create your own curriculum
Happy Wednesday! In Monday’s post - “Tá draíocht timpeall orainn” - I wrote about the magic that’s all around us at any given time! I often get a lot of questions about my schedule and structure, and I figured it was time to let you in on a little secret that will help with creating your own schedule and structure.
Create your own curriculum. Whatever you’re doing in life, you have the control over what you choose to do with your time. If you’re working an office job, you have the flexibility to do things you enjoy when you’re not at work, and if you’re working freelance or working to build your own business, you have the flexibility to create something you want.
In a freelance lifestyle, the trick is to create your own curriculum: do something each day that attributes to your growth in a particular field. For me, with acting, I currently take classes at Groundlings and spend my free time at night practicing and/or performing with my teams or working on characters I’m creating. The days I get booked to work on set depend on a lot of external factors, which is why I spend so much of my free time working to hone my craft and to get better. If you’re building a business of any kind, you would do something each day that would contribute to that field whether it be networking to build contacts or reading books on the field to become more knowledgable in a particular area.
Is there anything new you’ve added to your routine lately, whether it be business- or hobby-related? Creating your own routine and your own structure is important - waking up at the same time, making your bed, getting in some exercise, eating healthy foods, etc. - and your curriculum is just another part of the puzzle to fit into that routine.
Do one thing everyday that gets you closer to the person you want to be. In the acting world, some days it’s class, some days it’s new headshots, and some days it’s submitting yourself for auditions, which can lead to roles. As long as you are working toward the thing you want to be, you are that thing. While working on a character for Groundlings recently, a friend of mine gave me great advice, “if you’re trying to be a hick, be a hick.” And although it seems silly out of context, it’s good advice. Don’t try to be the thing you want to be. Be the thing you want to be by making choices everyday that get you closer to that vision. Thank you so much for reading, and, as always, if you have any pressing questions or if you want to discuss something further with me, please subscribe below, follow me on Instagram or Twitter, or reach out to me on the “contact” page. I’m so grateful you're here and that I’ve been getting a lot of really challenging questions and even better feedback from a community all over the world. I couldn’t do this without you! So THANK YOU! I’m here for you, and I love hearing from you, too! You’re the best, and you have everything you need inside of you! Please believe it! Starve your ego, feed your soul - and follow your heart!!