11/14/14 – To go or not to go?

Hey Folks!

Wasn’t really planning a blog post this morning, but something came up for me which I often struggle with- Being spread too thin! It seems that when it comes to acting and auditioning, when it rains it pours. For months I have not been auditioning or performing consistently. Then all of a sudden this week several things came up. I was cast in a scene in my writer’s/actor’s group, SAFEHOUSE, I had an audition for a theatre, have been in rehearsals for a reading of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia happening this Sunday, an audition for a network television show, an offer to audition for another theatre show my friend is doing this Monday…. whew. Meanwhile, I’m still maintaining that full-time 40 hour a week day job, trying to work through re-writes on my book… it’s no wonder I woke up this morning, struggled to get to work, and then felt like I wasn’t sure I wanted to go to an audition for an Equity Musical today!

Being spread too thin or over-working/over-training is something I am prone to and have to be aware of. One of my posts earlier in the year was about physical training and the tenet that proper rest and recovery is essential to growing and performing your best.

Could use some work.

So, today there is an open call for a high paying equity theatre job. And part of me really wants to go. One of my goals has been to put myself out there for Musicals because I felt like I haven’t adequately explored that part of my range as a performer and I sing well. It’s also very scary for me to sing in front of people. But the other part of me thinks, “Of course this came up right when I am feeling burnt out and tired with a lot of other projects.” It’s really a balance for me between figuring out whether or not I am avoiding going to something because I am afraid to put myself out there, or whether or not I really am just taking on too many tasks. Without proper rest and recovery, the work on all the projects suffer. So the question is- should I stay or should I go?

I’ll put it out there like this today in my blog. How do  you deal with this balance in taking on too many things? This isn’t a situation where I can delegate really. What are strategies that you use to deal?  Hit me up in the comments below!

2/27/13- Form a Tribe

Human beings evolved as social creatures. Our large brains give us the capacity to form highly complex social groups which have allowed us to dominate the planet in spite of drastic weather changes or varying landscapes. Our social nature and communicative ability allowed us to hunt the mega-fauna like the Sabertooth Tiger and Mastadon into extinction  as well as out-compete other intelligent primates like the Neanderthal.

But our large brains and capacity for complex social structure has also allowed us to build megalopolises like Los Angeles and technologies like the internet which exceed our mental capacity to connect. Social connection and communication has fragmented into the faceless and superficial. It’s easy to feel like the survivor of a ship-wreck, all alone, clinging to a life raft. Ironically, it’s amidst an ocean filled to the brim with people. The human psyche cries out for that true, honest connection of the collective past: A Tribe.

Family usually forms the basis for a person’s social support system. But humans of the past also had a larger group than immediate family to trust and confide in. They had a tribe. Religious organizations and groups like the Kiwanis or Masons still survive due to the need for belonging. But if you are interested in having that social connection but not having it predicated on faith or a “Secret” society, my suggestion is to form a tribe of your own. Here are some ways in which I have sought to form my own tribes around my interests and goals:

Celebrity Fit Club (Is this show still on)?

1. Health and Fitness- I personally have always had an interest in martial arts. I am a Black Sash in Wing Chun Kung Fu, but recently moved and had to put my training on hold. I found that I not only missed the activity, but also being involved in a school. In the Hong Kong of yesteryear, one’s Kung Fu School became his family. One’s fellow students became his brothers and sisters. “Tribes” formed around the mutual practice of a particular art. While I am still a member of the Wing Chun family, I have also extended my tribe to include the Eagle Claw family.

My girlfriend is highly involved in rock-climbing which is totally a tribe of it’s own. Classes for something like Kung Fu or social gyms like Cross Fit, can cost a lot, though. I also do Beach Body programs like P90X. Many coaches from that community organize groups to work out to those programs together. For those who can’t afford programs like P90X, there is always pick-up basketball, local softball leagues, or even running (which is free)! Humans supposedly used to run in packs. It’s how the Kenyans, long known for their distance running, train. MEET-UP GROUPS can be a great way to join or form your own tribe centered around health and fitness.

