"VALENTINES DAY"- How to be in the Business but stop and smell the roses

Last evening I saw the Rom Com (romantic comedy) of the year, "Valentines Day". I went with my fun new friend Ben, also a creative sprite like me. The two of us together are like the hip modern day version of Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney without all the behind the scenes E-true Hollywood story overdose drama. It's obnoxious how much you would want to dress us up and watch us sing and dance to musical versions of children's books. We were like a Sesame Street wet dream. Not the point of the story whatsoever. Point is that while the tweens in back of me were drooling over Taylor Lautner, the cougars over McDreamy, couples were cozying up together, did I take a mental trip down memory lane over relationships past present and future, cry into my popcorn. HELL NO.

I spent the whole time dissecting the film and seeing its weak plot points, looking at the lighting and costuming, seeing where I fit in the movie, and how I could re-write it better. I think as actors we need to take a look at where we realistically fit in the industry, and as writers we need to witness good writing as well as bad to learn.

I came to the conclusion that yours truly could play one of those high school kids or the office assistant, and that the best performance was by far by Taylor Swift (joking). Whilst the movie actually did a good job giving equal focus to the different plot points, some of the dialogue was so ridiculous and sappy that even the most post break-up pajama wearing, Ben and Jerry's eating girl would roll her eyes with disdain.

While I think analyzing art (and this movie was not art, believe me) is a useful tool, I think that it is symbolic of the fact that as artists, we can't fully enjoy a live show, a movie or a book without passing judgement over the product and analyzing it in our brain. I think this sometimes hampers our enjoyment of the actual experience because we spend more time picking it apart than allowing one's self to enjoy what we are watching or reading. (Although I do have to say, the trifecta of Patrick Dempsey, Bradley Cooper and Eric Dane I most certainly enjoyed)

So my fellow sprites, I leave you with this. Next time you see a live show, read a book, or watch a movie, observe all you want, but don't forget to stop and smell the roses , or tell the Tori Burch wearing tweens behind you to zip it :)

Happy Sunday
xoxoxox
Haylster
Creative Sprite:)

HOW TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE AT THE SAME TIME: How to turn day jobs into joy.

Every fiber of my five feet firecracker-ness wants to create and play ALL THE TIME. This childlike spirit has not only fueled my adult carrer but can be wonderful and contagious. Channeled correctly can move, inspire and be a dynamite tour de force, a shooting comet if you will.

This is obvi(ously- sorry I abbreviate everything) not just me but every artist in their prime create mojo-zone. Like a singer hitting a bflat ( may favorite belting and high note), a writer waxing eloquent about their rites of passages, a songwriter, a comedian nailing a set, well you get the reference.

Then there are the other times. The times where you bomb an audition, cant seem to get your creative mojo up to write so to speak and are like Ugh I am taking a break. You turn into Elaine Stritch at 24 and smoke a cigarette and stare at the bright eyed bushy tailed freshly graduated kids and say, "Ugh welcome to the grind you little bitches."

You get captured by the angst at your day job, babysitting snotty kids, catering for the rich and famous, doing extra work on "Gossip Girl" and wishing you were cast as Vanessa, and being generally angsty about having to actually pay your bills. Well guess what. We all have to do it!!! so I am here to say,

GET OVER IT SWEETHEART!!! That's a little tough love for you. ( I say this for me and for you)

We all have to work day jobs except people that have a trust fund, parents or spouses that support them. That's like one percent of the acting population. So this blog is about

BEING ABLE TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE ALL AT ONCE, and

FOCUSING YOUR FIERCENESS SO YOU CAN ACHIEVE YOUR CREATIVE GOALS, One step at a time......

Here's an example of what I am talking about. This was my yesterday, a day that could have been fraught with angst and resentment, but I turned it into fierceness

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF HAYLEY RAPHAEL Feb 18th....

(For purposes of time and interest, I did do other things on this particular day like catch up on Lost and fight with bank tellers, but I'll leave that out.)

MORNING:

1) Stumble through the village in the morning half awake on the search for the best Hazelnut coffee giggling to myself after a madcap Manhattan evening, which manifested itself in at least six different made for TV sitcom moments and worthy of a season one sex and the city episode.

Wrote it down for my blog and sketches keeping all names and people anonymous

2) Arrive at my day job which includes selling spa packages to unassuming college students. The entire time I pretended I was doing an on camera commercial and practiced not flailing about physically and dressed camera ready. Lemme tell you, I made four sales in two hours. My Paparazzi Perfect ( trademarked by Nyle Lynn Caisley-webisode coming soon) charmed the young ones and they opened their hearts and wallets to me.

Phone bill an Sat nite dinner and a movie funded by moi!

3) I meet the real life HITCH ( who looks like a mix between LL Cool J and Taye Diggs), who is a dating coach, actor and blogger. We hit it off immediately like two peas and a pod, and the next thing you know we spent an entire lunch break in a tete a tete about dating, etc, and are joined by five college students. Just picture LL Cool J (him) and a young Julia Louis Dreyfus (moi)hosting a sex and dating seminar and lecturing from two separate points.

LL offered me a spot to V-log on his blog and I will be

promoting him on my new blog- SchmucksntheCity

(copyrighted 2010)

3) Meet with my editor for Zoe and Max the first short I wrote, look at Zoe and Max and analyze the footage, trying with all my might to pick the best acting moments, and marvel at the difference between film and theatre acting.

NOTE FOR ALL THEATRE ACTORS THAT ARE ALWAYS TALKING

ABOUT DOING FILM- HERE IS A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:

DO NOTHING

Then do less than nothing. Then do triple less than

nothing acting wise. Take all your emotions and put

it in your eyes. Congratulations, you are still doing too much.

4) Jotted down ideas for A, the second short of shooting comet productions. Found a co-writer. Jotted down prospective actors for casting session. Jotted down several non negotiable juicy lines

5) Meeting of the minds with my acting coach. We discuss where I realistically fit in the film/tv industry what roles I would be right for this moment. talk about ways in which to cut through the red sea of stuff to walk through and make a smooth segway into that universe using my theatre background as an asset

Before Mr Producer decides to give me my

own sitcom/comedy central show I would, make a great

Evil witness stand girl on Law and Order

Dog walker on Gossip Girl

Great commercial gal for soft drinks or an iPhone

THIS IS REALISTIC, ALL THESE FILM IN NYC!!! Hello!!

Fell asleep feeling accomplished knowing that I

a) paid some bills
b) made headway on creative projects
c) made connections with other artists
d) made headway business wise
and had fun whilst I was doing it!!

So you see, this day could have been filled with frustration and angst all day but I channeled it correctly and took control of my career and life. Small steps, but at the end of the day I felt accomplished. I'm not freaking Polly positive all the time, and I don't wake up with the sun shining out of my tuchus every day, and neither does the universe. It's that I chose to take the day I had to survive and Overturned it into a day in which I thrived. And you can too you little creative munchkins..

So, what I want to know is, how do you turn a survival into a thrival?? Comment below.

Keep plugging away tigers!

Love and Support:)

Creative Sprite, aka Hayls

LINKS

Nyle Lynn Caisley: Acting coach http://www.paparazziprefect.blogs

Hashim Locario: Dating Coach http://www.mrlocario.com

Me: www.HayleyRaphael.com

"Releasing your Inner Sprite"

"Everybody's got the right to some sunshine.
Even though at times they go to extremes."
Steven Sondheim

I came to the realization that I am not blah-ging enough about my artistic journey. I am writing this entry in the hopes of inspiring other people to harness their creative Mojo because we all have it. I don't care if you think I am idealistic or cliche, and perhaps this entry lacks the necessary tinge of New York cynicism, but trust me- I can be one of those people who doesn't wait for others to exit the subway car before getting on the train in my less attractive moments.

