Author: Miranda Martin

  • One Year Into the Pandemic, Self Care is Still Important

    AKA, just because we’ve become “used to” the pandemic and aren’t living in “shock mode” anymore, doesn’t mean we should slack off on self-care and giving ourselves a break every once in a while.

    We’re officially one year into the pandemic, and though it’s become our collective “new normal,” that doesn’t mean it’s really been normal at all. For a full year now we’ve been dealing with our lives, relationships, hobbies and careers being completely derailed, and we don’t just have to be okay with that.

    In fact, it’s valid to be upset about it, even a year later when the shock’s worn off. Yes, the changes we’ve made (like locking down when needed, for example) have been necessary to saving lives (which is a good thing), but that doesn’t mean we can’t still be mourning for what we’ve lost/our “regular” lives pre-pandemic.

    I’d say, actually, that one year in, it’s more important now than ever before to practice regular self-care, and as always I will add— self-care is not selfish.

    I’ve posted this photo before, but I believe in this message wholeheartedly and it’s nice to remind you all: self-care isn’t selfish!

    I’ve posted this photo before, but I believe in this message wholeheartedly and it’s nice to remind you all: self-care isn’t selfish!

    Simple ways to practice pandemic self-care

    So, what is self-care and why should we practice it? That’s a two part answer: self-care is anything that makes you feel good about yourself, or relaxed and refreshed (as long as its not at the expense of others), and we should practice it because the old adage “you can’t pour from an empty cup” happens to be 100% true.

    Self-care can be anything from curling up with a good book (while ignoring those emails for an hour or two— trust me, the world will not end if you unplug for a moment), to exercising regularly to meditating to, well, whatever makes you feel your best. Don’t stress or place too much emphasis on having a perfect “self-care” routine; that defeats the purpose. Just do what makes you feel good, spending time prioritizing yourself and your own needs for a moment or two (even during a busy day or work week.)

    In the spirit of keeping this short-and-sweet, I’ll leave it at this; just because we’ve become sort of numb to this topsy-turvy-anything-but-okay pandemic world doesn’t mean we should stop prioritizing our mental health and wellbeing. Self-care is NOT SELFISH, and it’s more important to practice it today than ever before, IMO.

    Xoxo, MM.

  • It’s a Good Time to be a Content Creator

    With the film and TV industry roaring back, it’s a great time to be a digital content creator focused in entertainment (and lifestyle, for other reasons), as well as a creative— perhaps for the first time in a long time.

    This pandemic taught me one thing (among many) very early on— the ability to work from home is a privilege, period. The fact that content creation (mostly in the digital space, like at my day-job for Comcast NBCU or here on Miranda Muses) can be done digitally and is perfect for the new-era brand of “digital nomadism” that’s sweeping the globe is a lucky break for writers and content creators no matter how you slice it, and now is as good a time as ever to get into content creation (or creative work, in general) if you’ve ever wanted to do so.

    Digital content creation: writing and blogging

    In addition to film and TV content (which we’ll talk about shortly), humans in the modern-age are always looking for digital content. Be it an article, a blog, a TikTok video, an Instagram post or Reel, a Facebook story, etc. etc. etc., people in the modern age are always looking for content to consume. That said, writing as well as other forms of content creation in the digital space are some of the best careers one could go into at present.

    The pandemic shifted user’s focus to an even more digital-led perspective, leading to massive hikes in traffic for many websites, huge lifts in viewership of TikTok and YouTube video content, and beyond. For example: instead of traveling last summer (which users weren’t able to do in most cases due to the always-present threat of COVID-19), reading or watching videos, tell-alls, etc. about travel became the ultimate mode of escape. Digital became a temporary bandage for reality, and while reality seems to be coming back in full-force, that doesn’t mean content will now be rendered useless, because…

    What a typical, work-from-home day looks like for me. I love my day-job and my side-gig (acting/directing) jobs, and I’m always open to discussing them with anyone who has any questions about jobs in the writing/content creation fields!

    What a typical, work-from-home day looks like for me. I love my day-job and my side-gig (acting/directing) jobs, and I’m always open to discussing them with anyone who has any questions about jobs in the writing/content creation fields!

    Digital content creation: arts and entertainment

    … The film and TV industries are making a roaring come-back, along with the rest of life. From live-music to film and TV and beyond, arts and entertainment are coming back, and content + entertainment have always gone hand-in-hand.

