Is a pile of paper eating your desk? Is your workspace overwhelmed with mail, business cards, class notes, scripts and sides, receipts, bills, catalogs, to-do projects, birthday cards, coupons, that missing earring, or just random scraps of random? A pile of paper is really a pile of unmade decisions and paralyzed action. Each piece of paper represents an unanswered question or an unfinished task: “Do I still need this?,” “Remember to do this!,”  “Damn, I forgot to do this!,” “What was I supposed to do with this again?”

If you’re ready to battle that pile, here’s an easy step-by-step guide to break down that giant pile of paper by making small, simple decisions:

Step #1: Keep or Toss

Collect all of your paper.  All of it.  You’re going to make that one big pile into two smaller piles, the Keep Pile and the Toss Pile. Pick up each piece of paper and make only one decision: Keep or Toss.

The Toss Pile is paper that can either be recycled or shredded. (PS – Buy a shredder!)

The Keep Pile is only paper that you need to take action on or need to file: the business card of that director, the bill you need to pay, a receipt for a sweater you need to return, notes from the acting class you’re currently taking, etc.

Resist the urge to begin taking action on paper while you’re separating it.  Don’t e-mail the director, don’t go online to pay that bill, don’t find the sweater that goes with the receipt for a trip to the store later, don’t work on your scene for class.

You want to keep your decision making simple and straightforward during this process.

The only decision you need make right now is Keep or Toss.

Step #2: Write it and Toss It

Get the Toss Pile out of your sight. Put it in a bag to recycle or shred later.

Grab a piece of paper or a pad and a pen.

Write “To Do” on the top of your paper. You’re now going to transfer all the info that’s in the pile of paper in front of you into one, simple To Do List.

Your Keep Pile is basically a To Do List in a bunch of pieces: errands, phone calls, emails, household and financial tasks, etc.  We tend to keep paper to remind us to do something. It’s difficult to take action on anything when you can’t find the information you need.

Go through your Keep Pile piece by piece.  Look at the paper. What action do you need to take on this paper? “E-mail Rob, that director to set up a coffee date.” Write it down on your To Do List.

Do you still need that piece of paper or is all of the necessary info on your list? If all the info is now on your list, toss the paper. Remember, this isn’t the time to e-mail Rob the director about that coffee date. This is the time to transfer a pile of to do’s on to a single piece of paper that is easy to reference.

Step #3: Action or File

How’s that pile looking? Is it a lot smaller than when we started? Congratulations!

Does that long To Do List overwhelm you? It’s okay. Take comfort in knowing you’re in a better position to accomplish those tasks, get them off your plate and move forward on taking action in your personal and professional life. All your tasks are written down in one place. You don’t have to spend mental energy to remember to e-mail Rob or return that sweater. Professional relationships and sales won’t pass you by now because someone’s business card or that coupon was in the bottom of a pile.

Put the list aside for a moment. Look at your remaining piles. It should be paper that you need to perform an action or paper that needs to be filed.

An Action Paper should correspond with a task that’s written on your To Do List. An example of an Action Paper would be that sweater receipt, a coupon or Rob’s business card.

A File Paper is a piece of paper you need to keep for your records. An example of file paper would be contracts, business receipts, bank statements, medical test results, resources and reference material related to your career, finances or education.

Go through your remaining pile and break it down again into two smaller piles: Action and File.

Step #4: Paper Marriage

Take your Action Paper and put it in a folder and label it “To Do.”

Either staple your To Do List to the front of your To Do Folder or slip the folder into the pad of paper that your To Do List is written on. Your To Do Folder containing Action Paper and your To Do List should always be together. Put your To Do List/Folder in a place that you can easily see and access it like next to your computer or phone.

If you’re feeling particularly ambitious or overwhelmed by the length of your To Do List, you can separate your list and paper into smaller “Professional To Do” and “Personal To Do” lists and folders

So now you should be looking at just your File Pile. Go through it one more time to see if there’s anything you can sacrifice to the recycling or shredder gods.

Break down the pile into smaller piles of matching paper:  financial, medical, home, car, work, school, travel, etc. If you already have file folders, file drawers or storage, then label and file away!

Closing Thoughts

Your desk is not a storage unit; it’s a workspace. When you’re not working at it, it should be clear of clutter.

When a new piece of paper comes into your life, bring it directly to your To Do List. If you have take action on it, write it on your list and either toss the paper or move it to your To Do Folder.

Store “To Be Filed” paper in a magazine holder. A magazine holder allows you to easily see paper while it’s temporarily stored in a space that provides limits. Once that magazine holder is chock full, it’s time to purge and file.

You can also use a “To Do” magazine holder to store action paper instead of a folder.

Resist the bulletin board. A bulletin board can become a pile of paper nailed to the wall.

If bills and bank statements are taking up your space, time and energy, I encourage you to take steps towards automatic bill payments and electronic statements. Here’s a helpful article I found on About.com: How Do I Set Up Online Bill Pay?

If you’re still overwhelmed about the amount of paper in your File Pile and uncertain what to keep, here’s another helpful article on About.com: Getting Your Financial House in Order (Definitely read the “How Long to Keep Your Documents” section.)

Finally: “For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.”

Now go e-mail Rob about that coffee date!

Quick Summary:

• Keep or Toss?
• Is your Keep Paper an Action Paper or a File Paper?
• Add Action Paper info on your To Do List.
• Keep Action Paper in your To Do Folder or toss.
• Keep your To Do List attached to your To Do Folder.
• Separate your File Paper into smaller categories.
• File your File Paper.
• Keep your To Do List and Folder in easy reach.
• When new paper comes in, decide: Toss, To Do, File.
• Store To Be Filed paper in a magazine holder.
• Once your To Be Filed magazine folder is full, it’s time to file!

