Why a Blog...?

Are you an actor? Nice, I'm an actor too. It’s taken me a long old while to come to terms with addressing myself as such, but it’s finally happened. The timidness I once felt while scrabbling around trying justifying it to people has subsided… slightly… I think it’s maybe more of a life-long adjustment. Because you see, I am not just an actor. I’m a portrait and life model. I’m a writer. I’m a facilitator. I’m an extra. I’m a caterer. I'm a box office assistant. I’m a house-sitter and a dog walker. And yes... I’m a goddamn waitress... I’m an everything-and-all-those-bits-in-between kind of person. Some say I have a many-feathered cap, while others merely remark that I’ll never have a proper job… You decide.

And here’s the cliché line: “All I’ve ever wanted to do is act”. 

Yes. Its true. We all know that line. We yearn to do something completely unprofitable, entirely unstable and vaguely narcissistic, something our parents respond to with “But really darling, maybe you should have a think about doing something else…?” But could we really justify packing it all in and settling for something we know won’t fulfill us? I’ve worked to try and understand exactly what it is about acting that really excites me. It’s knowing that I could do something genuinely really special. The way I see it, if I am able to provoke even one person to experience feeling something real or offer a new perspective for just one individual, I will have achieved what I set out to do. And what a heckin' honour! So why am I now embarking on telling everyone about it? To be honest, I’m not entirely sure and a little scared, but I'm just going to go with it. If I refer to another classic cliché, that I’m positive every actor has heard more times than should be considered legal: 

“You know that’s a really tough industry?”

Yes. I do know it's a very tough industry. I’m very aware of the fact that 98% of performers in the UK make less than £20,000 a year… (shoutout to the 98% podcast - if you've never heard of it, go immediately to Spotify and listen to your hearts content, you'll thank me later) and I’m very aware that as life goes, that’s not very much to live on. Yes, it is a tough industry and most of the time, I feel as though I’m wading through thick mud, making very very slow progress. I try to justify to myself that it’s all fine and that "this is just part of the process". I’ve been working unrepresented in the industry for 2 years now and it’s certainly been an interesting ride. As difficult as it may have been, it’s a comfort to know that other people have had experiences similar to me. That there are true highs and even lower lows. That, although we may feel alone, we are all in this crazy, emotional, tumultuous, ridiculous rollercoaster together. I want to offer some of my experiences and insights into the life of an actor and how I've dealt with some of the trials and tribulations - because there have been and will be many more to come. I have no idea if anyone will read this, or value the words that I intend on pouring from my soul, but if I can help to offer a new perspective, or just a little support to someone thinking, “Jeeeez does anyone understand?” well then, I will have succeeded in my intentions. 

This is for anyone working in the performance industry. On those days where you feel stuck, wading against the mud. On those days where you may want to read something to spark some ideas or maybe just hear another's experience. The biggest part of why I want to write is when I think back to myself as a younger Lily, determined to act, not really knowing where to start, who to talk to and how to learn all the little bits and pieces essential to building a career, brick by brick. My hope is that someone in a similar situation will find some of what I've got to say useful. I want to go into everything. Auditions, selftapes, inspiration, creativity, on-set antics, fame, representation (or lack of), writing killer applications, confidence, self protection, rejection, resting jobs and everything else that’s just part of living the (unemployment) dream. Inspiration is the secret ingredient here. If you’re inspired, you can make truly wonderful things happen. Everything that happens on this crazy journey of life is a lesson, it’s simply a matter of whether we choose to learn from it or not.

So, if all of that nonsense sounds like something you could get down with and maybe gain a little of your own inspiration from, stick around and I’d be truly honoured to go on this journey with you.