I just wanted to take a moment and wax eloquent about releasing your "Inner Creative Sprite." I remember the moments in my life where I felt at home in the world . These were moments when I was creating something and collaborating with others. I started early on, playing dress up with my cousin on the sandy beaches of Cape Cod at the age of 7 which usually resulted in ruining my Aunt Judy's fresh face while we cracked her up. I was also one of "those" teenagers who dressed up in full costume and danced around her room to show tunes. Not to Oklahoma, but to Assassins ( I was a little angsty) All this joy has carried on into my adulthood as I collaborate with others in the millions of projects I am a part of. It has made me realize that my mission statement in life is to harness and direct creativity whilst collaborating with others to influence and impact the world.

I sometimes encounter times in my life when my creative mojo is so on it oozes out of me like a broken Honey jar. And ever since my acting coach ( Nyle Lynn Caisley) told me I was funny, I literally have not been able to stop writing--everything from stand up to songs, screen plays, and skits. I wake up at 3am with ideas for crazy sketches about Muppet's, blogs about the pressure of being a young Jewish girl in 2010, and of course random sorted stories about the dating foibles of the various schmucks in the city.

All this creative energy, coupled with sometimes having to take on a day job to support my creative habit, can be somewhat daunting at times, which is why I used the aforementioned term "broken Honey jar." I have so many stories inside me to share: entertaining, heart breaking and hilarious. I could put my head on the pillow and dream of being subsidized by the European government or a sugar daddy, but for right now at least, I am hustling like a maniac to pay the bills and putting into practice my ideas in as many ways I can.

This includes

1) Starting my own production company: Shooting Comet Productions, LLC
(Our first film short I wrote, "Max and Zoey" wrapped this weekend....)

2) Collaborating with other songwriters and comedy writers
(and taking a class with Kevin Allison of "The State")

3) Working with a fabulous coach for my evolving screen play
(Marilyn Horowitz)

4) Joining "Vigilante" a new musical improv troupe. ( nominated for a 2010 INNY award)

Because I come from a family whose worth is unfortunately sometimes defined by professional success ( a Tri state area Jew thing I guess), I feel pressure to immediately make money off of my new artistic endeavors. This urge is supported by the fact that being a musical theater actress has been my source of income for the last three years. Writing, stand up comedy, improv and sketch is a departure from the usual way I survive which is playing a ten year old on stage. Even without monetary compensation I resist waiting for Mr. Producer to subsidize me and trust that if I am eventually going to be paid for this, the course will manifest itself. For now, I am just trusting the process.

Why am I writing all this? I feel like so often creative people feel they have something to prove to people since we generally rely on someone else to employ us based on our "talent." What people don't realize is that there are many other factors around being cast in something, like type, look, other cast members and a whole list of other x factors that we as artists have no control over.

Getting back to the "art" of it all, I see a lot of creative people struggling all the time because there doesn't seem to be a societal priority to nurture artists. This comes from external and internal sources as well. So, I encourage you all to get out there and harness your inner creativeness. In order to do this I have put together a little list of nuggets that has really helped me in my creative endeavors.

1) Surround yourself with people that are encouraging and supportive, and who "get you artistically" and who you feel comfortable with.

2) Even if you have to work a "day job" this is not an excuse for not being creative. There are tons of FREE things out there--open mikes, a sketch book, putting pen to paper. There are tons of fun shiny talented people out there!

3) Watch "The Muppet's Take Manhattan" and "Everyone Says I Love You." Just do it!

4) Start to develop an artistic community around you. Have people you help and people that help you:)

6) Take some time every day to be creative. Whether I like it or not, I write every day, or sketch, or design!

7) When in doubt, watch people on the subway for inspiration...

Lastly, here are some people that have proved to be inspirations in my life as of late, and I hope that they inspire you as well.

Thanks for reading

Peace in the middle-east.

Love Hayls


www.nylecaisley.com Acting Coach/ Actress
www.marilynhorowitz.com Writing Coach/Script consultant www.rachelgriffin.com/fr_index.cfm Singer songwriter