I JUST got back from the west coast where I attended a 5-day acting intensive with TVI Studios.

Things in LA went very well. The weather was amazing. It was raining when I left, but that was the only day that wasn't sunny. Having mid 70's every day really is a treat when you come from "freezing your nips off" kind of weather. Though the weather is frigid, I am glad to be back with my loved ones ( dog and mom). AND may I add how great my mom is looking, juicing really makes her feel and look ravenous.

I came back from LA surprised. Surprised because of all I had learned and all I have to do for the future. It was a good kind of surprise. IT was the kind of surprise I was seeking to better my craft. As much as acting is about talent, so much of it isn't about talent!

To make it easier to understand what I'm saying, here are some bullet points I'd like to share to those of you who are interested:

- if you can make them (casting director, agent, manager) money, they will pick you up.
- versatility can hurt you in the beginning of your career
- know your "type/essence."
- you have to brand yourself as something, and be able to sell that hard.
- once you make a name for yourself, then you can be versatile.
- more Australians are leads on TV shows than Americans.
- confidence books jobs.
- you have to make the casting director's, agent's, manager's job easy.
- you have to be likable.
- don't give them (casting director, agent,manager) a reason to say "NO" to you, i.e wardrobe.
- schmooze when ever possible.
- LA likes comedy, so by all means do comedic monologues.
- AFTRA union is getting more work than SAG (but there are current discussions of a merge possibly next year).

This may sound shocking, so let me elaborate on a few things. Yes, versatility at the beginning of your career is bad. POR QUE? WHY? because Hollywood is all about fast and easy business, shocking right? lol. The minute you walk into a room they (i.e casting directors, agents, managers) will already know if they like you or not and will have already "typed you"- all of this will happen without you even opening your mouth. SO, know your type/essence and sell the crap out of it. How do you sell it? You sell your type by dressing like your type, by having a monologue that is your type and by having a head shot that shows your type.

Well this is all I can think of right now....haha, but I am sure I'll be reminded of more, and when that comes, so will another post.

Last piece of advice, keep your head above water, but not in the clouds.

Have a good week.
Carter

The fun thing bout blogs is that you can take them any where you choose. You can talk about any random noun or verb. Even on a broad spectrum, talk about life. What does life mean to you? What does it mean to me? Our relationship with life is an ever changing one, just like life's relationship with us is ever changing. We change, we deal, we love. Familiarizing ourselves with moments and things is essential to then loving the moments and things. Don't cha think?
When I changed everything, the familiarizing process began. New tastes were experienced, new breaths were taken as my world was turned on its head. My mission, in this ever changing world, is to use this blog as an entree to deliver life's changes that I've encountered and get you, my reader, to leave famiarized and loving it!

Firstly and broadly, there is a world of raw vegan eating that I never knew existed(!). Man oh man was it a shocker. Raw vegan, simplistically, IS in fact fruits veggie and nuts. Pretty complex, right? lol. Well, what I found out was that I didn't know anything. There are raw nut cheeses (any type of nut cheese can taste, smell, feel like cow's milk cheese). There are raw burgers, tacos, quesadilla, dumplings, nachos, pizza, lasagnas and every other food that you feel bad after eating can be "RAW Vegan"-fied. And taste exactly like...or some cases better than the "real" stuff. Don't believe, look here....

Lasagnas

PIZZA

Tacos

BURGER assembled

Burger Pattie

and the nut cheese...

and for dessert......

So dont be afraid of change, as I found, it's kinda cool.


Try this! One of my favorites and very easy recipes.. 5 bunches of Baby BokChoy Marinated for at least 15 mins in a mixture of.. 1/3 cup of olive oil 3/4 cup of Nama Shoyu(unpasteurized raw soy sauce) but if being raw doesn't matter than any soy sauce will do. for an extra punch add 2 cloves garlic.

Carter

Happy New Year !
I don't have any New Years Resolutions, I have gone through enough changes for now lol.
I have gone through a huge transformation the last months of 2010. My mom first brought up what a transformation I've gone through yesterday and I have to agree with her. I replied back to mommy "Well, I've changed my perspective. It is amazing what happens to everything you believe in when you look at it from a different angle".

It all started after I left high school. My style changed, my eating habits changed, my views changed, what I say/ think and how I say it/ think it have all changed. I have always noticed that there were two sides of me and at school I was projecting one side of me a lot louder than the other. Now it is in reverse. I have let one part of me subside so the other may be projected to the world. After knowing what it feels like, I have made a choice, through feeling, as to which side I want to be. I asked myself "which side feels more like home?" "Which side shows who I really am/ which sides best communicates my message to the world?" I am no longer dressing to the 9's, for I feel no need to wrap my body in restrictive clothing. I no longer eat dairy, meat, eggs, or any animal derived products nor do I cook anything-in society my eating lifestyle would be called "Raw Vegan,"too me it's just the product of a new perspective/choices. I no longer live a life of over consumption, but yet a life of minimalism and one where experiences are cherished more than "stuff". I no longer use lots of makeup. I no longer dye my hair religiously. I no longer paint my nails. I no longer worry or stress over anything. I no longer judge anything. I no longer fear anything. I no longer feel anger. I no longer feel envy. I no longer compare myself to others. I no longer wear high heels religiously. I no longer struggle. I no longer hate. These are the changes I have made. I am not stuck on any one way of living. I will live in this way till it serves me no more. When I do not feel all of the spiritual, health, internal/ external benefits that I do from making these changes then I will change once more. I am a woman with no bounds and I am the happiest I've been in a long time.
I saw the world one way, and it was beautiful. But the way I see it now is mesmerizing.
I saw myself one way, and it was beautiful. But now I see myself anew and you know what, it is beautiful.

Happy New Year love birds,
Carter