    Think about it: film and TV are content. They have to be written, produced, directed, acted, filmed, and so on and so forth— and that alone creates a plethora of job opportunities. However, it doesn’t stop there— one thing users (even before the digital age) have always enjoyed reading/digesting content about is, you guessed it, entertainment. I mean, come on, I wasn’t the only one reading everything from TV Guide to People Magazine as a kid to keep up with what Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were doing, right?

    My point is this— content creation and creative pursuits in general often get cast-aside by young people looking to break into a career, typically in favor of science and mathematics (read: STEM) related jobs. However, it may be time we re-think our career paths and priorities, and allow creatives the freedom to go in pursuit of these creative jobs, which I believe will be in high demand for many years to come, pandemic or not.

    So, is there a creative job in content or in arts/entertainment in general you’d like to pursue? Let’s discuss,

    Xoxo, MM.

  • Are Festivals Really Coming Back?

    And is it corny that I have butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it?

    Lately I’ve seen lineups dropping for this fall. Yes, this fall, as in fall 2021, and at first (not gonna’ lie), I was skeptical. However, with the recent up-shoot in vaccine production and uptake, it looks like herd immunity might be well on the way by late-summer 2021… and festivals might be soon to follow.

    Firefly Festival 2019, living my best liiiiiife!

    Firefly Festival 2019, living my best liiiiiife!

    Why we need festivals to keep existing, when it’s safe, in some form

    Putting personal reasons aside for a moment (I’ll get to those next, of course), let’s just face the facts— the live music industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, which employs thousands upon thousands of individuals per year. From musicians to technicians to roadies to venue owners to promoters to custodians to security to literally everything else it takes to pull off live music (especially a large, multi-day festival event), the festival industry being axed for the last year and a half has put many, many people out of work indefinitely. Though it’s not safe now to gather in a festival format (though some outdoor, drive-in shows have had moderate success), festivals being on an indefinite moratorium is not sustainable.

    When you displace that many jobs from your economy and cannot replace them, what are people supposed to do? From a sheer financial POV, festivals generate revenue beyond belief each festival season (in the US, typically late-spring to early-fall), which cannot be replaced by live-stream or other “virtual” events at the same scale.

    Now, for personal reasons (and I have many)— we need festivals to continue existing in some form, because they are the single best way to experience multiple musicians (both ones you know and ones you’ve yet to discover) in an accessible setting over a period of time. Festivals are typically incredibly well-planned and executed (well, excluding that Fyre Festival fiasco— thanks, Ja Rule), and they allow music-fans from all genres and creeds to come together in a well set-up place to experience multiple acts across multiple stages all while having access to food, water, and general comfort amenities, and that’s important. You can literally start at 11 AM at most festivals, hanging out in the lawn and watching “smaller” (AKA, your next new favorite band!) play before lunch, and spend the entire day exploring until the headliners play, on the same stages, in the same setting.

    What’s more, festivals are notorious for their communities, and some festivals I’ve been to have some of the best communities (and the most fun activities to stimulate your mind and open your heart, as hippie-dippy as that may sound) I’ve ever had the pleasure of engaging with. Festivals like Okeechobee in Florida, for example, have a tight-knit community, complete with Facebook groups and massive coordinated campsites, that you can immerse yourself in and feel at home in. I could go on and on forever about our neighbors at certain festivals and how close we’ve gotten to some of them (we attended the wedding of a couple we met at Firefly Festival 2018, for example), but the best way to learn about these communities is to experience them for yourselves, and if festivals don’t come back, you’ll never have the pleasure— and that really breaks my heart.

    Overall, I have hope that some festivals may be on the horizon for later in 2021— and you can be assured that if my husband and I are fully vaccinated by then, you’ll quite likely see us at more than one of them.

    What do you miss most about festivals? Have you ever been to a festival? If so, what are your favorite festivals, both big and small? Let’s discuss,

    Xoxo, MM.

