiday Season

Untraditional Improv Practice for this Holiday Season

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Untraditional Improv Practice for this Holiday Season

As we head into the holiday season, people may be seeing family– including those adorable younger members– the kids! I know, you’ve already graduated from the children’s table long ago and you look forward to connecting with older family members you haven’t seen— but don’t underestimate what time with the younger ones can do for you AND for your creativity. This holiday season, I challenge you to take some time away from watching the holiday specials and sipping your favorite seasonal cocktails to get down on the floor —- and work on your acting career. How? Practice your improvisation skills!

Children are naturally brilliant improv artists. When you watch a child play, you’ll see them effortlessly create characters, scenarios and voices— making them the perfect holiday scene partner! Little kids can turn anything into a character and any amount of random items into a game using a bit of imagination. Help them create powerful memories and feel great about their own creativity by participating in a little creative play yourself!

Little kids will giggle at the creative voices you are working on in your voiceover class and will love the characters you create using skills from your dialects class. They’ll enjoy your ability to build a story and have a great time as their contributions help or hinder the character of your creation. They will delight in your comedic timing (or help you fine tune it) and they will give you great insight as to what is important to them thru their own impulses and choices. You’ll both learn as you test your ability to create stories on-the-spot without the pressure of a teacher, audition or comparison to a classmate.

These cute little peeps understand LOVE thru TIME and ATTENTION. Give them both of those things this season and give yourself the gift of remembering the joy that exists in this craft for yourself.

Don’t have young family members? Explore ways you can connect with kids in your local area by volunteering at a children’s hospital or getting involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters. There are many kids out there craving a positive role model– why not help your career AND be a great human!

Looking for classes to finetune your skillset in the meantime? Check out ActorsConnection.com and learn from ANYWHERE with our large selection of online classes. Explore voiceover, improv, commercials, working on camera and much more in one of our many offerings you can explore from the comfort of your home! For a full listing of programs, visit:  www.actorsconnection.com/classes

Share your favorite moments of Untraditional Improv Practice this Holiday Season with us on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ActorsConnection

Photo Kindly by Andi Chatfield.

Be the Change You Want to See in the Industry

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A little note inspired by some convos yesterday….

How cool is our industry!  I don’t know of any other jobs where you can feel like family with your coworkers the way we do when we work on a project.  There is so much LOVE that we have for the people we have worked with.  I see actors LIGHT UP all the time talking about past colleagues, favorite directors, inspiring scene partners and so on.

SO really… everyone you come to find in auditions including the people you feel like you are “up against”— they are just one project away from being FAMILY.

YOUR FAMILY.

What does that thought do for you?

You will get the roles that are meant for you

if you bring your whole self into the room, continue to grow your craftand stay grounded and authentic through it all.

And you can do this like you are FIGHTING the other artists, or you can do it with LOVE AND RESPECT for the other artists.

WE are in control of how our industry feels.  WE ARE the industry.  If you feel like the audition scene has been feeling tough and beating you down, the guy or gal going in the room after you may be feeling that too.  BUT WE HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THAT.  We need to start radiating the love we want to feel in our audition scene to ONE ANOTHER.

What is meant for us is meant for us.  How we pass the time is up to us.

Our world today showcases ways that we are at odds with one another, and living that way is exhausting.  Let’s show other industries how it is done starting with each other.

There are 45,000+ New York actors that will receive this email.  If you want to make our competitive audition scene a more wonderful place…

it’s going to start with you.

We got this.

Much love,
Colleen