Tag Archive for: https://actoutsidethebox.com

7 Ways to Make Cover Note Writing More Fun and Easy

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As much as we want the reader of our cover note/letter to “get us” and call us in for an audition or possible representation, for many actors writing the cover note/letter is a chore.  Here’s 7 ways to put some joy into your fingertips.

1. Take a few minutes to write about what’s on your mind first. When you sit down to write, clear away anything that’s floating around in your head by writing about it. Is your acting class a drag, your next door neighbor cute, your mailman creepy, your coffee delicious? Not only does writing about these things help get them out of your head, but you easily and naturally get into the flow of writing.

2. Write from a picture that inspires you. A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Take any picture that relates to your goals and dreams and use it as your inspiration. Meryl Streep your favorite actress?  A beautiful house on the beach where you’d like to be?  Someone walking the red carpet? What about the picture of the actual industry professionals are writing to?  Google images is a wonderful resource…find them, then either print them out or have them on your computer screen as you begin your note/letter.

3. Use a writing prompt. In grade school, teachers used written exercises to get students writing. You can easily create a prompt by imagining you’re in the office of the person you are writing to and that they are asking about YOU and what you offer.  Then write your answers as you would speak them out loud. One of my favorites is, “Tell me a little bit about yourself.” You could also respond to the prompt of “Who else in the industry knows your work?” Just respond to the prompt, and see what comes of it. Like using a picture, this technique opens another door in your mind that allows you to think differently, and perhaps see options that weren’t there before to include in your note.

4. Just get it out. Remember that the first draft of anything written is NOT going to be perfect, so have fun with it! There’s no reason to struggle over your exact phrasing or sequence when you’re just going to go back over it and edit anyway. Stop critiquing your work so much, focus on getting the idea out, and play with the words

5. Try emulating an actor you admire. Think about why you like his/her work and then model what they might say in a note.  Does he/she write and speak beautifully?  Does he/she entertain when being interviewed on Letterman? Many actors have authored books and articles and post on the internet and have a great way with words.  By pinpointing the things that you like you are able to bring these elements into your own writing.

6. Write out your plan first. It’s easier to outline what you’re going to write about rather than the actual writing of it.  Are you going to write a quick note with bullet points of recent projects?  Are you introducing yourself with a letter that includes reviews and bio information?  How much is too much and how much is not enough? By planning first, you get more excited about the task, spurring the birth of more ideas. It also helps if you remember WHY you’re writing in the first place.  What’s the ultimate outcome you want to produce?  What exact ACTion on the reader’s part do you want them to take?

7. Reward yourself. This is a huge one! After writing out your plan, decide when and how to reward yourself. For example, after writing 6 cover notes/letters you can go out and get yourself a treat (whatever it is that makes you happy). Not only does this serve as inspiration to get those notes finished, but by rewarding your own successes you are establishing an invaluable system that can only generate more success!

Take these tips and try them out for yourself. See which ones work for you, and toss out the ones that don’t. And remember, when you’re frustrated or things aren’t flowing, let yourself laugh, and breathe.

I’d love to hear from some of you any tip, tricks, or techniques that you use to accomplish the “task” of cover note/letter writing.  Please share them with the rest of our community by posting a comment!  To your success, Lisa

You Don’t HAVE to, You GET to!

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Everything you do is worth enjoying.  “Dost thou love life?  Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of.” – Benjamin Franklin

Most of us see the truth in Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote, but few of us live it.  I don’t think we purposely squander time.  It just happens.  Many of us work so hard and so frantically that we’re too tired to do much more than collapse in front of the TV each night after a long day of our pursuits.  We sleepwalk through our days, forgetting to savor the richness and color of life.  Tragically, days, weeks, months and years slip through our fingers like sand, unnoticed and unappreciated.  In short, squandered.

During my life, I have worked with everyone from a Tony Award winning director and performed for Presidents and Astronauts to spending my time coaching brand new, hope filled actors just starting out.  Some of the best “newbie” actors are children, wide eyed and awestruck by the mere mention of taking a new class or seeing a live performance on Broadway.  I have noticed that children have the edge on living in the moment.  They don’t live one second in the future or one second in the past.  They experience full, passionate hours of playing, learning and truly experiencing this wonderful world.  I’ve often asked myself:  why does this sense of wonder have to drop away as we grow older?

The answer is that it doesn’t.  When you make the decision to live each hour to the fullest, life becomes a buffet of great splendor.  No matter what dates are eventually carved onto your tombstone, each hour you live can be a magnificent symphony where life is measured by moments and experiences, not clocks and calendars.

Take this message to heart and I guarantee you will reawaken to, or perhaps even discover for the first time, a life, acting career and legacy filled with purpose, passion, pleasure and peace.