  • Looking Ahead: US Travel Destinations on Our List for Spring/Summer 2021

    It’s finally a reality— our families are vaccinated, and we should be soon, too. That said, my head has been spinning with all the fun, unique places we can visit in the United States alone this spring and summer (once safety precautions allow), and I wanted to share some of our spring/summer 2021 travel plans with you all! Let’s dive in—

    New Orleans, Louisiana: A Unique Southern City

    Since I’m a huge Anne Rice and American Horror Story fan, I’ve always wanted to visit New Orleans. From the unique creole cultural infusion to the Voodoo and Vampire history, New Orleans is a magical southern city unlike any other in the country.

    Andrew and I plan to visit this spring, and there are some top-line destinations I’d love to hit on our tour, including:

    • St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

    • The French Quarter (including Café du Monde and other famous eateries)

    • Bourbon Street (but just, for like, a second since it seems a little crazy!)

    • Anne Rice’s old home

    • The Mississippi River

    • The outlying swamps

    … and beyond!

    We can’t wait to visit this magical, food-and-fun-famous southern city.

    Duck, North Carolina: Back to our Favorite Town in the Outerbanks

    Ah, Duck. A town we’ve been to before, Duck, NC is by far one of our favorite summer retreats. From the beautiful beach and sound-side sunsets to the small-town neighborhood flair (um, hello to our favorite small businesses Duck Donuts and The Roadside Bar!), you cannot go wrong with a summer vacation to Duck.

    Staying in our cousins’ rental home has been the best experience for us, but a condo can also be a great lodging choice if you don’t find a rental home that meets all your needs. Lion in the Sun is the house we prefer to stay in, and it’s downright amazing— steps away from the beach and minutes away from our favorite shopping and dining, Duck, NC is always such an easy vacation in terms of being able to get around, do what we want, and simply enjoy ourselves.

    In addition to these two southern, east-coast locales, we’d love to visit more National Parks out west, explore more of our home state (the wild and wonderful West Virginia, of course), and beyond— because truly, the United States is a massive country with so very much to offer in the way of domestic travel.

    So, where do you want to go once it’s safe to travel around the country? Any summer destinations hot on your list? Let’s discuss!

    Xoxo, MM.

  • A (Sort of) Bougie Birthday Weekend

    Okay, so, the title of this post is mostly a joke, but it was hard to not feel a little like royalty with my family and friends spoiling me so much this birthday weekend. Let’s dive right in to the deets, shall we?

    My 25th birthday weekend: what we did

    The weekend kicked off with family (who’ve been vaccinated now— yay!) baking me a cake, getting me some adorable “25” foil balloons, and the most thoughtful cards. I was particularly touched at the cards both my mom and step-dad as well as my dad and step-mom got me, which were super emotional and hard-hitting in terms of content (yes, we’re big card people so we actually read them and pay a lot of attention to the messages inside; words are important, y’all!)

    Then, on my actual birthday (Saturday, March 6th) Andrew and I partook in a stay-cation with our #quaranteam at The Greenbrier Resort in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. That’s when the fun, bougie-on-a-budget atmosphere really kicked in, with a fun dip in the pool, a Gucci themed birthday cake, and bottles of bubbly (of course!)

    Bad and bougie with my quaranteam ladies for my 25th!

    Bad and bougie with my quaranteam ladies for my 25th!

    What I wore

    It wouldn’t be a #bougie birthday without a special outfit the occasion, so I wore the one and only nice clothing item I’ve ever purchased for myself: a Gucci bodysuit/swimsuit that I treated myself with a couple months ago, but decided to save for this special day!

    So, that’s the long and short of it, but I definitely felt like a queen on my 25th birthday and I’m so thankful for all the calls, texts, messages and more I received that just added to my special day! I’m so lucky to have so many awesome people in my life and on my team; I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

    Until next birthday (and hoping for many, many more),

    Xoxo, MM.

  • When Anxiety Comes Knocking (And Just Won’t Stop)

    I’m sitting here, typing away on my laptop, when all of the sudden I realize— wow, I am incredibly on edge today. As part of my OCD and clinical depression diagnosis, bouts of mild-to-severe anxiety aren’t at all uncommon or even unexpected in my day-to-day life, but every time they hit they hit hard.

