Keep digging, stretching & expanding

Hey Guys & Gals,

I am currently sipping on a half glass of wine coming down from a new class high. I recently started taking The Success Breakthrough Workshop with Wendy Braun and holy moly is it good. First of all, it's broken up in Modules 1 per week (4-6 videos each) and runs online so you can do it all at your own convenience.

Second, it packs a punch! Wendy focuses on what is holding us back from success and how to break those old critics or naysayer stories running willy nilly in our heads. You know those dark crummy thoughts that keep us from living our full potential. Now, she completely speaks my language and this is in total alignment with a lot of other spiritual work I have done on my own. But for someone like my boyfriend or my baby brother (aka Aries men), this language might take some getting used too. I have been attracted to this kind of philosophy for a long time, whether learning it through therapy, self-help books, yoga or good old fashion life experience. But this class seemed to be the next level of what I needed right now.

This course is specific to actors because she is an actor and she knows our challenges in an ever-changing entertainment business, however, I can see this also being helpful to Musicians and Entrepreneurs. To make a course like this worth it, you gotta do the work and be willing to try things differently. Module 1 was all about getting into the nitty gritty of our psyche. Could be scary yes, could be painful to dredge up old hurtful memories, sure, and it will be, but she gives you ways to move through them and come out on the other side feeling more empowered. Plus you have an online community of others going through the same exercises as you, supporting each other along the way. I will be honest, I had a few days off until Module 2 started up, and the clever Universe threw some situations at me as a test I suppose. I struggled a bit, so yes, there is still work to do of course, but that is why this course is 6 weeks and not just a Thursday night!

Here is a little taste...

 Heard something like this somewhere else? - How about this?

Mind not blown yet - I will continue - 

DAAAAAANG ponder that a moment...go ahead and sit with it - 

Now this quote from Module 2 really pulled at my hearts strings and made me think of my dad. 

Those of you who know me or have followed my "sharing" in the past few years, know I lost my dad in 2013 and I have pretty much just been putting myself back together ever since. Including getting my manifesting groove back.  But in all this self-work one realizes how much we have taken from our parents even the parts we judge them on or try to avoid. That shit seeps in and rears it's head when you least expect it.  

So my dad was a very talented singer-songwriter who moved to LA to go after his dreams in his late teens but went back home in his early 20s, with a son, a young wife, and unbeknownst to him another baby boy baking in another oven - (another incredible story for another day but check out facebook.com/peterdionnemusic for a glimpse) He became a fisherman for years off the coast of Massachusetts and deeply inspired by the sea, and wrote a whole album about it,  my mom, his second wife was the one that really helped him craft his musings to finished songs and poetry and got him to record. But you don't know him, his music never reached you if you were outside our immediate circle of family and friends. And as he got into other things, mainly trouble, I saw that eat at him the rest of his life. Well, here I am in LA, going after and simultaneously dodging my dreams toying with pursuing my god given talents and now that I am in my 30s I ask myself how am I any different? And I am surrounded by amazingly talented people struggling with the same thing.

IT IS SO OBVIOUS TO ME, IT WAS MY DAD'S INNER GAME - IT IS MY INNER GAME - chances are IT IS YOUR INNER GAME. 

I give us all permission to do what needs to be done to shake this shit out of our soul's and to step into our greatness. Life is too short to play small. But it takes facing fear and discipline to go after what calls to your heart. And more so to be successful at it. Don't wait for the perfect agent, the perfect relationship, the perfect pictures or website - Just start or Just finish for some. But keep practicing the empowering thoughts and ignoring the ones that make you feel small, they ARE NOT real.  If you have a hard time doing this on your own, find a positive friend and ask them to be your sponsor to remind you of your worth!

Here's to loving ourselves enough to Live our dreams! And thanks to Wendy Braun for helping me by kicking me in the tush with positive juju.

xo - Nicole

What sides of yourself do you show? PART 1

Hey Guys & Gals!

It's been a while since I have been inspired to blog about acting. For those who don't know I spent last year & change really supporting other actors development. Helping them find their niches, picking out their best photos & reel footage, but most importantly learning about who they are, their natural essence, their strengths in expression, what they put out to the world and ultimately the type of work they want to be attracting. Together with getting specific and detailed and clearing out the clutter - We would implement ideas and I saw the ones that did the work for themselves get more opportunities.

In doing so I realized I haven't ever fully committed to doing the work PROPERLY for myself. I was making sure my clients were accountable, but no one was holding me accountable for my own career goals with acting. I did a half-ass version of it, and it would show in every headshot session I took, no matter how good the photographer was, there was a part of me missing.

