Find Your Voice

As I get older, I am continually surprised at how much I still have to learn about myself.  I have years of training in the body, how the body relates to the mind, sensation work, voice work, applied bodywork, physiology, anatomy, and tapping into my reservoir of feelings.  And still, an avenue filled with gems is work with the voice.

The voice work that inspires me viscerally is Roy Hart work.  I would suggest a foundation of breath work (Berry, Linklater, Fitzmaurice) prior to this type of work.  In RH work, they often use a piano to play notes and the RH instructor leads the class in vocal quality.  For example, if the instructor is looking for light and thin notes that are also high pitch, we might work with the word "violin" to carry the tone.  To be clear, the sound quality is not the goal.  In other words, the Hart people are not after helping someone sing "pretty," but rather tap into the sounds each body/soul can express.  That freedom allows a participant to maximize range and cultivate sound and support in the body.  All people, not just opera singers, want this.

I recall the morning after working with the Roy Hart people the first time, my ribs ached with movement and breath.  I didn't know my ribs could swing that much!  They felt like an accordion - and powerful.  In no other activity had I been able to get my breath to be so big or support for so long - because I was breathing in huge thoughts and could ride the breath and the thought simultaneously. 

Though the voice work I lead is not Roy Hart, I am certainly inspired by the work.  Roy Hart said, "I left (being an actor) in order to go back into the world of non-art or humanity, because I couldn't stand the split between art and humanity."  Well, artists have to be their essential human self to bring life to the characters flaws.  These breathing creatures capture the imagination and heart of self and audience.

Before you can use your voice, you have to find it.  In your own way today, using your voice at the pitch, volume, and duration you decide - call out to someone you love!  They might hear you - even in another state.

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin

Where's Your Happy Place?

As I get older, I surround myself with things that inspire me. That takes effort, believe me. These elements include people, books, things, plants, -- whatever makes my heart sing. So I started to think about a common thread through these inspirations.

I have a little place inside me that vibrates - sometimes even quivers - when something makes me happy. That happy place is my guide inside my life. If I'm not sure about something, I check in with my happy place.

Ironically, as my husband will attest, there are times when the ferocity of my happy place makes my shy away from the very thing that I'm sure would make me happy. After all, that could mean I would be unhappy after having known such glee, right? Please. There's so much fear stopping us from being happy it's ridiculous! (I'm pointing a finger at myself right now.)

My suggestion? If you don't already know your happy place intimately, spend some time reflecting on the times in your life when you almost came out of your skin because something GREAT happened to you. Then think about the elements that event has for you. If you can pick your top five and commonalities, you're going to find out things about yourself that might surprise you. Happy hunting!

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin

Healthy Competition

Do you often see friends at auditions? Yesterday, I was auditioning for a hilarious spot that required a talented Shakespearean actress. Of course I'm going to see some friends there!!! After all, how many of us play Shakespeare in Los Angeles?

This started me thinking about healthy competition. I've never been one who feels that I need to knock off all of my competition to get ahead. That competition helps me refine my craft. These people are often my friends who I will work with again, enjoy, and admire.

So many artists are great. Each artist embodies special talents or traits (ideally enhanced by training). Each gig is going to require something special; the casting director is hired to match actors' unique gifts to the roles. Since I can't begin to guess what they think they're looking for, I simply do my best.

After the audition, I give myself the walk from the casting director's office to my car to beat myself up about what I might have done differently - and then I let it go. If I just can't seem to let it go for whatever reason, I do some sort of ritual to let it go like have a fire in my fire pit and write the word "anxiety" on a paper and burn it. Or take a shower and imagine the water is washing away the event. Okay, I like dramatic gestures.

Auditioning is part of the business. If I mulled over every audition for days, I'd soon loose my mind. If you find yourself doing that, try to audition more so you don't attach so much weight to each audition. Let the inevitable competition inspire you to rise to the occasion.

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

Eleanor Roosevelt spoke to the heart of every dreamer with her quote above. How often are we encouraged to intermingle practicality with our dreams?

Can an actor really be a great actor if she is wondering how she's going to pay for her next meal? Sadly, artists of most genres are not valued in our culture. As evidenced by the National Endowment for the Arts becoming more of a figurehead than a grant-giving institution as well as our schools cutting arts programs. *sigh* These schools are creating tomorrow's leaders.

I firmly believe that giving people, young and old, the power to creatively express helps people find a voice to articulate their experiences -- which increases happiness because we feel heard. We often don't have words to communicate the state of mind we're in, so we say things like "blah." If big feelings don't have words, creative expression allows that feeling to be recognized and diffused just by sitting with the feeling for a while.