Role-Playing heroes

2. Story telling- what’s more tribal than gathering around a fire and telling a story with a group? I’ve long touted the benefits of Role-Playing games like dungeons and dragons. They are highly creative and involve a group in a shared story that is more fun than almost anything I’ve experienced. Mystery dinners are also a great way to get people together for a party and get people involved in something much more interesting than merely standing around and drinking. Web-sites like http://www.dinnerandamurder.com/
offer kits to plan your own murder mystery dinner!

Another great way to enjoy the company and minds of others is to form a book club! My book club meets once a month and explores all kinds of topics that I normally wouldn’t think to explore just on my own. The books people don’t like are often lead to the best discussions.

The original “Power” Group.

3. Career- Recently I heard a report on NPR about businesses cutting back on unnecessary expenses. When some businesses tried to cancel the office Holiday party, employees revolted! Why? Because even in career, people need a tribe. Tribe also means a time to get together and support each other.The Entertainment industry is highly unstructured and prospects of making a consistent living can be highly dubious. A tribe is needed to offer moral support and also help promote success for all its members. Television shows like Entourage illustrate how a team or a tribe is the only thing that keeps one successful actor sane (OK- I am being liberal here with the concept of the show. It’s more about a successful guy and his buddies from the old neighborhood riding his success to live the “good life.” It simultaneously glorifies Hollywood stereotypes and shallowness in a humorous way, but also illustrates how one needs a tribe).

One of my goals for this year is to extend my tribe in my career by forming what the Actor’s Network calls a “Power Group”: a group that commits to meeting about once a month on a mutually agreed upon day. We do not to skip. Meetings: we assess our situations, goal set, hold each other accountable for actions, use each others’ skills and connections to further our careers in a forum of mutual support. I am hoping that forming this tribe will bring not only psychological comfort but genuine results from working as a team!

So go out and expand your support system and sphere of influence. Form a tribe!

1/23/14 – The Mind is Primary

The mind, the heart, the soul- The Human Brain

Greetings! After a much needed recharge on the sunny beaches of Cancun, Mexico I am back in Los Angeles and ready to get into the swing of things with renewed spirit and sense of excitement.

Before I left I shared something that resonated with me in terms of tackling my goals for the new year. In reading about actors’ workout regimens, I came across Gym Jones, the folks responsible for transforming the likes of Gerard Butler into King Leonidas of The 300 fame and turning Henry Cavill into Superman for The man of Steel. Primary to the transformation of the actors for their respective roles was the mind-set and the Gym Jones philosophy behind training. I thought these principles provided a great template not just for fitness, but to tackle all kinds goals. A couple weeks ago I mentioned the things that I wanted to work on and let go of for the new year. Pparamount amongst them was cultivating a positive mental attitude.This is right in line with the Gym Jones philosophy. So beginning there I decided to break down my mental “training” for the new year in terms of their guidelines:

Mental Training!

1. The mind is primary- Therefore, this area will have the most focus.
2. Outcome based training- train for an objective.
3. Functional training with a high degree of transferability
4. Movements not muscles- Functional training means engaging more than one area of discipline
5. Power to weight ratio- Must not get over-worked. You must be able to accomplish the tasks before you.
6. Train all energy systems- Again diversity is key.
7. Training is preparation for the real thing- Utilize what you have learned in life.
8. The mind is primary in terms of confidence and chemicals
9. Nutrition is the foundation
10. Recovery is more than 50% of the game.

So expanding on each principle-

Step 1. The mind is primary in all kinds of training or achievement and because the mind is primary, this is the area that should be the most focused on so that other areas radiate out from here. The mind, therefore is the area that I wish to start with and focus on with this blog as all areas I want to work on this year will naturally radiate from here.

Step 2. In terms of outcome based training, the specific goal would be to become more intelligent not just in terms of logical left-brain thinking, but emotional right brain thinking as well. And I suppose ultimately happier. Who wouldn’t want that right? Since I have no way to quantitatively measure anything other than IQ (which I might test merely for the whim of it), I’ve decided to qualitatively measure it by creating a Challenge list for myself which I will incorporate this into my daily habits and rituals and then evaluate how I am feeling about it all. Here are some goals that I have for myself in terms of intelligence logical and emotional:

1. 

   The Power of Breath

   Take a deep breath before engaging activities and then tackle each activity from a positive, empowered place with confidence.

2. 

   The Principles of Leonardo’s Thinking

   Read and practice “How to Think like Leonardo” by Michael Gelb. for the whole year.- The Principles of Da Vincian thinking include – Curiosita (Insatiable Curiosity), Dimostrazione (A commitment to testing knowledge through experience), Sensazione (A Refinement of the senses), Sfumato (Embracing ambiguity),
   Arte/Scienze (Striking a Balance between Science and Art), Corporalita (Cultivation of the physical body), Connessione (A Recognition of the interconnectedness of things). I think these principles connect completely with the philosophy above and I’ve already been putting them into practice by tackling the next Challenges on the list-

3. Read at least 12 books this year- 1 book a month (already finished This Book is Full of Spiders by David Wong.  Currently working through How to Think like Leonardo and The Art of War by Sun Tzu.)
4. Meet with my book club 8 times. Our next meeting is scheduled for Feb.
5. Read one physics Book, one history or biography, one literature, one religious or atheism book, and one acting book. The goal here is to explore several different realms of study.
6. 

   Mi viaje a Cancun mostro que necesito practicar mi espanol mucho mas.

   Listen to my Spanish CD in the car 4-5 days a week while traveling to or from work. Become more proficient in Spanish. (Use the language when possible)- Watch foreign language films. Listen to foreign music. The goal is to activate my brain in a way it’s not used to and develop better communication with people at work.

7. Do one Sudoku puzzle a week.- Sudoku is a guilty pleasure but also works the logical side of my brain.
8. Write 5 days a week with the goal of finishing the novel I am working on.- I have a goal of getting a novel published. Hence, this goal doubles as a career and mental enhancing consideration. I’m already embracing the inter-connectedness of all things.
9. 

   Rosebuuuud! I’ve actually never seen Citizen Kane. William Randolph Hearst would be proud.

   Watch AFI’s 10 top films of all time.- This has been on my list for a long time, and I’d like to expand my knowledge of the medium I supposedly should have expertise in.

10. Download a mathematics app and practice at least once a week.- I would like to increase my facility with basic math as well as perhaps expand my knowledge. It’s been a few years since I was in Honor’s Calculus after all.
11. Meditate Three times a week. – The Goal here is to cultivate awareness and presence.
12. Continue with my therapist every week. – This weekly session really helps me work out the kinks before I start my week.
13. Meet with my Role-playing group 8 times- The Role Playing group for me is not only a place of social interaction, but inspiration for writing and developing stories and other ideas for my writing.
14. Find a guitar group to play with- I’ve played guitar for a good while now and am fairly accomplished for a lay player. But I think it would be nice to play with some other musicians in a group, which I haven’t really done since high School and college.
15. 

    Step 2: I hypnotize you with my teeth!

    Watch one inspirational video or TED talk once a week- I’ve been watching a bit of Tony Robbins on Youtube. I know, I know, I am messing with the Kool Aid here, but some of the motivations can really help keep me positive when I am not feeling that way all the time.

