Grief and Living

When a loved one exits my life, I am in turmoil. The History we built together cannot be replaced. They are no longer someone I can call, cry to, laugh with, and with whom I can build memories.

If you are unsure to seek out help to address grief, Rondi Lightmark, M.A. , offers "ten reasons why you might want to spend some time with a counselor:

1. You want to understand better about death and what happened to your loved one.

2. Your support system has moved on and you’re still struggling.
   

3. You can’t function, are losing sleep, crying every day, or having bad dreams.
   

4. Your health is breaking down.
   

5. You are filled with guilt and worry.
   

6. You have been having dreams or the sense that your loved one is near and wonder about life after death.
   

7. You are sad because you haven’t felt the presence of your loved one.
   

8. You need advice about how to help a grieving family member, a friend, or a child.
   

9. You feel angry, abandoned, or overwhelmed.
   

10. You want help figuring out how to share your experiences and find ways to integrate your loss through personal creativity."

If you feel a variety of healers might be appropriate for you, Guided Healing Journey is a local collective of healers that include working with a variety of healers who talk, touch, listen, and guide you through your solitude to help process grief. Getting Through Grief is an option to consider.

If you don't have resources to use healers, online resources might be an option. Journey of Hearts offers a variety of online grief resources.

Whatever your loss, please know support is everywhere.

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin

Acting Viscerally

Jim Wise, my seminal acting teacher, spoke to me of acting: "You should feel it in your blood." He also pounded into me that all acting should be "the day something special happens." Why else would anyone bother to act?

To successfully attempt both of these necessities, an actor has to know her buttons. The buttons to which I refer are the touchy places in yourself that are highly reactive to other people - primarily instilled by family. For example, don't make fun of my family. Can you imagine how this button might inform me playing the role of Antigone? Add the sprinkle of grief from loosing my mom -- and playing Greek tragedy is second nature.

When you sit with a script and keenly identify with the character, your process when approaching the role may be quick and easy - because you KNOW it. However, not all roles sing so clearly to the heart of an actor.

When you identify the character's need/essential action/overall objective (and for the love of GOD - please go beyond what the script is saying literally unless it's Shakespeare), compare that need to your buttons. Which need can you easily access to accomplish that goal? Who can that other person be to you to make your behavior specific?

Life or death behavior is more exhilarating than anything else on earth! If you think playing in your button zone is scary, keep in mind all actors are control freaks. Why? Actors know the end of the story and every bump on the road. An actor's job is to make that road cost her something and for it to be more exciting to her than any other doing. Make it so!

Copyright 2010 Heather Corwin