I couldn’t have said it better myself – and I didn’t.  The above passage was revised, laced with my perspective and shared with you from the amazing Giovanni Livera, author of Live a Thousand Years.

I’m only half-way through this book and I’m recommending it HIGHLY!  Lisa

Raise Your Vibration – Energy is Everything!

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Your personal energy is an extremely powerful thing that surrounds you all the time. It is everywhere and is a core part of us but most people don’t know how to manage it for their benefit. When I took a course years ago hosted by T. Harv Eker of Millionaire Mind fame, he said “Everything is energy and energy is everything”…and along side that he also said “The way you do anything is the way you do everything”.  So in my putting two and two together, I read into it that your energy determines the way you do things in the world….well duh!

I’ve noticed that a lot of people (actors) don’t even know that their own personal energy is directly related to their career milestones.  I’ve often heard people say of me that I have a ton of energy.  Well let me confess now that it almost always created, doesn’t come “naturally” and I have practiced generating it for years.  So to folks who don’t see me in the morning after a late night out, or after a full day leading a seminar when I am spent, I say to them…I created it and you can too.

Your potential as an actor lies just as much in your learning to manage and increase your personal energy as it does in your talent and skill set.  Honestly, what good is having all that talent if you don’t have the energy to market yourself, go to auditions or class, or muster the physical (and emotional) energy to STAY in this business through the many obstacles that WILL present themselves?

I’ve been working with vibrational energy a lot recently in conjunction with a good friend who has created a business all around raising one’s personal energy to increase the global energy on the planet.  Raised Vibration uses the acronym VIBE…Visualize, Intend, Believe and Experience.  I won’t go in to that too much here, but suffice to say, being AWARE of your personal energy and how you affect others with it, and how you are affected by the things you see, hear and think, ALL make a huge difference in the outcomes for the goals you have in your personal life and career.  Your personal energy is what allows you to live the life you desire and deserve.

The idea that energy can move and create is nothing new. Throughout history, different cultures have
benefited by tapping into and working with different forms of energy.  Eastern philosophies and practices that have seemed “mystical” are now much more accepted and common.  Holistic methods of healing are now sought out when traditional drugs and cures fail.  There is definitely something about this energy conversation…whether you choose to believe it or not.  It’s only recently that energy work has emerged in the West and for those who experience it’s amazing power, they soon realize anything is achievable.

And how does this relate to the art of acting?  Isn’t it that energetic connection that you are seeking when performing a scene with another actor, or the connection with an audience when on stage live and offering up your energy to move, touch and inspire?  In the end it’s ALL energy.

It also takes energy to DO all of the things it takes to get ahead in today’s show BIZ.  Look at any successful actor and they seem to have boundless energy.  Interviews, rehearsals, performances, photo shoots, special events and fundraisers, personal appearances…the list goes on.  Trust me, no one who is at the top level in the acting community got there sitting on the sidelines waiting for others to lead them down the path to success and a day “off” doesn’t exist.

Moral of this story is to find that place, space, and resource that provides and maintains the energy needed BEFORE you need it!  Really, right now is the EASY part.  When you are working at your biz, in your biz and on your craft DAILY, you’re gonna need it!

Check out www.raisedvibration.com for some great info and as a potential resource for your personal energy.  You’ll be glad you did!  Lisa Gold

A Personal Note to Women who ACT

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Today I am writing you a very personal note because I have a lot of appreciation for all you do as a woman in the acting business. I don’t know the many roles you have played on stage, film or TV, but I know that being a woman in life carries many roles in itself when you are also a spouse, a mom, a daughter, a friend, etc. It’s sometimes exhausting.

Did you see the news report that came out today about women being smarter than men and scoring higher on IQ tests?  It seems to be because of all the “roles” we play, the things we juggle, and the people we take care of, including ourselves.

I want to share with you that I’ve been struggling for a few months now with the Superwoman Syndrome.

I didn’t realize that although I had done years of personal development work in my life, there were still limiting beliefs I held in place that kept showing up that told me that “to be successful means hard work”, “you have to just keep pushing through and don’t show any weakness”, “this is what you have to do for your family, your actor community, and all the others who depend on you”, “you have to be an example for everyone”…and on and on.

When my niece looked at me this past weekend in Las Vegas with an odd expression (we were there for her 4 day volleyball clinic at UNLV) she noticed how utterly exhausted I was and said, “Auntie Lisa, we don’t need all of the stuff you give me and mom, we just want to be with YOU and we want you to be happy.” I love that kid and I heard it loud and clear.  She really got me thinking about that. Why did I feel like I had to do everything perfectly?…why did I put so much pressure on myself to perform? Who says it has to be this way?  Why do I make up these deadlines I create that have me missing some of the most precious moments in life?  Are they really out there WAITING to hear from Lisa Gold?