16. Read the news once a week- Only once a week! That’s actually pretty low for me since I listen to NPR almost everyday and scan the huffpost online. But it’s just good to make it a point to stay informed of what’s going on.
17. Paint a picture- I did a paint night at the end of this past year and in reading “How to Think Like Leonardo” I feel the area of drawing and painting is something that I have severely neglected over the years. I would like to put it into practice.
18. Learn a new skill- I’m not sure what this will be yet, but learning new things is what keeps the brain plastic and young. I may already be taking some newer things on by continuing my foreign language study and mathematics. The new skill may be physical or artistic. And I am not requiring mastery here, only the promise to try something new.
19. Do gratitude list every day- My therapist said that a consistent practice of taking time to write down 5 things that one is thankful for every day actually begins a process of making physical changes in the brain. That sounds pretty good to me. I always fight the idea that someone is being thankful when reality is that they are in a pretty crappy situation. But our advantage as humans as meaning-creating machines is that we can ascribe meaning to any given scenario. That is literally a power to change our own reality (within limits). Why not change it into the best possible reality that we can?
20. 

    This monkey needs rest sometimes!

    Take Sundays off from goal lists and take vacations- As recovery is 50% of the game I may still continue to pursue these goals on Sundays, however, I will no longer check them off on my daily list as tasks to be done. Mentally I wish to give myself a pass and recharge for the week so that I can come back on Mondays stronger than ever.

I feel this challenge list encompasses pretty much all the principles of Gym Jones and Leonardo. Probably all except Good Nutrition, which I’ve always had a commitment to (and which I will be discussing maybe a bit in my “Corporalita” blog in a week or two). But I feel like with this list I will be making my mind primary, training for specific objectives which I can use in every day living, engaging multiple disciplines, and carving out time for recovery so that I can continue.

Balance in all things.

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Until next week…!

1/14/14- Recovery is 50% of the game

Mayan Ruins in Chichenitza

Cenote in Mexico

Greetings! This weekend I will be heading off to Cancun to rest and recover, and enjoy some fun and sun while I recharge. (Although the weather forecast predicts rain on Friday and cloudy through the weekend… it’s actually warmer here in California!). I am also looking forward to visiting some ancient ruins, zip-lining, and  continuing to brainstorm about tackling this new year right. Already I am off to a great start having attended several auditions, Casting director workshops, voice lessons, hit the 300 page marker writing a prospective book, and completing the first block of the Insanity workout (among some other things).

But after my post last week I wanted to share something that really resonated with me. I was thinking about how I wanted to work out this year with my Beach Body programs and I was reading a bit about Henry Cavill’s training with Gym Jones for his role in The Man of Steel and his trainer Mark Twight (who also trained the ripped abs in The 300 and upcoming 300: Rise of an Empire) talked about how the changes for Cavill were primarily mental. The mindset is a big part of the Gym Jones philosophy-

1. The Mind is Primary

2. Out-come based training: Train for an objective

3. Functional training with a high degree of transferability.

4. Movements, not muscles. Transferable training does not isolate muscles.

5. Power-to-weight ratio: You must carry the engine.

6. Train all energy systems. Emphasize the important, but not at the expense of the others.

7. Training is preparation for the real thing.

8. The mind is also primary in terms of confidence, chemicals, and carriage.

9. Nutrition is the foundation. eat for an objective.

10. Recovery is more than 50% of the process.

I was looking at this list and then at a few other things including the book How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci by Michael J. Gelb (which I’ve read but still have yet to put into practice) and listening to a motivational video from personal power guru Tony Robbins. Robbins talks about how successful people hold themselves to very high standards and then put into practice habits and rituals to bring those standards to fruition.

All of these things have been percolating in my brain and I’ve felt that the Gym Jones philosophy is not only a fantastic way to form a base of excellent physical fitness, but may be adapted to form habits and rituals to attain a higher standard of living practices in many areas. “Functional training with a high degree of transferability” may sound like a techie term in regards to making sure stabilizers are working so you can use your physical training for a number of different sports or activities. But I think it could just as easily be applied to training in Voice, or Acting, or Writing… In other words, train those things so that one may use them in different areas of one’s life. In the coming weeks I am going to share how I am applying these philosophies, rituals, and habits in order to attain a fuller more open and powerful existence for myself!  For now, I am off to do a little number 10 on the list and Recover in Cancun. As it just so happens I completed the first block of a round of INSANITY, so the vacation will coincide perfectly with a physical recovery week. Now I can just add a little mental recovery which includes brainstorming and dreaming. Shoot for the stars, land on the moon as the saying goes!

