#lauravhall

[wannabeentertainer]

Dealing with the “Post-Show Blues”

Anyone who has spent months poring over a project, putting their hearts and souls into every minute, and seeing it through to the end, likely knows the expression “post-show blues”.

But what is it and why does it happen? 

The empty Ottawa Little Theatre stage mere hours after a show with an elaborate set closed. Yes, it all comes down that quickly.

For me, the “post-show blues” is a deep sorrow that sets in once a project is over. It's triggered when the connections made to fellow actors, creators or the character I’m playing is suddenly cut off and I’m left feeling lost and alone.

It doesn’t always happen but when it does it hurts. A lot. 

Many people suggest distracting yourself by jumping into another project and I used to subscribe to this too, but now I don’t like it. I’ve learned that what I really need is some time to reflect, reinforce any friendships I want to maintain, and take the time to mourn and heal. 

And to get back to myself.

I once jumped into rehearsals the day after a show closed - a show that I loved dearly and would sorely miss. And guess what? I begrudged my new gig. It took me weeks to connect to the people and the material because I was bitter it wasn’t the last show. I feared I would never fall in love with the new project, but I did. It was confusing and painful and I don’t wish it on anyone.

If you have a contract in place already, then yes, of course go ahead and jump away. But if you don’t, take some time for yourself. 

King Lear has come to an end. The process was agony at times (a subject for another post!), but the people were amazing and I will miss them so so much.

Curtain call for King Lear at the Gladstone Theatre in Ottawa.

In these moments, I always go back to a most poignant song. I leave it here for you and anyone struggling to get over the post-show blues.

Yes, it’s Glee. And yes, it’s super dramatic. Deal.

Keep Being Awesome,

Laura V Hall

[wannabeentertainer]

How a Performer can Prepare for the Dreaded, “What’s Next?”

As a performer, you’re always on the lookout for the next gig. Gigs are unpredictable and can last anywhere from an hour (voicework), to a half-day (commercial), to a few weeks (theatre), to several months (film/TV). 

Me, looking for gigs. My therapist called me a lighthouse, but I think this is a more accurate portrayal.

Since gigs are so ephemeral, you need to get used to asking and responding to the good ol’, “Sooo, what’s next?” Even while you’re still working your current gig, you will be asked that question. It’s like talking about the weather for performers. It’s the easy default small-talk. And it gets me every time. I freeze! I don’t know what to say. My mouth goes dry and my hands all sweaty. And my inner monologue goes nutso:

“Dear LORD, what IS next? Do I have something?! I might have nothing!!! I can’t say that. I can’t admit that OUT LOUD! No no no no no no no. I have something. I must. Ugh...but...ugh...”

And so on.

In reality, I have so much going on. Even if I don’t have anything booked for the upcoming week or even month, I will be auditioning and teaching and working skills that need improvement. 

Unfortunately, answering “What’s next” is a skill that you never get taught in an acting class. I’m gonna try to rectify that, so bear with me. I’ve learned the hard way that the key is preparation.

Be prepared. If you’re going out to mingle with a crowd and you’re wearing your performer hat, do a quick run through with yourself beforehand. Connections and job opportunities happen when you’re socializing so think of it as your own little elevator pitch - about yourself. 

What will this particular crowd be most interested in knowing about you?

What have you been working on lately? 

If you have no upcoming gigs, what would you like to book? 

How are you working on getting there or what advice can someone else give you?

If you’re taking a break for your brother’s wedding (I did this last year) or a vacation with your mom (coming up in October. London baby!!), say so! People want to know that you’re more than just an actor/ singer/ dancer/ pretty face.

I’ll stop there because that should be enough to answer the question and keep the conversation moving along. 

Now get out there and...

Keep Being Awesome,

Laura V Hall

My co-host and I hosting the shit out of the 2018 Prix Rideau Awards. Not pictured: when I was asked “What’s next?” and froze like a scared little bunny. (photo: @prixrideauaward, Twitter)

[wannabeentertainer]

2017: My Year in Review

Before the start of 2018, I reviewed how I spent my time in 2017. It was a very interesting exercise, and I was actually pleasantly surprised at how much I did! 

You see, 2017 was largely about re-establishing myself and figuring out my “new normal”, as I adjusted to anxiety meds and going back to my day job part-time. Although I was able to generally slow down, taking more time for family and friends, lots of exercise, and regular appointments with osteopaths, massage therapists, therapist therapists, and my family doc, I was also able to achieve some pretty cool things creatively. 

Here’s a smattering of the year:

Stage

Re-mount of the Root of all Squares for Fringe 20

Tactics staged reading of When God was Wolf

Ottawa Theatre Challenge

Comedy

Started teaching and coaching improv.

Played with Crush Improv’s Bout Time and with OutTake Improv.

Hosted an all-women’s charity stand-up show and night at the Ottawa Improv Festival.

Finally got to take a Second City course!!

Film

Beginning to film Past Redemption, the web series. 

Creating my last Blip Blork film before going on a hiatus.

Working with a newcomer to the Ottawa film scene on a short, Rageaholic.

Booking several commercials.

Won Emerging Actor Award at Fall Digi60, for Stalled.

Auditions, auditions, auditions

So many auditions, but I am particularly proud of callbacks to the Great Canadian Theatre Company, and a popular Canadian sketch comedy show.

Training

Second City Improv and Stand-up training with Brie Watson.

Acting for Film with Robert Bockstael.

Scene Study with Laurel Smith.

Playwrighting with Daniel McIvor.

Personal Life 

My brother got married!

My husband and I renewed our commitment to each other.

I got to hang with my mom, my nieces and my best buds.

Girl’s weekend!!!!!

Overall, I definitely think I’ve grown and am ready for new challenges in 2018. Do I have a resolution? No. Not really. My plan is just to... 

Keep Being Awesome,

Laura V Hall

[wannabeentertainer]

Wanna give up? Why thinking about quitting is just part of an actor’s job.

Ever think of quitting the acting thing?

Me too. ALL THE TIME.

For every time I feel confident about my skills or that I’ve nailed an audition or that the chemistry was outta this world, I have ten moments, A HUNDRED AND TEN moments of doubt and worry. 

I’m noticing that although these thoughts ease with time, they will never go away. 

And if they do, I’ll be worried. 

Because once those thoughts disappear entirely, it means that I’m either too tired to care or I’ve let my ego get too big. Both are opposite extremes of the spectrum of healthy artist-think that I’ve helpfully turned into a chart because I’m a neerrrdddd who wants to use the power of kittens for good!

This diagram captures the range of emotions I generally feel during auditions (and even when I’ve booked a gig) and it illustrates my thought process around the two dangerous extremes one faces as an artist. Most of these things are not mutually exclusive--you can certainly feel nervous and electrified at the same time--but some are definitely more helpful than others.

Because whether you’re an actor, painter, writer, whatever, every time you present your work to the public it is a risk. You will not gain fame and fortune from everything you put out there, but you do gain the opportunity to feel excited and electrified, which are feelings that most other jobs do not regularly promise.  

We all want to hit The Sweet Spot all the time, but that’s simply not the way it goes. Even when you land a dream role, you will likely waver from one end of the spectrum to the other. Since my goal is to get to that place as often as possible, it means taking care of my mental and physical health. It’s an awesome place, but it’s a demanding one.

For me, the most important thing to remember is: 

THERE’S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO BE AN ARTIST.

I don’t have to be in Broadway shows or starring in Hollywood films to reach The Sweet Spot. 

So yeah, sure, think about quitting, but maybe don’t give up just yet.

Remember what makes this so special and I’ll bet you can find other ways to make it happen. Self-produce, do indie and community productions, take classes. Not getting a part does not make you less of an actor.

Even my day job took 4 years and 4 sets of intensive interviews before I reached my goal. I didn’t give up. I didn’t quit. And now I’ve got a really great gig. 

The same can be achieved with art, but it will never be a linear path. And isn’t that what makes it so special?

Keep Being Awesome,

Laura V Hall

[wannabeentertainer]

Celebrating my last day at Canadian Heritage🍾 #LauraVHall #celebrate #newjob #newstart #ottcity (at The Moonroom)

[wannabeentertainer]

Could it be?! A NEW SUIT for Blip Blork?!? But what happened to the old one?? Keep checking in to find out!! #spacesuit #newduds #unitard #jumpsuit #BlipBlork #LauraVHall

[wannabeentertainer]

My Improvised Life: Want to be a "working actor"? Make it up!

As you all know, I am an actor. And as most of you know, I have a background with improv. 

I've done improv since high school, when I was part of my school's incredible team that competed in the Canadian Improv Games. I highly recommend it for any young person interested in comedy, performance of any kind, public speaking, confidence, fun, and listening and supporting skills that no other type of "team" can ever provide.

And tonight, I kick things up a notch as I start shadowing my friend in comedy adventures, Meghan Murphy, so that I can learn the improv stylings of a most-awesome local school, The Improv Embassy.

Gather round my friends, and I shall tell you the tale of how this all began...

A couple of years ago I was called upon to fill in for a friend who was teaching an improv class.

I’ve always enjoyed teaching. I love researching and putting together lesson plans, and then being able to adapt on the fly based on what the students actually want and need. And I had taught workshops before - when I was a writing tutor in university - but they were all about “How to write an essay” or “How to make a poster using powerpoint (because that’s what your teacher wants. Please in real life, don’t ever make a poster using powerpoint. Hire a designer who has access to the goods)”.

Beyond that though, I wasn't much of a teacher. I was nervous until I was given some great advice from a friend, who said, "Being an expert means you know more than the other people in the room".

And so I did it and I learned that teaching improv IS SUCH A BLAST! You like playing improv?! Teaching it is like playing while riding a friendly unicorn.

But Laura, aren't you trying to be an actor?! Why throw off that path and start teaching?!?!?

Because.

This can complement my acting. Speaking and teaching allow me to continue learning, writing, and force me to interact with people in a positive way. Something that I definitely benefit from. 

The reality is that most actors need some kind of income source to make up for lean times; some have wealthy spouses, others work restaurants and bars, and I’ve always been more of an introvert who likes to research and write. And of course, writing is not exactly the most lucrative business either.

But recently when I was having a dry spell acting-wise and complaining to my agent, she was all, “Why don’t you do some improv classes?” And so I went about developing a class and she hosted and promoted it. I learned so so much from it, and I hope my students did too.

This was Round 2 of the class

And since then it seems like the universe is telling me that this might be my off-season jam. I've been asked to teach several workshops and coach a local team, Yellow Snowpants.

I now have several upcoming classes:

1.       Teen Improv

Who’s got kids? Relatives? Neighbours? I will be leading the upcoming Teen Improv classes at the Ottawa Acting Company.

May 27-June 17

1-3pm

$160

(scroll to the bottom of the page to see my righteous bio)

2.       Improv for Actors

I was invited to hold an improv class for the 2017 Theatre Ontario Festival workshop series. This one focuses more on performance (some experience would be useful), but it’s open to anyone!!

Thursday May 18

1-4pm

3.       Drop-in Classes @ my government workplace

I will be hosting drop-in improv classes for free at work! These classes will be an intro to improv skills that are useful in everyday life – listening, supporting teammates, confidence, public speaking, risk-taking. No performance required. Just fun and games!

Times and dates TBD based on interest.

Likely every second Tuesday from 1-1:45pm

Other cool improv groups and resources in Ottawa:

Crush Improv

The Improv Embassy

Outtake Improv

GRIMprov

Sans Filet

Crystal Basement 

There is so much great improv to do and see in this town. If you haven't tried it, you should.

Keep Being Awesome!!

Laura

[wannabeentertainer]

My Next Challenge: A Musical (or why an actor can never stop training).

As I begin work on my next project, I am incredibly humbled. 

The project is a musical, Miss Shakespeare, and it has been a loooong time since I have done a musical. Or even had to sing publicly. 

Only 12 chances to see me sing! Tickets available here.

I am humbled because going into it I thought, “Oh yeah. A musical. That’ll be easy!”

Guess I forgot how much work goes into learning and perfecting music. Especially harmonies! I haven’t done those in years and years. 

Lucky for me I did some prep. 

Over the past few months I started watching the Christina Aguilera Masterclasses for inspiration. I actually didn’t finish watching all the videos in this series, but it was enough to kick-start my own training and get me thinking about what I wanted to focus on.

When I started taking vocal training, it was all about technique. Problem is, I don’t have a voice like Ms. Aguilera (not many of us do), so technique can only get me so far. I was missing that key ingredient that makes singing fun: learning what makes your voice unique, and learning to love that.

Buuuuut I still had to work on technique. 

Like I said, it had been years since I regularly trained, and since your voice is like any other muscle, without regular exercise, it will be weak and easily injured if you push too hard.

I started putting together a YouTube list of vocal warm-ups that are 8-12 minutes long so I could do them everyday. I managed to find one in particular that I love and go back to again and again. 

The Verba Vocal Technique.

I had stumbled onto one of Anna’s warm-up videos first and quickly discovered she and her partner, Mark, offer up a whole bunch of really great stuff.

Sigh. Anna. You are a goddess.

And it has been paying off!

After only a week of rehearsals I am feeling a million times more confident. It helps to be working with the most supportive and lovely of teams (thank you Robin Guy for once again putting together a kick-ass creative team!!), and I’m getting really excited to get back out there and play with an old skill I thought was lost forever.

Keep being awesome,

Laura V Hall

[wannabeentertainer]

You got the part! Now what? 6 steps to take before your first rehearsal to absolutely nail your dream role.

I was just cast as Blanche duBois in “A Streetcar Named Desire”.

March 21-April 2, 2018 at the Ottawa Little Theatre. Tickets here.

I know. Dream role, right?! It’s challenging emotionally and physically. It’s next level acting shit.

While the audition was certainly not easy, and I did months of prep work, now comes the hard part. Now it’s time to crack open my script and learn how to fully embody this character.

Here’s how I do that.

Establish the character’s overarching objective. Every well-written script will have characters with objectives. Believe it or not, they should have only one. It’s your job to figure out what this is. Your character’s objective is what drives every action and word they take throughout the play. Ask yourself, what do they want? It should be pretty simple. For Blanche in Streetcar, this could be, she wants to go back to the way things were.

Research the time period and/or the socio-economic conditions surrounding the piece. Is there a class system? Where does your character fit in relation to the other characters? Would they normally interact with each other? Can they relate to each other? Don’t go crazy looking into this stuff, but figure out what you can before you begin rehearsing. Once there, the director and rest of the cast can help you determine any gaps in your knowledge. I may or may not have started a Pinterest board to start envisioning the fashion of the time...

Character analysis. Some people think it’s really important to understand everything about a character they’re playing: what colour are their shoe laces, what did they have for breakfast, etc. For me, I want to know what the script tells me and what it doesn’t. I need to know enough to know what drives the character to act in each scene and I like to do a break-down of my relationship with every other character I interact with in the play. I generally find the exercise of comparing characters and analyzing their interactions much more useful than knowing little details. Besides, shoelaces and breakfast are choices for the costume and props department ;)

Accent or physicality work. I begin looking into any vocal or physical traits the character has that are vastly different from my own right away; anything that will need practice to become second nature. One of my favourite parts about acting is the challenge of taking on another person so entirely that I don’t even have to think about it anymore. 

Read read read. I don’t like to memorize anything fully before stepping into the first few rehearsals. What I do want is to be comfortable enough with each scene and the overall arc of my character, that I only need the script for words and not intention. I don’t want to be held back in early rehearsals by hesitations based on not knowing the precise language. I want to be free to explore the space and the relationships first. The words will come very easily once the emotional and physical stuff is second nature. 

Track your questions. Although I never stop asking questions, this is when I am least certain about so many things. I may have an idea of the director’s vision, but at this stage, I don’t know what they’re thinking in terms of costumes or set, if they really want to drive the show or if they’re looking for co-pilots. I don’t know much about my fellow actors unless I’ve worked with them before. Everyone has a different approach and the first few rehearsals are full of anxious growing pains. Do your work, ask your questions and the rest will figure itself out.

What I don’t do at this point:

Memorize

Scene work or beat break-downs

Make decisions about other characters’ stories or intentions

Obsess

I’ll get into what to do before and after rehearsals in another post. For now,

Keep Being Awesome,

Laura V Hall

[wannabeentertainer]

My new headshots are AWESOME (thanks to my creative dream team)!

For the first time in my acting career, I am super duper crazy pleased with my new headshots.

This is largely because I now look at it as an acting “Career”, and not just something I do on the side. Oh, and I have awesome and talented friends :)

Allow me to introduce my dream team:

Maria Vartanova

She’s so beautiful. Sigh.

Maria is a grade-A photographer. We did the shoot at her place with her two adorable white kitties. She always makes me feel comfortable, she collaborates like a dream, and she’s so modest is drives me bonkers! Do a google search for her name and she comes up as Ottawa’s resident theatre photographer. Because she’s so great at capturing lovely, candid moments.

Celeen Mahdavi

Hot Mamma, coming through!

Celeen took the afternoon away from her adorable 1 and 4 year-olds to style my hair. We had actually never met before the shoot, so it was great when she walked in with a great sense of humour and a work ethic that I admire. She is a rockin’ professional lady and I would work with her again any day!

Maissa Houri-Charron

A natural beauty who can kick your ass

I met Maissa a few years ago (already! Time flies) at an acting workshop, and from the moment I saw her, I knew there was something special about her. She was sweet and funny and very obviously a creative soul, and she was very endearing to watch - oh yeah, and she was VERY pregnant. I so admire women who don’t stop working to better themselves when they have children. Maissa couldn’t attend the shoot in person, so we worked together using technology to figure out my make-up for each look. 

And now for the shots!

Classic/Commercial Modelling

Corporate/Professional

Comedy!

Badass

And when I put them all in a row like that, I definitely have “a look”, but whatever. I’m happy with all the shots, and it was a super fun day hanging with some great women.

Keep Being Awesome,

Laura V Hall

[wannabeentertainer]

Living the Artist’s Dream

The past four days have been a veritable Artist’s Dream. 

Filming an intense scene and an extreme close-up for Past Redemption (photo cred: Sofia Delgado)

I’ve had:

A teaching gig. Subbing for the Teen Improv Class at the Ottawa Acting Company.

An audition. For a locally-filmed commercial.

An all day (and I mean ALL DAY) film shoot for Past Redemption.

A Play Reading. A full feedback sesh for my work-in-progress play.

It should have been a huge ego boost. Right? 

I love teaching, and the class was adorable and wonderful. Very engaged and eager to learn. 

Auditioning is getting easier every time, and I didn’t even blink at the fact that they handed me new sides about 2 minutes before going into the room. In fact, I thrive on last-minute changes and improvisation! Bring it on.

Keaton and I, celebrating post-audition

We filmed most of the scenes featuring my character for Past Redemption, meaning the focus was on me the whole day. I wasn’t intimidated though. And that felt great. I do, however, still find it strange when people call me “The Talent” or “The Star” (which has happened on film and commercial sets and it just feels so very wrong). 

And my play reading was a vulnerability minefield, but my friends were amazing and brought it to life in such a vibrant way. And then they showered me with useful critical feedback as well as positivity and support.

The reading aftermath

So you can see why I should have an inflated ego.

Instead, I feel at home. 

A feeling I don’t have very often. Being able to actually really enjoy every moment because it was where I am supposed to be. Not striving for the next project, or putting in my time because it’s the “right thing to do”. Not overanalyzing my audition or teaching experience. Just letting it be.

And loving every second of it :)

Just good times and good friends.

Until next time,

Keep Being Awesome

Laura V Hall

[wannabeentertainer]

How I learned to plan for the future so I could live in the present (part one...)

I am a perpetual planner. I can’t help myself. I love to know what’s going to happen next. I don’t do well with surprises unless I know they’re coming.

Oh creepy roller coaster, you are a metaphor for life

I’ve found that when I know where I’m starting and where I expect to end up, it’s easier to handle bumps along the way. And like the proverbial roller coaster ride of life, the unexpected middle bits make the journey fun and interesting. 

To use another metaphor, in the wise words of Dave Morris, in the game of life, “Rules free us up to improvise...by giving ourselves these constrictions that guide our impulses it funnels our creative process into some kind of product”. Without rules, i.e. self-imposed guidelines and goals, I would constantly be floundering or jumping from project to project, never truly excelling at any of them.

As Dave suggests, I use a few techniques to keep my creative impules on track. In this post, I’ll take you through the thinky, theoretical part of my process: making goals.

Or, what I consider the first step towards successfully navigating your life path by ensuring that you make active, conscious choices that can carry you through the rough parts you weren’t expecting. And although part one is actually pretty simple, many of us get caught up in our “I just need to get through this day so I can make a buck and feed myself”, to take the time to decide what we really want.  

Part two will cover the practical side, including the tools I use to guide my creative impulses and make things happen.

Before we can get there, however, you need to know how the heck do I even know what those creative impulses are! Which brings me to part one:

Develop goals for yourself as a professional and for your own personal growth 

I’ve always known it’s important to have a clear idea of big picture career goals, but I’ve never been very good at actually writing them out, contemplating them and monitoring my progress. In my readings and many musings with friends and colleagues over the past few months, I’ve discovered part of my issue was that I was missing the core element: Personal Goals. 

How can I know what I want in a career, if I don’t even know what I want out of life?

So I started asking myself, what do I value? What kind of person do I want to be? How do I want others to perceive me?

And as much as this is about discovering your “personal brand”, it helps define the rules of the game, keeping everything more focused - and in a world of nearly unlimited options and information, this is a definite necessity.  

After much deliberation, I’ve been able to define my life goals as the following:

Personal

Nurture relationships with friends and family

Maintain mental and physical health

Professional

Creative Writing

Acting/Live performance

Teaching/Coaching

In Both

Be Intentional

Show Gratitude

Be Present

I was amazed at how much easier it became to choose projects by taking the time to define what is most important and how I want future me to spend her time. 

I’m new to this so I expect some bumps along the way, but I’m confident that if I hang on tight and trust my rules, the roller coaster game of mixed metaphors will produce something I could never have imagined in the first place. 

Keep Being Awesome,

Laura V Hall

Some useful resources

Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic and the book here

Fran Hewitt, The Power of Focus for Women 

Julia Cameron’s, The Artist’s Way

Patricia Ryan Madison, Improv Wisdom

[wannabeentertainer]

7 Reasons Why Travel is Essential for Artists

I just got back from a trip to the UK. London, Bath, Stratford-Upon-Avon and Edinburgh in 2 weeks with me Mum. 

It was amazing. We saw and did so much, but I have to admit, it was hard to take time away. Acting opportunities can come up at any time and I never want to miss out on anything. And I did. I missed a couple potential gigs, the chance to attend the Fresh Meat Festival and other things I tried not to pay attention to.

But in this game, if you dwell on “what might have been” you will drive yourself crazy. So I’m choosing to look at what I learned from this trip, because upon reflection, I learned a lot. 

Here’s my list of the 7 key take-aways:

Take a Break from Work. We hear this all the time: North Americans don’t take enough vacation time. And I am so so guilty of this. I usually use my vacation days to work acting gigs and rarely use my time to take in what’s around me. Planning to travel forces you to stop working for a little while.

Live Life. I’ve talked about filling up the creative well before. You have to live life in order to create it through your art. Spend time with family, go to museums, sit around in a park and read a book or just sip some tea and people watch.  

See How Others Do It. I’m always curious to see comedy in other cities, and I grew up adoring British humour, so I had to check out some stand-up and/or improv while in London. Lucky for me, I managed to find a show that combined the two at the Nursery Theatre in Shorditch. And while the comedy fodder was much the same as in my community, the delivery methods were not. I laughed, I learned, I got a new book on longform improv. What more could a girl want?

Get It From the Source. I also knew that I had to check out some Shakespeare in the UK, and got tickets to see Othello at the Globe Theatre and Troilus and Cressida with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Both were amazing in their own ways. Othello is a classic and it was done in a classical setting with very little props, simple costume and set, and performed open-air in the daytime so no lights. The emphasis was placed on the acting and the poetic text, as well as the interpretation of the story. So many little nuances and comedic bits were created through breaking the fourth wall and through background actors playing a significant role by dancing, singing and playing instruments to keep up the pace. Troilus and Cressida was almost the exact opposite. Because the script is actually pretty dry and mostly about political strategies rather than emotional connections between people, the RSC relied heavily on the most spectacular set and sound and lighting design I have ever seen. It was a Mad Max style setting, which my mother adored, and I admired, although it was a bit too much for me at times. Overall, they both provided so much inspiration for me as I prepare to dig into King Lear at the Gladstone in a couple months.

Unexpected Experiences. I was blown away by the tour guides and buskers in the UK. Over our two week stay, we had several tours on buses and in castles, and got to see some top-notch street performers trying to get a buck or two with music. And these were not canned acts. They rivalled many of the professional comedians and performers I’ve seen. These are people who just love to do it and who obviously have worked very hard at honing their craft. So impressive.

New Learning Material. I’m always on the hunt for new learning resources as I expand my craft and seek to teach new skills to others. It’s always possible to find teaching material online, but it has so much more meaning when it’s tied to your own experiences.

Expand Your World. Everything listed above culminates in the ultimate reason for travel, artist or not: it expands your worldview. You see new things, eat new food, meet new people and learn more than your brain can handle.

I realize that most artists are poor and travel can seem like a fantasy, but it is not. I saved and planned for years to make this trip happen. Do the research, ask around and talk to locals to find the best deals and determine what is really important to you.

Now get out there and keep being awesome.

Laura V Hall