The answers came through the questions that I asked, and the questions that my mentors asked.  It’s ALL made up!  And I can accomplish everything I say I want to with grace and ease…

But I have some work to do myself and I can’t teach what I haven’t learned.  Sometimes it’s not easy but I do realize it serves me in so many ways to play in this “gap” and become more and more aware of each moment of my precious and fabulous life.

I felt the need to plant a seed and share this with women in particular (hey, I know you GUYS have your moments too, but I’m not a guy!)…and share the pathway that I travel to start living my life on MY TERMS and with so much joy in my heart.  To live my purpose is always my goal.

I have a vision for the “New Superwoman”, the woman who embraces life on her own terms, redefining what is important and doing what nurtures her, tapping into her own femininity, inner passions and designing a life that fulfills that. It includes having peace of mind, a playful heart and a prosperous experience.  Always.

I invite you on the journey.

I’d love to hear from women just like you on how you overcome self-sabotage, limiting beliefs, and tap into your feminine energy to create a balance of peace, playfulness and prosperity in you life, and your show BUSINESS, while juggling all that YOU do.

Please take the time to comment so that other gals out there who read them can draw on your experiences.  You can’t teach what you haven’t learned.  Time to share with our wonderful community!

I look forward to reading what you have to say and wish you all peace, passion and purpose!  Love, Lisa

Why Social Media is Nothing Without Creativity

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As an actor (or just a “regular” person), gone are the days when you had 500 friends on Facebook and 75 of them clicked a link you posted or made a comment.  Now, you’d be lucky to get five.  Huuummmm…

The landscape of social media has drastically changed in the past three years.  Actor websites that began as powerful platforms to spread information about your latest acting credit, show, or “what’s happening” in your career has turned into the “norm” and congested with too much information that not everyone is interested in. There’s your family (always interested), real-life friends (sometimes interested), industry professionals you WANT to see what’s going on (maybe interested) and your audience, if you have one yet, (perhaps interested if they know you exist).

And now even social media has transformed from an efficient and inexpensive way to use the power of word of mouth, to a virtual mess of a garage sale.  How to sort through it all and TARGET market?

I still think social media is awesome.  Just take it slow and step by step.  AND FOCUS!

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and others are completely free services that you can sign up for and use to create a community of passionate fans and eyes on EXACTLY what you are doing when you’re doing it.  But what people — actors, especially — need to do when using social media is to ACT outside the box, and create content that’s worthy of sharing.

Consider how other “regular” businesses used to their names in front of audiences before the internet, before TV, before radio — it was PURE word-of-mouth interaction, a.k.a. real people talking.

How can you do this too?  Combine your word-of-mouth marketing  with social media. Ever go to a live networking event like “Showbiz Thursdays” (formerly First Thursdays) and then let your social media friends and network know about it?  It’s the ability to let hundreds of people at a one time know what you’re up to.

Have you seen an amazing B’way show lately?  How about the latest big movie that everyone ELSE is talking about?  What did you like about it, or not?  If it’s “trending”, it usually makes it something worth talking about. And getting people talking is of course the name of the game.  Forget about what you ate for breakfast, posting pics of random cute animals and giving your opinion on politics or religion…yeah, two areas that are NOT related directly to the services you provide as an actor. (OK, that’s just MY opinion!)  Really, just STOP that!

Real people talking about you in person AND in the social media universe, getting those “eyes” on you is the intended outcome.  Not THAT’s a marketing strategy.

The unique thing about our community is that we are passionate about the arts, entertainment and about sharing. Creating this kind of presence where people pay attention doesn’t happen over night either.  Building trust and a highly-engaged community can take years.  Remember, slow and steady wins this race.

Sit back for a moment and take a look at your career. How can you create a conversation about what you uniquely offer that blends an offline live experience with an online one?  How can you encourage your community  to spread your message for you and have fun while doing it?  Think about the power of combining word-of-mouth communication and also getting new followers or “likes”.  Think about offering something of yourself that other people will want to participate in again and again.

I wish you all the very best this life has to offer, online and off!  To your success, Lisa

First Thursdays – Cartoon Impressions, Silly Poses, and Lots of Fun! 5.3.2012

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Wow! Our May First Thursdays Networking Party was packed!  This month we had some new contests for our ACTors.  Brave folks won kudos (and free drinks) by impersonating Family Guy, knew a whole bunch about vocal training trivia, and gave us their very best glamor pose Read more

I Rescued a Human Today

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Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels.  I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.  I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn’t be afraid.

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage.  I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn’t want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn’t feel sad about my past.  I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone’s life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me.  I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.

A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.  Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms.  I would promise to keep her safe.  I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.  I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven’t walked the corridors.  So many more to be saved.  At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

Author – Janine Allen

6 Ways to Conquer the Fear of Rejection

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The going price for any worthwhile win is 10 setbacks. If you can handle that failure rate, you have what it takes to succeed.

Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe, Alfred Hitchcock and Richard Burton never won an Oscar.  Babe Ruth was never named Most Valuable Player.  Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson all lost elections for the presidency before they won one.  Losers?  No. Legends.

Early in my career, when I was struggling actress, I made a list of all the roles in musical theater I wanted to perform.  Some, I admit, were far out of my reach, (to young, too old, not enough dance skills, wrong color, not the right chops, ugh!), and I wasted tons of time wishing and hoping it weren’t so.

If you’re in the acting game you better get used to hearing the word “no.” If thinking that becoming a successful, heck (really?), even wealthy and famous actor was easy, everyone would want in (ooops…sooooo many do! ). Rejection helps knock out the weak. In my case, those early rejections forced me to really listen to my potential in the marketplace and find out what I needed to do and change in order to transform the “no, thanks” to “where do I sign?”

You can’t escape rejection.  You can only let it go.  Here are some exercises that paid off for me big time:

  • Dissect thoughts under the microscope. When faced with a challenge, what do you tell yourself?  “I’m no good . . . this is too hard . . . I’ll never make it . . .?”  Don’t let negative self-talk sabotage your attitude.
  • Identify realistic fears. Whom do you fear?  What might go wrong?  Who has the power to reject you?  Why would that person say no?  The answers will help you prepare your best, and facing them will help you keep your composure.
  • Focus on the moment. Keep your perspective.  Rejection lasts only a moment, and once it’s over, you’ll be able to move on to the next opportunity.
  • Be more assertive. Most fears of rejection rest on the desire for approval from other people.  Don’t base your self-esteem on their opinions.  Learn to express your own needs (appropriately), and say no when you genuinely can’t be of value or when you know you can’t fulfill.
  • Analyze every failure, but never wallow in one. Harry Truman once said, “As soon as I realize I’ve made one damned fool mistake, I rush out and make another one.”  Failure is a condition all of us experience.  It’s our reaction to our failures that distinguishes winners from losers.
  • Don’t rationalize away the hurt. Turned down for the gig? Didn’t get the contract?  No call back, or even a call period?  Lost out to your biggest competition?  Don’t let your worth be defined by others.  Get back in the game.  It’s not a permanent condition; it’s a short-term setback.

Ten setbacks are the going price for any worthwhile win. I LOVE statistics so look at the major league baseball standings at the end of any season: Out of 30 teams, only eight make the playoffs, and only one winds up winning the World Series. Out of all of the guys on the team (by the way, no women!) how many can you name?  There are the players in the Major Leagues and then there are the STARS.  In the end, the annual standings show that there are 29 losing teams and thusly hundreds/thousands of losers?  Hardly.  Really?  Come on!  Are you in the GAME or not?  In my book the only way you’re not is quitting, and YOU’RE not a quitter, are you?

Lisa’s Moral of the Story:  Don’t get dejected if you’ve been rejected. Just get your skills perfected!

First Thursdays – Oscar Goes to the Dogs! Shhhhhhush, Quiet! 2.27.2012

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What an amazingly wonderful evening we had at our 2nd annual Black Tie, Red Carpet Oscar soiree!  The Best Picture winner wasn’t a surprise if you saw “The Artist” and some notable winners were fan favorites of new and old.  Our own Act Outside the Box community enjoyed the company of Industry Guest Jamibeth Margolis, who I’ve known personally and socially since she was Read more

Gold, Dick…in the army they put his last name first on his uniform.

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And that’s how I got here! Ba-dum-bump!

My father, the comedian, passed away peacefully this week and I just wanted to share a bit with you, my community, who he was for me.

First, I want to express my AWE at the outpouring of love, condolences and just plain support I have received since letting you know of what is happening in my world. It’s very unusual that a person gets to share this experience with so many, and the lessons I have learned both about death, and about human kindness, have given me a perspective I didn’t have before.

Dad and I are a lot alike. More so than I want to admit. We both have a desire to make an impact by bringing humor to the world, but at the same time have been a little less “open” about how we feel when sharing ourselves personally. Seems easier to be authentic with a group of people than one-on-one.

We didn’t get along at times and teetered between loving adoration and stubborn righteousness. That being said, we both had feelings we could express to other people (like how proud he was of me and how much I admired him), just not each other.

Out of the experience of being with him and my family surrounding his bedside at the time he drew his last breath, I have vowed to be a little bit more vulnerable, to let people in and to serve as many people as I can by example instead of just words.

I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in person at my seminars and events and when we do meet, just look me in the eye so we can connect in that moment in time.  I truly love having you in my life and I hope that I can continue to make a difference in yours.

 

Lisa Gold