Hello 2017 :)

2016 has definitely changed me, especially as far as how I see myself and how I am putting myself out into the world. I plan on continuing to live outside of my ever-expanding comfort zone, and my word (or intention) for the year is going to be CONFIDENCE. Out of all the things holding me back in my life and in my career, my lack of confidence is certainly at the top.

Here are my 2017 resolutions:

Read all of Shakespeare

I started going through the plays last year when I was studying in London, but I haven’t finished all of them. And I have the complete works, so might as well enjoy them!

Film a Short I Wrote

Filming a scene I wrote this Fall was incredibly eye-opening. Not only did I see a million things I could have done better, I also saw that most of the fear I felt towards it was completely unfounded. I want to have at least 3 actors in it, multiple scenes and locations as well as a beginning, a middle and an end.

Learn How to Drive Stick

Joan Didion once said “I don’t know what I think until I write it down.” In a lot of my books, I like for the characters I see myself in to know how to take care of themselves, both physically, and when it comes to their cars. I was so proud this year when I changed my own tire, so I would really love to learn how to drive a manual car. Changing my own oil and stuff is also somewhere on the list 😉

Be Able to Cry

I originally had this one as being able to cry on camera, because it is always when a role requires tears that I decide to work on it. Most of the time, there are tricks to getting there, or you can find a more authentic way to convey the emotion without crying, but other times you just don’t have a choice. In my case, the issues with crying started years ago, but not just when it came to acting. Currently, commercials, movies and sad songs can make me cry more than devastating life events. I get this block, like I can’t let the tears come, because if they do they will never stop. All this to say that the goal is to be able to cry when I need to, either to let my emotions out in the real world, or the ones I feel as someone else on camera 😉

Finish and Edit Owens

The first time I completed Nanowrimo, it was a story I still refer to as Owens, because it is the last name of one of the characters. Haven’t figured out the actual title, but it is definitely one of my favorite and most elaborate of the stories that I have written. I did, however, sort of breeze through the middle and the ending after I reached my word count, so I wouldn’t miss the deadline. I went 25000 words over the 50000 required for the challenge, but there is so much more of the story to be told, of the characters to be developped, and I want to do all of that this year. By December 31st, I want to be ready to publish it, not just because I say so, but because other people have read it and also love it.

Find my Own Cookie, Cake and Muffin Recipes

I have been watching a lot of cooking shows with my grandmother. Which is terrible for diets, but we enjoy it 🙂 In a lot of the challenges, people will have to make a cake or something with absolutely no recipe, just a bunch of ingredients in a pantry. My knowledge of cake recipes was a box of Betty Crocker, eggs, oil and milk. The end result is delicious, but I have no idea what goes into that bag. So, I have decided that this is the year I will try recipes and cater them to my likes. Cookies, cupcakes and muffins are where I am starting, but I want to have an entire repertoire of things that I can make with either no recipe, or a recipe that is in my head (because baking does require a certain precision).

I also plan to keep up with all 3 Nano writing adventures, and am aiming for 15 or more networking events and speaking days on set.

“Do not be in a hurry to succeed. What would you have to live for afterwards? Better make the horizon your goal; it will always be ahead of you.”

-William Makepeace Thackeray