The past week has been unbelievably exciting and intense. From Sunday to Saturday, I filmed two separate projects and spent just about every waking minute in between takes writing and editing articles.

 

A few weeks ago I was cast as one of the lead soldiers in an industrial commissioned by the military. We started shooting last Sunday in New Jersey and went all the way until Friday evening. I met a lot of very talented actors and crew members, learned that I have a terrible salute (that gets better with practice), and was told repeatedly that I made a very convincing soldier in uniform, even when we weren’t filming. So in case I’m ever looking for a professional career move…I now have more options!

 

Last week was also the deadline for about 15 articles that I was editing for a medical expo magazine I have frequently contributed to over the past few years. They were all interviews with doctors and research pieces on topics like pelvicology, enzyme replacement, network spinal analysis, gluten intolerance, and chronic illnesses. Heavy stuff, as per usual. I also had to write and edit two of my own articles – an interview with Dara Torres, the five-time Olympic swimmer who has only gotten better with age, and an in-depth look at the shocking range of toxins in our water, with commentary from three medical professionals. There was an incredible amount of research involved, but all the work and sleepless nights paid off –

 

 

 

Then early Saturday morning I was on the set of Imogene, the new Kristen Wiig and Annette Bening comedy filming in the city, to shoot my scene with Kristen. I auditioned for the role back at the beginning of August and found out closer to the end of the month that I got the part. The crew was amazing. I had my own little trailer, got fitted by wardrobe, and went to hair and makeup where they said I only needed a smoky eye look and minimal makeup (yay!) and that my hair was already perfect for the part with the little amount of product I had put in it (double yay!). The directors, Shari Springer Bergman and Robert Pulcini (Cinema Verite, American Splendor, The Nanny Diaries), were great to work with, and I even had a wonderful stand-in who filled my shoes while they positioned lights and cameras. And then my scene! Kristen Wiig was awesome and funny, as expected, and we both agreed that clothes should not be complicated when you get into a dressing room (completely random, but important nonetheless). If you’re trying to buy a dress that boasts ten different ways to put it on, it’s probably not worth the hassle. Before noon, I was wrapped, but it was enough excitement to last me the whole day. I finished off the night at a Bill Bailey show in the city with my boyfriend.

 

I’m looking forward to more weeks like this in the future, working hard and doing what I love. In the meantime, I’m in desperate need of a nap.

My writing career has me tackling all sorts of interesting subjects, like fashion, cuisine, fitness, theatre, real estate, design, film, and current events. One day I could be rock climbing, the next I could be in a warehouse learning about firearm components; my new assignment could have me dining for free at a five-star restaurant, or it might land me a month-long membership to a high-end gym for golfers (the lockers were nice, but my non-existent golf game didn’t improve). Organic chocolate? Sure, I can write about that. Your accounting firm needs a website? I gotcha covered. Tim Gunn wants to give me a signed Tim Gunn bobblehead for my little sister after an awesome interview? Why, thank you! …I think you get the idea.

 

But sometimes the strangest and most wonderful topics I have written about have been far more medical in nature: liver detoxification, colon hydrotherapy, intercellular health, bio-identical hormones, functional medicine, wellness institutes. Yep, I’m a bona fide medical writer, and my last batch of articles is no exception. From adrenal fatigue and cardiovascular disease to Mediterranean diets and raw food, not to mention one incredible story of determination, the stories I covered gave me the opportunity to meet some truly amazing people. Read, enjoy, and let me know what you think!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just wrapped up two films in the past two weeks. The first was a short film, Red Tulips, with award-winning documentary filmmaker Shanti Thakur. I played a police officer with a bedazzled gun and a penchant for being badass. We shot at 5 Pointz, arguably the world’s coolest outdoor graffiti exhibit space, located in Brooklyn.

 

 

The second was a black & white NYU short, Break Point. I was cast as one of two leads, a tennis player who drives her boyfriend away with aggressive play and a nasty temper. We shot at NYU and the East River Park.

 

April has also been a month of auditions, casting submissions, writing, editing, new clients, new projects, and an overall attempt at organizing things for the rest of spring and the start of summer. Exciting is one word to describe it all. Overwhelming works, too. But exhausting pretty much sums it up.

