Passivity and What It Means To Me
I struggled with the idea of posting this blog because of some people who will probably read it and impose their own biases on it. But this is something I need to write about. Something that's been bugging me for a while now. Possibly the root of a lot of my frustration for this semester.
I am a very calm and collective person. Those who are confused or frightened by my ability to be so refer to it as passive. Today, someone I respect said that passivity will be death in this industry. This person was of course being indirect about to whom he was referring, but I'm pretty sure it was me. This frustrates me to no end. For someone to have the audacity to say that I, or anyone, can not make it in theatre while being passive is completely incredulous! I have, in the last three years of my life, accomplished more than the vast majority of my peers can even begin to imagine. I came from podunkville Virginia, the middle of nowhere, from a family who has had roots there for years. I am now a Creative and Performing Arts Scholar at the University of Maryland, living and working in the Washington, D.C. theatre community, one of the most competitive markets in the nation. It may not seem like much, but I have accomplished an immeasurable amount in a very short amount of time. ONE SEMESTER out of high school and I took off for Orlando, Florida where I took part in a prestigious internship with the Disney Corporation (and maybe continuing with this summer). I have moved to two HUGE citites twice now, where I knew no one and nothing and have gotten along swimmingly. On the acting career front I have constantly accomplished goals that I am setting for myself: I've acted in D.C. theatre, worked for professional D.C. companies, been in numerous productions at UMD, and will be performing at the Kennedy Center this summer. Not to mention the extra work that I am constantly accruing. I've worked on MAJOR MOTION PICTURES people. Sure, it's been background work, but this was stuff I could only dream about doing three years ago. And now here I am! And I'm not close to stopping.
I say all this not to be bragging, but to prove that I have accomplished plenty with my "passive" self. More than most people can even begin to say. I choose what to exert of myself and what to retain. I'm am always collected and together. I promote myself better than anyone I know, and that is what gets me work. And I work damn hard at whatever I set in front of myself. It is only when I get "stuck" that I become stagnant. So for anyone to say that passivity will keep me from success in this business, they are simply kidding themselves. I have succeded and I will succeed. If this makes people uncomfortable, I don't really care.
I am a very calm and collective person. Those who are confused or frightened by my ability to be so refer to it as passive. Today, someone I respect said that passivity will be death in this industry. This person was of course being indirect about to whom he was referring, but I'm pretty sure it was me. This frustrates me to no end. For someone to have the audacity to say that I, or anyone, can not make it in theatre while being passive is completely incredulous! I have, in the last three years of my life, accomplished more than the vast majority of my peers can even begin to imagine. I came from podunkville Virginia, the middle of nowhere, from a family who has had roots there for years. I am now a Creative and Performing Arts Scholar at the University of Maryland, living and working in the Washington, D.C. theatre community, one of the most competitive markets in the nation. It may not seem like much, but I have accomplished an immeasurable amount in a very short amount of time. ONE SEMESTER out of high school and I took off for Orlando, Florida where I took part in a prestigious internship with the Disney Corporation (and maybe continuing with this summer). I have moved to two HUGE citites twice now, where I knew no one and nothing and have gotten along swimmingly. On the acting career front I have constantly accomplished goals that I am setting for myself: I've acted in D.C. theatre, worked for professional D.C. companies, been in numerous productions at UMD, and will be performing at the Kennedy Center this summer. Not to mention the extra work that I am constantly accruing. I've worked on MAJOR MOTION PICTURES people. Sure, it's been background work, but this was stuff I could only dream about doing three years ago. And now here I am! And I'm not close to stopping.
I say all this not to be bragging, but to prove that I have accomplished plenty with my "passive" self. More than most people can even begin to say. I choose what to exert of myself and what to retain. I'm am always collected and together. I promote myself better than anyone I know, and that is what gets me work. And I work damn hard at whatever I set in front of myself. It is only when I get "stuck" that I become stagnant. So for anyone to say that passivity will keep me from success in this business, they are simply kidding themselves. I have succeded and I will succeed. If this makes people uncomfortable, I don't really care.
posted by ~chase at 10:19 AM
1 Comments:
i would in this case say that you actually could not be described as passive. you may be mellow as far as confrontation, but you are certainly NOT passive about your career in said business.
yes i stalk you. don't put websites on your facebook and not expect me to read your blog ;-)
<3 nevie
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