    Today is one of those days. I’m a few days out from my birthday, which I thought would elevate my mood this week, but here we are. The anxiety has come knocking, and I feel like I am doing everything in the world incorrectly and that everything is going wrong. But, here’s the thing— that isn’t true. Anxiety is a notorious liar, and some of the lies it tells me (or you, or anyone) can be dispelled with some positive self-talk and moments of reflection. Here’s what I mean:

    I wish I felt this “sunshine-y” all the time, but I definitely don’t always feel so great. However, it’s worth remembering who I am and what I’m worth even on the worst of my anxiety days. (Photo: Sheena Pendley DP)

    I wish I felt this “sunshine-y” all the time, but I definitely don’t always feel so great. However, it’s worth remembering who I am and what I’m worth even on the worst of my anxiety days. (Photo: Sheena Pendley DP)

    Your anxiety is lying to you.

    Your anxiety is a liar. Repeat that again: your anxiety is a liar. If your anxiety behaves anything like mine, it may tell you things like, “You aren’t loved,” or, “You are worthless.” It may surprise some (the bubbly, extroverted person that I am) that I get negative thought-storms like this at times, but I most definitely do. The best tip a therapist ever taught me, however, is that in order to cope with such thoughts (and dispel them) we must remember that these thoughts, no matter how intrusive, simply aren’t true. Anxiety may fill up your brain with its relentless fury, but that doesn’t mean it knows what it’s talking about or is telling the truth— in fact, as I stated above, anxiety is a liar and often these negative thought-loops we get stuck in aren’t at all based in reality.

    It’s important to remember what is real when we’re dealing with anxiety symptoms. Your anxiety may tell you lies, but grounding yourself in a quick, reassuring conversation with a loved one (even via text or over the phone) or reminding yourself who you are and how much you’re worth can, in my experience, take the edge off.

    I don’t have a cure-all for anxiety symptoms— I’m medicated and generally doing well most of the time, but even my anxiety symptoms kick my butt occasionally. However, I do find it comforting to know that I can assert to myself (and my anxious mind) that anxiety is lying to me and the reality of my “panic” thoughts are never as bad as they seem. Other coping mechanisms I’ve found helpful (other than trying to ground myself in rational thought + reassuring conversation with loved ones) include the tried and true “disengage” tactics— just taking a break, taking deep breaths, anything that gets my mind to slow down and stop moving for a minute or so tends to be super helpful.

    That said, I don’t have all the answers, but I wanted to share this today to reassure everyone else dealing with anxiety symptoms that they 1.) aren’t alone and 2.) don’t have to listen to their anxious thoughts, which tend to lie to us and make us feel less than what we truly are. Do you all have any anxiety coping tips that tend to help on particularly rough days? Let’s discuss, and hang in there, all.

    Xoxo, MM.

  • Fayetteville, WV: The “Coolest Small Town” Close to Home

    I often share information around mine and my husband’s travels, but I’ve never fully dedicated a blog post to the amazing, wild and wonderful small-town-turned-tourist-hot-spot that is Fayetteville, West Virginia.

    Fayetteville is one of my favorite places on earth; seriously, I grew up only 15 minutes away from it and most of my time spent exploring the mountains and New River (as well as cool, local-flavor cafés and restaurants) in high school occurred there. When we returned to West Virginia for an extended stay-cation during the pandemic, Fayetteville once again became one of mine and Andrew’s go-to spots for hiking, swimming, and wining and dining, and here’s why—

    Fayetteville, WV portrait photograph by the lovely local photographer Sheena Pendley.

    Fayetteville, WV portrait photograph by the lovely local photographer Sheena Pendley.

    Fayetteville, West Virginia: things to do

    Fayetteville, WV is a summer tourism hot-spot, namely for its incredible hiking trails of all skill levels and lengths, including the famous Long Point and Kaymoor Top trails, among others. The National Park Service lays out information around these incredible trails, and in my experience you can do them time and time again (and in all seasons!) and never tire of them. Some take you to beautiful overlooks and others to secluded swimming holes (which we always enjoy taking a dip in on sweltering summer days!), as well as to certain rock-climbing access routes and beyond. There are even shorter, paved trails with accessibility features built-in; seriously, there’s something for everyone to do outdoors in and around Fayetteville, West Virginia!

    A view of the New River Gorge National River from Beauty Mountain Trailhead; photo by Sheena Pendley.

    A view of the New River Gorge National River from Beauty Mountain Trailhead; photo by Sheena Pendley.