As an Artist, I think we all have this underlying force that drives us to be liked or at the very least understood, so the pressure of a headshot session really puts a magnifying glass on that - and the pressure to get it right usually creates the opposite outcome. Worries include: I don't want to look ugly or fake or standoffish or overly confident etc etc etc - then what do you get? Someone disconnected & stuck in their head with a fake smile on their face. Basically, you have 2 seconds to make an impression on a gatekeeper for a potential job through a 2"X 3" photo on a computer screen. If you don't make a strong enough impression you don't get a second click of a button to see your reel footage, nevermind a third click to be invited to an audition. So essentially that leaves thousands of talented actors out there jobless and never seen because their headshot didn't make a good enough impression.

So I have decided to take my own advice and create an action plan. I got a camera for Christmas and decided I could just practice on myself and develop some character Archetype ideas before investing in yet another round of headshots. And to my surprise, I got some pretty good stuff! I like the word Archetype because it reminds me of classic storytelling - There's always the Ingenue, the Love interest, The Protagonist, the Villian, in most stories - However, now we see it's more interesting if someone has layers in their work. And I can go in to a whole tangent on that - but this is where our core selves come in, to make that Archetype a Human Being. And a unique human being that other people can relate to but only we can bring to the table.

Which brings me to my First Archetype JENNIFER

Jennifer is an east-coast girl with sass, edge and attitude. She has a bit of a chip on her shoulder from a tough upbringing. She's a bartender & rock & roll music lover. She doesn't trust easily but is loyal to a fault when she loves you. If there is a tough situation ahead, Jennifer doesn't cower in fear, she takes on the challenge and she stands up to fight.

I wanted to try on Jennifer first because she is a close version me and people I grew up around. Every BOLD WORD is an inner truth for NICOLE, the real me. She is also pretty natural as well, and not afraid to look bad. So technically speaking, with not knowing my camera that well, it seemed to be the easiest option to try.

I was recently using an exercise DALLAS TRAVERS teaches in her class called THE ACTORS BUSINESS BLUEPRINT, and I was reminded of the philosophy of researching backward. A few of my Target shows are stylized - fantasy Dramas. THE WALKING DEAD, VAMPIRE DIARIES & THE ORIGINALS - They are all shot in the southeast and it made sense that someone like JENNIFER may be a type of role that could pop up on those kinds of shows at some point.

So who would Jennifer's alter ego be on THE WALKING DEAD?

How about this girl? - I see her as confident, strong willed, the fixer, and maybe even love interest
I'm not wearing a lot of makeup - because on this show the characters are usually dressed in dirt.

Confident & Strong-willed

And I could take it a step further and go a little darker - This chick looks a bit more fierce like she is in the middle of it already. You can tell she has been fighting for her life and she is good at killing zombies by now. The fear she used to have is gone.

Zombie Killer

Then there is the Vampire Diaries & The Originals (same creators)- These shows have roles who could be a Vampire, A Witch, A Werewolf, A Hybrid Vamp/Werewolf or even a mere Human. So either of the 2 above could probably work. But to take it a step further into the tone of the show - I know these shows are CW and a bit more full of "PRETTY" people. Meaning they make sure you are looking pretty hot covered in blood.

So Below you can see there is a bit more hair & makeup going on, it's still on the natural side but Vampires tend to be attractive, sexualized, & confident beings because they can't be easily killed.

Vampire

And how about a fiery, tough werewolf who grew up in the bayou? - she'd be a bit more country maybe even trashy so why not really let that chip on her shoulder and roots in her hair show for this one. But Werewolves are loyal and protective of their pack - and I think that comes through in my eyes in this one - This says GO AHEAD I will take a bullet for my brother!

Werewolf

So this is a fun project that I have been working on since the Holidays. I got a few more characters in the 'can' I will share soon. Now, I have to give credit where credit is due. These self-portraits would not be as clean and complete without the amazing retouching skills of James Rhodimer,  who also happens to be an awesome photographer and filmmaker, who I have trusted for years with my face! And I would like to also give credit to Peter Hurley Photography as well. Peter has shared some of his techniques and tips online and it has really helped me to understand how to capture what it is that has been missing for me, both behind and in front of the camera.

I would love to hear your thoughts about these shots and the shots still to come. Also share notes if you have any character suggestions, favorite photographers, or even if you want to share your own experience posing for headshots. Sharing is caring and we can all learn from each other.

Comment below or on my facebook page!

xo - Nicole