 

I also received some stills recently from a film, Best Friends, currently being edited. The character I played was a little off, kind of creepy, to say the least. Here’s a glimpse –

 

 

As much as I like to try and convince myself that inspiration is a fluffy, ethereal pillow that looks for ways to cradle your head with thoughts of genius when you least expect it, I don’t think even I’m buying it anymore. Sitting at your desk for 15 minutes, staring at a blank screen, checking your Facebook page for predictably frustrating status updates from people you don’t even like, watching YouTube clips you’ve watched before, reorganizing the piles of books and papers at your feet, and contemplating whether or not you need another bowl of cereal – all of that – is usually, most often always, unproductive. It will inevitably lead to you convincing yourself that today is not the day to write. You haven’t felt it yet. The spark hasn’t been lit. You’re just not ready to pen that masterpiece. I’ve done it before. I’ll do it again. Whether or not I ever write a bestseller, let alone a book, will depend on how much I can fight this terrible circle of writer’s block.

 

But you know what helps get rid of it real quick? Deadlines. Real, tangible, fast-approaching deadlines imposed by others. And that’s what March was for me…and February…and kind of January, too. I’ve been on a writing tear. So far I’ve wrapped up articles on cardiovascular disease, adrenal fatigue, weight loss, and healthy Mediterranean dishes. I also just finished a feature story on supermodel Carol Alt, whom I interviewed a few weeks ago in her NYC office, and her affinity for raw food. In terms of copywriting, I’ve been working on several different company websites and recently had several new freelance proposals that have left me smiling but slightly unnerved about the pile of work that I could potentially accumulate. I also attended a thesis workshop earlier this month at my school, The Graduate Center, to discuss what I need to do to get my thesis wrapped up and my master’s degree with it.

 

Of course, The Vigilant Monkey waits to rise again. Soon, for those who have been asking me. Very, very soon. I have also been talking with an editor and colleague of mine about starting a new health and wellness publication on Long Island. Not to mention, I’m in constant edit mode – reading, highlighting, correcting, cringing, commenting.

 

Too much? No, no. It’s always too much, but never enough; so really, it’s not too much at all, but just about right.

 

The idea now is just to keep from straying. Writing takes work. Inspiration comes from perspiration. Success takes time. And I’m ready to make it all happen.

 

Stay tuned in April for links to my recent articles, as well as my new writing portfolio.

This weekend was all about writing. I attended the SCBWI’s (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) winter conference in the city. As always, it was incredibly informative, overwhelmingly inspirational, and genuinely enjoyable. I was just happy to be there, surrounded by writers and people who know what it’s like to regularly have others not understand what it is that they’re trying to do.

 

This is my third SCBWI conference in four years, but the past twelve months have yielded very little in the way of solid stories and chapters from me. Sure, I’ve had plenty of ideas, just not fully thought out visions. Most of my energy has gone to other writing endeavors, like copywriting and ghostwriting and editing and freelancing. Oh, and acting, of course.

 

But I’m anxious. I want to write children’s literature. Period. So what’s keeping me? What’s the hold up? We discussed it at the conference. The usual: fear, procrastination, uncertainty, other work, lack of motivation, misdirected focus. And everyone spoke about it, from the people sitting around me to the amazing speakers who told us their stories, including R.L. Stine (very funny, honest, and apparently a fantastically prolific writer – I still remember one of my older sisters getting me my first Goosebumps book…good times), Jules Feiffer (the illustrator for The Phantom Tollbooth, rocking out at 82 years old), and Lois Lowry (author of Number the Stars and The Giver).

 

So that was obviously comforting, even though I’m sure it’s much easier to speak about writer’s block and nerves when you’re a bestselling author/illustrator many times over.

 

We also met with agents and editors who assured us that the Kindle and the Internet haven’t done away with the printed book just yet. People still like holding bound sheets of paper. They still like the smell of a newly purchased novel. They still like curling up under blankets, with cups of hot chocolate, and getting lost in a story.

 

In fact, we spoke a lot about that. The story. How it all comes down to just writing it down, saying what you have to say, bringing to life something that the world has been missing. The power of story cannot be denied, and perhaps in children we can see it clearest. Not to mention, many of today’s bestselling books are technically considered children’s literature but are read by quite a lot of adults. They transcend age and touch something far more universal.