    After a long day of hiking, rafting, or climbing, local flavor eateries are just the thing to do in and around town. My favorite local eateries in Fayetteville that offer the most unique atmospheric venues and incredible dishes include Cathedral Café (my absolute favorite brunch and lunch spot), and Pies & Pints.

    Cathedral Café is a gorgeous, intimate eatery that features a full-service espresso bar, a smoothie and juicing station, and a full-service kitchen serving some of the best brunch-and-lunchy eats for miles. Pies & Pints, on the other hand, serves up dinner dishes fit for a perfect date night or evening out with friends, such as whole gourmet pizza pies, local craft brews, and more. Either way, you cannot go wrong with these unique, diverse eateries (and many others in town, like Secret Sandwich Society and The Grove, which are currently under reconstruction after an unfortunate kitchen fire— I definitely hope to see them back soon, as they’re another one of my favorite eatery-and-bar combos in the area!)

    Another Sheena Pendley portait of me, taken upstairs in the cool, intimately beautiful Cathedral Café.

    Another Sheena Pendley portait of me, taken upstairs in the cool, intimately beautiful Cathedral Café.

    Fayetteville, WV: places to stay

    Fayetteville, WV and the surrounding area also hosts some of the best adventure-oriented resorts in the state IMHO, including Adventures on the Gorge and ACE Adventure Resort, both of which offer lodging and adventure packages to guests at honestly unbeatable rates. Here are some photos from our stay last summer in a beautiful cabin at ACE, complete with a hot tub and secluded deck area that made for a really peaceful, serene summer stay:

    ace1.jpg

    Glowin’ in the summer sun in beautiful West Virginia. This was the most relaxing weekend ever, honestly!

    Glowin’ in the summer sun in beautiful West Virginia. This was the most relaxing weekend ever, honestly!

    There are so many more things that make Fayetteville, WV the most beautiful and entertaining spot in the state in my opinion, and this post barely scratches the surface of all you can explore there. Visit the city website to learn more, and pay a visit for yourself to see all this cool small-town has to offer in the beautiful hills of Wild & Wonderful West Virginia!

    Xoxo, MM.

  • On My Last Month of Being 24

    It’s almost here! My birthday, that is. Birthdays are the one time of the year you get to celebrate being uniquely you, and I think that’s alway special. I make a big deal out of everyone’s birthday, not just my own (lol), and everyone who knows me knows this to be true. That said, I also tend to do a lot of reflection around the time of my own birthday, and since it’s less than a month away (and Pisces season is encroaching, which also makes me very reflective, I think) I have some thoughts to share on what I’ve learned thus far—

    Spending my 24th year in the midst of a pandemic— what I learned

    On March 6th, 2020, I was in Florida (specifically: at Okeechobee Music Festival) celebrating my birthday with my husband and our close friend Nina. Merely seven days later, I was told to leave my office and begin working from home “for a few weeks” (ha!) in the face of growing uncertainty around the virus SARS-CoV-2 and the disease known as COVID-19. Needless to say, what happened next was the emergence of a global pandemic, months spent in lockdown, etc. My 24th year started off, well, not so great.

    Me, celebrating my birthday just before the world went wacky last year at Okeechobee Music Festival in beautiful Okeechobee, Florida.

    Me, celebrating my birthday just before the world went wacky last year at Okeechobee Music Festival in beautiful Okeechobee, Florida.

    However, over the last year, I learned valuable lessons in both coping and being adaptable. We left our home due to this pandemic, which was more difficult than I can explain. We haven’t been to our offices or seen many of our friends in a whole year. We had to learn how to celebrate life’s littlest joys, rather than celebrating life in big ways at music festivals with our friends (which is what we’d usually spend much of the year doing.) We had to learn how to cope with bad news and crushing sadness, and find some semblance of joy (for the sake of our own sanity) in the middle of it all. And you know what? We did it.

    I saw “we” because, truly, I couldn’t have done it without my husband, Andrew. My 24th year brought our third year of marriage along with it, and though we married young, I am more sure now than ever before that he is my rock. He’s my best friend. He’s the one consistent human being I can count on, even when the world throws us a curveball as big and as unexpected as a global pandemic. This year I learned how to love him in new ways, and I’m forever thankful for how close we’ve come (even when everything else fell apart around us.)