If you're having big feelings that seem all bottled up, get a cheap paint brush and some water and find the nearest concrete, then water-paint. I used to do this as a child and never knew it is also used for expression therapy. If you want to one-up that, go get some inexpensive water colors and some paper and see what you come up with.

Your dream and future may require a sprinkle of practicality, do it with fervor!

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin

Working Too Hard

In this society that rewards over-achievers and people who sacrifice personal lives, when do people get to rest? When I moved to L.A., I was thrilled by the vast and rich resources here including experts in almost any field, artists of all ilks, and a melting pot of cultures and generations. I must admit, though I grew up in Chicago, the last place I lived was a rural town in Ohio. That sweet small town did not boast much diversity... of anything.

However, I did learn something of a gift in Ohio. Though I did not enjoy the ability to learn from masters, have throngs of friends, or wonder continually "where did the time go?", I did have solitude to contemplate my life. I lived there two years and it felt like 10 - but I never felt my life was flying before my eyes. I actually joked with my husband the other day that we should visit Ohio because it always felt like time stood still there -- because we both need a rest.

So what is it about L.A. versus Ohio that makes time seem so different? Commuting to anything in L.A. requires a commitment of time and energy. Driving, well - wading through traffic - is not usually my favorite part of the day. Yesterday alone I heard two T-bone thumps of accidents in the span of 20 minutes.

The biggest problem I see with living in Los Angeles (drum roll) is all the opportunity inspires me to over-commit, and then I struggle to get it all done. My tendency to over-commit has led to multiple migraines headaches, restless nights of sleeping, nightmares, tension, and occasionally bitchy behavior.

What are the options? DO LESS. Pick the things you love to do, promise yourself a solitude date where you don't do ANYTHING for at least a few hours of every week (aside from one FULL DAY OFF), and start telling people NO. When life isn't fun, revive the important and joyful things! Your life is made up of moments; are you creating the moments you will cherish?

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin

Family Matters

You can't regrow a family, much as we dream about it when we're young. In spite of miscommunications and hurt feelings that all relationships have, your family is yours for better or worse.

You don't have to like your family. Heck, you may not even choose to have them in your life. Or you may talk to one or more of your family every day and they may be the most consistent people in your life! Family defines who we are, the roles we play professionally and personally, and instill in us our self-worth.

If you have a great family - do something a little extra special for them today. If you have struggles with your family, do one activity today and dedicate it to growing love and tolerance in your family. Either way, the time you spend will increase love in your life.

And if your family is no longer in the physical realm, creating your own family whom you choose is a worthy and wonderful endeavor.

Family matters.

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin

What's My Part in Health?

There's been a lot of talk in the past decade about the body-mind connection and how any psychological distress might link to a dis-ease in the body. Some will go so far as to place blame on the person who is sick - as if being diagnosed with a condition is not enough.

Who needs blame? I propose we work within compassion: for ourselves and others. I propose we seek out support and health care providers we trust prior to any diagnoses. I propose we do what is in our power to remain in health: body, mind, and spirit.

We are inundated with information about how to be healthy. Some ideas that make sense to me are eating whole and organic foods (when I can), moving around to make my body feel good, and working with a talk therapist when I feel I need more tools to address a situation.

Bottom line: "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin

What's the deal with a demo reel?

What do you look like? How do you move? What is your range? How do you get cast? These are some of the answers a demo reel should fundamentally cover. If you don't have a demo, you should make one. In the age of flip cameras, you have NO excuse!

Invite a friend or two over with a camera and play. Learn how to edit, almost all PC's and Mac's have the capability now to do simple editing.

Determine a scene where both of you want something from the other that the other does not want to give, conflict. Determine if you want the scene to be funny or straight/dramatic. Think about where you can shoot it. Think about the place that has the least extraneous noise. Then ACTION!

I have a friend who locked herself in the bathroom at work and shot a funny video in there as if she were talking to her best friend. Do what works for YOU! And then get it on your website (if you don't have one, GET ONE) and get it out to agents and managers and casting directors.

The only way to get work is to make sure people know you can and do work!

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin

Myths About Actors

1. Actors cannot have a family and success as an actor.

Though the pressures of traveling, regional theatre, always looking for the next job, and self-esteem can put pressure on a relationship and family, countless actors you've never heard of enjoy the stability and love of creating a family. Actors have always had to think outside the box to succeed; enjoying a family is no different.

2. Actors need to be unstable to be really talented.

On the contrary, more actors get fired due to irresponsible behavior, including stars. Having or exacerbating a mental illness will not insure a stable acting process, it will make an actor a time-bomb of misery. Actors are sensitive and aware of their emotions and how to access those emotions. To enjoy life, an actor needs to tend to her wellness so she can be resiliant and dependable on set - and off.

Do you have some myths to add? Let me hear about them!!!

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin