YOLO

Here's the deal people.

I LOVE food. Who doesn't? If you can honestly sit there and say "yeah, food is okay. I guess I'll eat it, if it's keeping me alive and all" then you should jump off a cliff. No, really, because there are plenty of people who can not afford to think that way. Also, jump off a cliff for being so fuckin selfish and rude to say that! Rant. Over. Now.

Back to what I was saying, I LOVE food. and I LOVE to eat. Who am I kidding? I try to ride my bike everywhere just so I have an excuse to eat more food, because it's delicious. Flavors, who knew they could give you orgasms! Anyway, I bring this up because it amazes me how much people throw away and take for granted in LA, and other places in the world of course. Thin is ALWAYS in here in Hollywood and success is granted by the inches you lose. It really is amazing. Now, I'm not small, by any means. I'm also not big. I'm a good average. Maybe even a little above average. Definitely not a supermodel, but I'm not out of the race all together, if that makes any sense. On the other hand, I live with the girl guys have wet dreams about. Legs for days, thin, long brown hair and big blue eyes, fun, smart and talented. Hard to compete with, huh? Tell me about it. The roles myself and my comrade put ourselves out for are not too far apart either. We are both character leading ladies, in a sense, with traits that benefit and hurt us equally. My short hair against her long. My green eyes against her blue. My height, face structure, belly, against hers. It's all a battle of you against everyone else, including your roommate/best friend...

UNTIL

You come to the recognition that you are not them, and will never be them. Ever. You are YOU. And what a wonderful thing to be! There is a stigma in Hollywood, and in this industry, that says if you're over a size 4 you're fucked and that's just unfair and totally untrue. I am not a size 4. I'm not even a size 6. I'm a size 10. Someday I would like to be a size 8, or maybe even a 6, but for right now, 10 is a good number. Being a 10 allows for me to still eat what I want without wanting to murder anyone. Sure, I'd like to have a gym membership, or even the will power to work out every day for an hour and tone myself up and get to that as soon as I can, but hey. I'm only human. Right now all of my time, money and effort is going into making sure I wake up in the morning, make it to my job, and then to the two auditions I have lined up for after my job. Every god damn day. Cut me some slack. I'm 22, living in LA with my best friend, auditioning my ass off, having a glass of wine and a burrito when I feel like it, and I love it. Don't get me wrong, I know my limits. I know when my pants start to feel a little tighter, or when my boobs have grown just enough to not quite fit my bra, I know I need to cut back, and I do. Riding my bike has helped, a lot. Trying to stay active when you live in a city where the cars outnumber the people is hard, but doable. Walking whenever I can, drinking a SHIT TON of water, as it does solve all problems, and eating an abundance of fruits and veggies that are so accessible now makes it a little easier, but we all get off track. We all get lazy. We all want to take a step back with our chocolate cake and just watch the people walk by.

Don't get lazy.

It is so easy to fall back into old routines and ways of life because it's what we know. It's engrained into us. As human beings, we are creatures of habit. In saying this, challenge yourself. Keep yourself engaged. Find a HOBBIE. This is essential, because, quite honestly, the life of an actor is boring. Sure, it's exciting when you're working, but that's when you're working. Make friends. Enjoy the sun. Smile and laugh. And don't take yourself so damn seriously. Take what people say with a grain of salt, because the next person you ask will say the exact opposite. These are essentials for anyone, especially those looking to build a life in the arts. Know that Monday is not Tuesday, and Tuesday is not Friday. Make yourself known, establish your name and who you are as a person, bring a phone charger wherever you go and never be afraid to speak your mind. Set standards for yourself, have goals and have fun. Life changes. Shit happens. You can either go with the flow, or be the stick in the mud, it's up to you. But it becomes just a little easier when you go with the flow. And you meet some people along the way.

Congratulations class of 2012. You fucking made it. Now, get a job.

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