There's nothing more satisfying than being exhausted because you're spending 40 hours a week doing what you love. My current weekday schedule:
6:00 am -- Wake up
6:05 am -- 4-6 mile run (8 weeks to the marathon)
7:30 am -- Breakfast; pack healthy lunch, dinner and snacks
9:00 am -- Survival Job
5:45 pm -- Battle Los Angeles traffic to get across town to the theatre
7:00 pm -- Play rehearsal -- singing, dancing, scene work
11:30 pm -- Get home, wash face, brush teeth and pray to the mercy of the universe that I can get to sleep within 10 minutes so I can get up and do it all again
Weekends, I'm running 8-12 milers and in the theatre 10am-6pm. I recognize my castmates from television shows like The Starter Wife, Law & Order, Scandal and The Newsroom. It is both humbling and validating to be in the company of such great actors. It is learning and collaborating all at the same time.
It's exhausting. It's consuming.
It's glorious.
There's not much time for blogging in that schedule. But hang tight. I'll try to write a few words when I can, and when I can't, know that I'm thinking of you and all the wonderful stories I need to share. And keep working hard and going after your own dream. It's days like these... when I'm so tired I may have fallen asleep stirring my coffee this morning... these are the reasons we're out there hustling for days, weeks, months on end, feeling like the train won't budge. These are the good days. The coffee tastes sweeter on these days.
Keep working hard and never give up. You have so many of these days ahead of you too.
(p.s. the picture above is not my show... but same idea.)
Hi Anonymous Actress, I'm anonymous ex-Sound designer.
ReplyDeleteA few years back I recorded a self-video of a triumphant moment at roughly 4am, when I had nailed a design for a theatre piece and was burning the CDs for rehearsal.
Looking at it now, I'm clearly exhausted beyond reason, my eyes are dropping out of their sockets, I can barely talk and my head keeps lolling on my shoulders, but i'm rambling on about why I do it and why its worth it.
I remember the incredible sense of achievement at that point in time. It looks ridiculous on tape, but its there all the same
months later I hit a wall and suddenly reacted hard against the whole thing and now I do other stuff, but your mentioning of "so tired I may have fallen a sleep stirring my coffee....These are the good days" its fucking right. When everything you are spending is on the goals you are dreaming of, everything is worth it.
It is exhausting and consuming. you lucky lucky thing :D