    Melodramatic, maybe. But it’s true. Year 24 taught me how to celebrate, love, and express myself in new ways despite myself and my own fear and sadness, and that is a lesson I’ll not soon forget.

    Turning 25— what I want to learn this year

    This year, I do expect things to get better (naysayers and ne’er-do-wells be darned, lol) and I have much to learn about coming back to myself, my work, and expanding in new and exciting ways. This year I want to work harder, build back better, and reach higher. I want to book more film and television jobs. I want to get promoted, or at least grow in some significant way, in my day-job. I want to travel again, if possible. I want to see more of the world. I want to learn to love my husband, my friends, and my family in new, exciting, and uncharted ways. I want to open myself to all of the good things. I want to allow and accept them. Simply put, that’s all I want this year; those two statements, in bold, no matter what life throws at me.

    25th.jpeg

    Nearly 25, shorter (and messier?) hair, heart and mind a little more open, learning and healing, all that jazz. 🙂

    Who really knows what life is going to teach me this year? As evidenced by the last year of my life, clearly— and to quote the late and great Jim Morrison— “the future’s never certain, and the end is always near.” So, with that said, I guess that’s what I want my 25th year to be; a celebration of life in the face of uncertainty, and living each day to the fullest (since tomorrow is never, ever guaranteed.) Cheers to (almost) 25 years, y’all!

    Xoxo, MM.

  • Motivating on a (Work from Home) Monday

    Ugh, Monday— it’s cliché, but for some reason they really are the absolute worst. For those of us who work a 9-5 Monday-to-Friday schedule, the “Sunday Scaries” and the “Monday Blues” are all too real. That said, I thought working from home (and being able to sleep in a little later, or do an in-home workout before logging on since I really only have to put on sweatpants anymore, etc.) would be “easier”— but oh, how I miscalculated that one.

    Working from home hasn’t made Monday any easier, and at times I actually find it can be harder to self-motivate on a WFH Monday morning. That said, I’ve always had some tips and tricks to get through the Monday Blues and start the week on a high-note, and I wanted to share them with you all.

    Beating the Monday Blues: good music, for starters!

    This may seem like a no-brainer, but having a playlist full of upbeat music that you love to kickstart your Monday can truly make a difference when it comes to waking up and getting energized. For example, I have two playlists I often like to turn on before work (especially on a Monday), called “Let’s Have an Awesome Day!” and “BOSS” (lame, I know lol!), respectively.

    While I pour my coffee in the mornings I put my headphones in, tune the world out, and let the music of power-pop power-houses like Lady Gaga, JUSTICE, Robyn, etc. give me some motivation through their upbeat melodies. Who says the club can’t go up on a Monday?… In your kitchen…? While you sip coffee in your pajamas…? No one, says I!

    (Bonus: upbeat music is a must be even nostalgic, alt-rock hits like “Fell in Love with a Girl” by the White Stripes— for example— can help get your blood pumping and get you moving and grooving, even on a gloomy Monday morning.)

    If I dress like it’s a music festival every day, it totally can be, right?

    If I dress like it’s a music festival every day, it totally can be, right?

    A lunch-break you can look forward to

    This also seems like a no-brainer, but do you pack a more exciting lunch (or make a more exciting lunch, for those still working remote like me) on Mondays? I’ve found that starting my week off with a dish I’m excited about (taking my lunch break to take the time to make something new and fun I bought ingredients for over the weekend, or even diving into those Sunday dinner leftovers that are somehow even better a day later) makes the morning go by faster, giving me something of a “treat” to look forward to mid-day. It may seem simple, but I guess tricking my brain with food is a good way to get it to create more dopamine and serotonin (which both wake you up, keep you alert, and regulate your mood.)

    Does food do this to anyone else? Anyone? I can’t be the only one who thinks hours in advance about the delicious meal I’m going to devour later, right? … Anyone?

    My friend Mallory made this spiced baked-ziti for us at a dinner party once, and I think about it all the time. So. GOOD.

    My friend Mallory made this spiced baked-ziti for us at a dinner party once, and I think about it all the time. So. GOOD.

    So, do you have any other tips and tricks to beat a serious case of the Mondays? Let’s discuss!

    Xoxo, MM.

