Ask A Stage Goddess - What Do I Do After A Win?

All victories large or small are to be celebrated!! 

It’s the last day of the Ultimate Blog Challenge and it’s time for us to celebrate! The month passed so quickly and I am reminded that we can do anything we say we can do with commitment and accountability.

I’d like to thank everyone who left a comment on my blog. I’ve enjoyed reading the blogs of my fellow UBCers and have become a fan of a few. I hope to continue to be enlightened, educated and entertained by those whom I will continue to follow.  Please do the same. Re-visit my blog from time to time, Like/Friend me on facebook, Follow me on twitter & Instagram and by all means check out the Ask A Stage Goddess series on YouTube if you know anyone pursuing a career in show business.

I love the diversity of this group and no matter what your area of expertise, remember:

Be A Star Where You Are !

Ask A Stage Goddess - How Do I Hone My Craft?

 hone (v.) - refine or perfect (something) over a period of time.

As an actor, comic or writer it's a good idea to constantly and consistently improve your artistry.
Here are some ways to hone your craft:
Do some research to flesh out a story line or to make a character more 3 dimensional.
Read blogs of other artists like yourself to stay current on trends or to generate new ideas.
Follow and interact with the leaders of your field on social media. You may get their attention and actually be able to connect with them in person one day.
Take classes to improve your technique. 
Go to networking events with others in your field.
Study the work of artists your admire.
Showcase your work as much as possible. When I wanted to improve my stand up comedy writing skills and performance, I created a comedy showcase that forced me to take the stage at least once a month. I had to constantly come up with new material and it raised my comfort level as a producer and a host.
Teach! As a result of the comedy showcase, audience members began to ask me to teach them how to do stand up comedy and once I did, I saw where I could sharpen my skills. I was reminded of the joking writing formula, the many ways to deliver a punchline, etc.
Go on an artist's retreat. One of my writer friends went to a writer's colony in Hawaii to work on her screenplay and many writers I know sometimes check into a hotel to finish their latest masterpiece as the deadline approaches.

The more honed your craft is, the more you will stand out in your field.

How have you honed your craft lately?

Ask A Stage Goddess - Why practice Random Acts of Kindness?

A random act of kindness is a selfless act performed to assist or to cheer up an individual person or people.

As an actor, you may feel a sting of rejection after an audition that didn't go the way you would have liked or you may have a brief period of wondering when you will get your next gig. This is the perfect time to perform a random act of kindness. Get out of your own head and do something nice for someone who is feeling down or elevate someone spirits higher than they thought possible. You will find that this simple little practice will also lift your spirits. Even though the purpose is not to get anything in return, your heart will automatically open to receive more love and compassion. Don't be surprised to see random acts kindness coming your way. 
Remember, the real joy is in being anonymous. The point is not to be acknowledged by the person receiving your gift. The greatest reward would be to witness more kindness in the world on a daily basis.

Here are 5 random acts of kindness to get you started:
Leave a used book for someone else to find.
Feed someone's parking meter just before it expires.
Be a designated driver.
While at the cashier in your local coffee shop, buy a cup of java for the person behind you. 
Leave a positive comment on someone's website or blog.

What random act of kindness will you perform today?

Ask A Stage Goddess - How Do I Create A Vision Board?

Ultimate Blog Challenge - Day 3 of 31

A vision board is a sacred space that displays what you want and brings it to life. You will need a poster board, scissors, glue stick and lots of magazines. Decide what your focus will be and how you want to feel. It could be for one or more specific goals.

For example, if you want a new car, look through the magazines and cut out pictures of the type of car you see yourself driving. Then glue it on the board. Want to be successful? Look for photos of your role models or for pictures of people doing activities that successful people do. You can also cut out and paste on words or phrases that support your vision. Have fun, make it pretty, and hang it where you will be sure to see it every day. Take a few moments daily in the presence of your vision board and really absorb what you have put out there. Then watch its manifestations appear!

Back in the day, these were called Treasure Maps. They have now evolved to the digital version. There are apps to create vision boards to be used as a screen saver on your phone, iPad or computer. You could also make one on Pinterest. The possibilities are endless.

What’s on your vision board?

Will Walk For Charity

As some of you know, I am an avid learner. I probably attend more classes, workshops, conferences and webinars than anyone you know. Well, this week is no different. I am currently enrolled in a class on skillshare.com called How To Write Blog Posts That Build Community. Our teacher is Jennifer Barbour and one of our assignments is to visit the blog posts of our fellow students. There are 62 of us, so it's difficult to get to everyone's but I knew I had to visit our teacher's blog so that I could pick up tips from the cream of the crop! I was quite surprised when in addition to discovering what an amazing blog site looks like, I found myself intrigued by one of her Philanthropy Friday posts about an iPhone app for Charity Miles. It tracks your miles for walking, running or cycling and converts them into money to help several charities that they sponsor. Something about fitness for charity speaks to my heart.

 In 1995, I rode my bicycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles for the California AIDS Ride. I did it for my friend Charlie Hall who was in the hospital dying of AIDS at the time.

In 2006, I walked a 1/2 marathon in Kona, Hawaii for the American Stroke Association when I learned that my cousin Winston had had a stroke. I was 3,000 miles away and unable to help him directly.

In 2011, I walked a 5K for the Alzheimer's Association while witnessing the early stages of cognitive impairment in my mother.

I am not an athlete and have always had a problem maintaining any sort of regimen when it comes to exercising on my own but I worked hard and completed these three amazing feats. At this time in my life, I could certainly benefit from losing a few pounds and improving my health. Ordinarily, I find it hard to get motivated or stick with any sort of work out program on a consistent basis, but today I enthusiastically downloaded the app and took off on a walk. I logged in 1.959 miles for Habitat for Humanity. I can do this! I'm already plotting out my route for tomorrow. And once I get my bike all ready for a ride, watch out!!

I rode for Charlie. I walked for Winston and my Mom. And now in addition to working out for the people helped by Charity Miles, I will walk and ride for me.

Thank you Jennifer.
Follow her on twitter @anotherjen