 

So I’ll concentrate on that – story. And only story. The worry and uncertainty can wait. I just have to start writing…

If you’ve ever been on set with me, or anywhere with me for that matter, you’ve probably seen me with a pen, a notebook, a stack of papers, an envelope/folder/binder of notes and books, a laptop, or a mix of all the above.

 

I’m always writing. Or at least thinking about writing. Or jotting down ideas. Or writing down a note that reminds me I need to write later.

 

But so often, I get so overwhelmingly busy throughout the day that the writing never happens. Nope. As much as I try, I end up writing at 2 AM, when the world is asleep, as are schedules, to do lists, errands, and non-writing priorities.

 

And…most of the time, the writing isn’t even my own creative work. I’ve been blessed with a lucrative career as a magazine writer, copywriter, and ghostwriter, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

 

So I have to figure something out. Not quite sure what that “something” is yet. But something. At the end of the month I am attending my third SCBWI children’s literature conference in the city, and I’ve elected to make it a kickoff of sorts. It will be the weekend that I pick up the creative writing again and get back on track to writing the manuscript that will be my first novel.

 

Check back with me in two months. I aim not to disappoint.

I’ve updated my acting reel (hence, the title of this post). Check it out on Vimeo -

 

 

I also recently took new headshots from the photographer whose name is behind my current ones, Sam Khan over at SK Headshots.

 

And that’s just a fraction of the craziness that has been my November. I also…

 

Finished up my second month of scene study classes at T. Schreiber Studio with an amazing performance of the “Final Placement” scene in Win/Lose/Draw by Ara Watson and Mary Gallagher. I played the character of Luellen. It was completely different than anything I’ve ever done before, so it was a struggle, but the feeling I got after we performed it this past week reminded me of why I love acting so darn much – and especially a live audience =)

 

Met with Eileen Schellhorn, at the Actor’s Green Room, a very cool VO agent from Innovative Artists. The agenda of the evening was video game voice overs, what they are, who does them, how to break into them, and how to master them.

 

Played the lead role in the short film “Chance”, directed by Heajin-Hailie Kim and shot in Sunnyside, Queens.

 

Updated the format of my resume. Not super exciting, but the tedious hour it took garners it a spot on this list =P

 

Followed up with people, met with people, auditioned for people, conversed with people – all that is networking.

 

Wrote (in my other profession and second passion) chapters, paragraphs, newsletters, sell sheets, proposals, short story/novel/play ideas, song lyrics, website copy, and all manner of copywriting. The goal for December? Concentrate more on my creative writing. I have the SCBWI children’s literature conference at the end of January, and the idea is to have at least a somewhat-finished manuscript of my novel ready to go.

 

And that’s about it for now. Stay tuned for a new headshot gallery, and have an awesome Thanksgiving!!

It’s my birthday!! I spent the first half of today writing (what’s new) and the second half with my family and boyfriend. Dinner was amazing, the cheesecake was divine, and my gifts were perfection.

 

And, of course, I couldn’t help but look back on the last year, what I’ve accomplished, who I’ve met, how I’ve changed, and where I’m going. August brings my consecutive string of filming months to a grand total of 12 now. I shot a short film in Brooklyn a few weekends ago, and we’re set to shoot some pick up scenes in September. I’ll have footage from some of my recent films to add to my reel soon, so stay tuned for updates.

 

I also met with another casting director, Candice Alustiza, at the Actor’s Green Room and am going to be signing up for additional classes, workshops, and voice over intensives in September at a few different schools.

 

But right, back to the last year -

 

After my birthday last year, I told myself that I would devote the next year to films, and I did just that. It has been an incredible (and exhausting) experience. For this year? I want to continue that intense dedication, together with my agent, who I also met and signed with this past year.

 

In regards to writing, I did a lot more copywriting and ghostwriting than I had first intended, and while I am extremely pleased with the body of work that I have put out, I know that my true passion lies in my creative writing, my thesis (which will complete my master’s degree), and my magazine, The Vigilant Monkey, that had to take a hiatus because of some of the craziness that the past year also brought. So now that I’ve focused on every form of writing but the writing that really drives me, it’s time to change direction. As the summer comes to a close, I know exactly where my priorities are and what goals I have to reach. That’s something to smile about.

 

So the last year? Was a great year. And now? To an even better one.