  • Making Movies with Your Friends (AKA, Actors Deciding Their Own Destiny)

    If you’re like me and you’ve gone from the world of stage-acting (how I was trained in school, classes outside of school at professional theatres in Philly, etc.) to film-acting (because you LOVE it, and they really aren’t all that different), you may be discouraged at the “dry spells” that occur between film shoots. A great way to combat this? Write your own stuff and film it.

    A screenshot from our film ‘Adrian,’ available to stream now on Vimeo.

    A screenshot from our film ‘Adrian,’ available to stream now on Vimeo.

    A director once told me that’s (in his opinion) the best way for an actor to decide their own destiny, and after trying it for myself I couldn’t agree more. After writing, directing and acting in my own short film (‘Adrian’, which you can watch here) I booked twice the amount of film, TV and commercial auditions I’d been booking before (thanks, new demo reel!) and learned so much about being on the other side of the camera; an invaluable lesson, especially during the COVID-era, when work-from-home and self-tape style acting has become more popular.

    Want to know more about how I wrote, directed and acted in my own film and the direct benefits I gained? Then read on, fellow thespians.

    Writing, directing, and acting in my own film (with awesome industry friends!)

    First of all, screenwriting is something I’ve studied for years. Somewhat for fun, then more seriously in college + on my own time, screenwriting is a field I’m extremely passionate about. That said, I took the spark of an idea I got in 2018 and turned it into my first short-film script (yay, ‘Adrian’!) using the super-helpful screenwriting tool CeltX. CeltX allows you to write screenplays in the correct format via their free template (since formatting can be especially hard for beginners!), organize up to three projects at a time (and more if you pay for premium), and so on. It’s a ridiculously valuable tool and I use it for all of my screenwriting needs now.

    However, having a script alone does not a movie make! The next step is networking, hiring other artists (like videographers, editors, etc), or getting professional film equipment for yourself. In my case, I have awesome, creative friends who helped me network with local, Louisville, KY-based videographer and editor Jonah Dyer (DyerVisuals) to get the thing filmed, and that helped me so much with setting up scenes, general filmography needs (boom mics and other audio tips, etc), acting as extras, etc. Other than that? I booked who I needed via a typical self-tape audition process after putting out a casting call online (social media works for something informal, but I’d submit to Backstage or Actors Access for something more professional/paid work) and we were all set.

    The actual filming process was so much fun when it came down to it; choosing and working with other creatives you’ve hand-picked to be a part of your process makes it so enjoyable. I’ve been on film-sets with giants and legends (Brian Kirk, Jason Segel, and the like) and though I learned a lot in those situations, having full creative freedom when working on my own film with friends and associates in a tight-knit circle was so liberating. I was allowed to fail, learn what doesn’t work, do better, learn what does work, and that process taught me more than I could ever explain. The difference between your first and second film is astronomical just from what you learn along the way (and if you don’t believe, watch an early Hitchcock film vs. a later one— yeah, it’s a big learning curve, y’all.)

    Sometimes making your own short horror film requires you to lay on the cold, wet forest ground and “play dead,” right?

    Sometimes making your own short horror film requires you to lay on the cold, wet forest ground and “play dead,” right?

    What did making my own movie do for me as an actor, professionally?

    Good question, reader. More than anything, creating my own work allowed me to film during a dry-spell and add to my demo reel, which everyone knows is the actors’ key to booking any kind of professional film or TV work. Before having sufficient material for a demo-reel I booked maybe 1/5 of the auditions I applied for (and then, as all actors know, you book like 15-25% of the auditions you go out for, if that sometimes lol), but now? With a more sufficient demo-reel (using clips from a comedy sketch, some drama/monologue clips from ‘Adrian’, and some simple movement/modeling-style clips from a couple music videos I’ve been in) I actually book about 4/5 of every audition I apply for. That’s a big difference, and even my husband (who helps me make all my self-tape auditions) has noticed.

    Sorry I didn’t get super technical here with the actual art and process of filmmaking (one, I’m still learning that myself and two, I’ll save that for another time because there’s so much I could say,) but the moral of the story is this— if you have a great idea, don’t wait on others to get it done. Go for it. Try it. CrowdFund for it. OpenSource it. Just DO IT. It’s worth it, and in acting it’s a great way to try out new types of roles you’ve not typically booked and, as a result, carve your own niche in a sometimes quite limiting industry.

    Until next time,

    Xoxo, MM.