11/21/13-Tickets R Us- Episode 1 Re-Release

This is a copy of my blog from the Tickets R Us Web-Series page.  Hope you enjoy!

A week out from Thanksgiving and there is a lot to be thankful for- including the re-release of Tickets R US Episode 1.  (read and Click on the vid  below to watch or visit the Episodes tab at the top). I originally wrote and produced this web-series as a way to make my co-workers during my day-job laugh and give them a chance to act in something. Episode 1 details a hectic first day of work for the lead character JR. JR was conceived as a more uptight version of the character “Jim” from the office and I suppose it’s kind of how I view myself (since I am playing him). The name “JR” is a play on my much more handsome and well-liked co-worker RJ Cantu who you may have seen on SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER or more recently AMERICA’S GOT TALENT with his fantastic laser magic.

R.J. Cantu

This Episode also introduces the other employees at the Tickets R Us call in center.  Each is based on a particular person I work with or is an amalgam of several people. I tried to identify a particular quirk each person had in reality, and heighten it for the series. This episode in particular brings back memories of my time working with talented actor, writer and producer of LA Shield, and now father, Scott Dawson who plays the whacky boss “Cort”.

Scott Dawson

Scott is a huge Indiana Jones fan (who isn’t) and for his birthday several years ago we all came out to the premiere of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (arguably one of the biggest killers of a beloved franchise ever). So in tribute to Scott, I created a character who was obsessed with Indiana Jones to the point that he dressed like him to work, wore a whip, and played with Indiana Jones action figures. I’m not sure this was totally legal per se, but we never mentioned the name Indiana Jones in the series and I figure I’m not making enough money off of these things for Lucas and Spielberg to come after me.

Anyway, it was great fun working on these episodes and we hope you enjoy Tickets R Us, Episode 1!

1/9/13- New Year! New News

The new year is off to a great start!  The Web-Project the Valley is on hiatus for the moment, but I have my hands full auditioning through my new Agent Susan Nathe.  I began a new workout program this week, and I would like to take a moment to tell you about a special project I was in a little while back.

SAVING LINCOLN, is a feature film and labor of love directed by my good friend Salvador Litvak.  Sal and his wife wrote a fantastic script way back before we even heard about Spielberg’s picture starring Daniel Day Lewis.  And even longer before we knew Honest Abe also fought Vampires in his spare time when he wasn’t freeing the slaves. It is due to the popularity of those projects that SAVING LINCOLN’S story was able to be made. However, don’t be fooled: this is NOT a film you may have already just seen by any means.

SAVING LINCOLN focuses on Lincoln and his good friend and personal body guard, Ward Hill Lamon.  It was shot with a really innovative green screen technique mixing live action with plates and actual photographs from the time period to give the film a stylized, but still incredibly authentic feel.

Now I am not too worried about Spoilers here, we all know how the story ends, but there is much more to it than the grand finale.
You can read an interview with Sal, the director, about the movie right here: http://thestraighthype.blogspot.com/2013/01/tsh-hollywood-my-exclusive-interview.html

Additionally, SAVING LINCOLN is kicking off an innovative marketing campaign through Kickstarter.com.

The cool thing about contributing to this project (as opposed to the other worthy projects out there) is that SAVING LINCOLN has already been completed.  The Kickstarter campaign is just to help let people know about the film.  This is a project with a limited budget and they already have done a fantastic job of making the film look top notch.  But they do not have a juggernaut of a studio marketing department behind them to get the word out. That’s where you come in. There are great incentives at each level of donation, and none is too small.  So if you want to help me out, and support a fantastic new filmmaker, and a labor of love, please take a moment to visit the page and hear Sal tell you himself about the project!  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/salvadorlitvak/saving-lincoln-the-movieAnd