Laura Mannino is an LA-based organizer and virtual assistant specializing in helping actors and other creative professionals.  For more about Laura’s services visit www.ActorAssistant.com and follow @ActorAssistant on Twitter for tips and inspiration.

I’ve lived in Los Angeles for three years now, and I’ve noticed an incredibly important distinction: Acting is not the same thing as being an Actor. In fact, they can be worlds apart.

Allow me to clarify. “Acting” is the actual performance by a human being on stage or on screen. “Being an Actor” (and here I mean a professional actor, one pursuing financial gain from acting), means not just performing, but marketing to actually create acting opportunities and jobs. This means marketing, networking, researching, taking meetings, self-producing, and myriad other business endeavors. Being an actor also includes acting (and here I include auditioning and class), but honestly, if you’re pursuing a professional career as an actor, the percentage of your time spent actually performing is relatively low.

This distinction, in my opinion, is the #1 reason I see people decide to stop pursuing acting as a career. Particularly for those of you who went to college (even more those who majored in theatre, or even did a lot of plays), your experience in school was probably dozens if not hundreds of hours of rehearsals and performances, maybe two hours of auditioning, and zero time doing business, marketing, or financial work. We’re looking at a foundation where 90% of your time is spent acting, and maybe 10% was being an actor.

In LA, the percentages are close to the opposite…10% acting, and 90% being an actor. So what does that mean? I think the key is that if you’re thinking about, or currently are, pursuing a career as an actor, then you must find a way to love the actor part of everything. That also means being proactive about finding ways to be creative. Making the time to nurture your creative side.

But I just want to act

If you just want to act, then don’t move across the country and work to pursue a career in acting. A career in acting (i.e. being an actor), means you don’t just want to act…it means you want to get paid to act. Two very different things. If you truly just want to act, that is AWESOME. Seriously. Stay in your hometown and do community theatre. Perform for children. Act all the time! There is absolutely no shame in that. In fact, for me, I admire that love of the art. And lord knows our communities can use you. Would that all cities were filled with people dedicated to artistic expression. Moreover, you will perform more than any movie star.

If, however, you do want to get paid enough to pay your rent through artistic expression, you get to think like a business person. You get to market, and find the joy in being an actorpreneur. Building any business takes time–normally far more time than we initially anticipate (believe me). The reward, though, is like nothing else. Tallyho.

Ben Whitehair is the Los Angeles contingent of this blog. Find out more information and view his materials on his website, or read the rest of his blog posts.

What do The Actors’ Network (TAN), the LA Actors’ Tweetup, and Basham Coaching all have in common? They’re throwing an actor mixer on Thursday, August 30th from 7pm  – 12:00am @ 1069 N. Fairfax Ave., West Hwd., 90046 (view on google maps). Spend an evening rubbing elbows with your fellow (motivated and proactive!) actors.

Ryan Basham at a Previous Tweetup
Photo by Nicholas Sayaan

And from 7:30p-8:30p in studio #2, Transformational Life/Career Coach Ryan Basham, will present a free seminar, “Transforming your Career by Transforming Your Life” for those who wish to listen. Before, during and after come enjoy free drinks. And have a great time.There will be a limited selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available. There are multiple options nearby to eat before you “Mix” or after you “Mix” but no food at the Tweetup.

~~~~

Let’s recap. There’s going to be a stellar event for actors with free drinks and a freaking bomb ass presentation by Ryan Basham  (check out Ryan’s guest post on this blog if you haven’t yet) on August 30th from 7pm – midnight. Winning.

RSVP

If you are a TAN member, please RSVP on the TAN calendar.

For non-TAN members, we ask that you PLEASE RSVP by emailing: info@actors-network.com,
Subject line: “LA Actors Tweet-up”
Body of email: Yes, I’m attending (with your Full name).

Click here for a pre-formatted link to send this email

PARKING OPTIONS

STREET PARKING ONLY.

-Santa Monica Blvd., some meters exist a bit East/West of Fairfax. FREE after 6pm.
-Fairfax Ave. (S) of Santa Monica, 2 hour meters all the way to Melrose, and FREE after 6pm.
-Fountain Ave. both East/West FREE after 6pm.
-Romaine is 1 blk (S) of Santa Monica Blvd. and on the North side of Romaine from Hayworth to Orange Grove there is no parking, but it is FREE all day/night on the South side.
-Plus there is parking in the Starbucks lot, if you’ve maybe bought a coffee, as well as the option of parking in the Whole Foods parking lot…if you dare.

Photo by Nicholas Sayaan

Ben Whitehair is the Los Angeles contingent of this blog. Find out more information and view his materials on his website, or read the rest of his blog posts.

Today I bring you a guest post from my dear friend, brilliant mentor, and all around bad ass Ryan Basham. Enjoy

This one goes out to the little kid in all of us.

When you’re a little kid, you’re in it for the fun of it. You’re playing the game of life hard without even realizing what you’re doing. You don’t have a care in the world. Everything is interesting and exciting, and you don’t give up until you get the full experience.

At some point, though, we all get distracted. Making perfect grades, being the best at whatever we’re up to, surviving the social structure in high school, or sometimes just counting the minutes until we can get out of our parents’ house for good. Whatever it was got in the way of our ability to freely and blissfully love life and to be present for every single moment. All of the sudden, we find ourselves looking constantly toward the future: What will the next stage look like? Will I get into college? Will I have the career I want? Will I ever find someone who wants to spend the rest of their life with me?

And on, and on, and on.

People in creative fields (like, oh, say, actors?) have a double whammy. Most of you grew up watching the Oscars and Emmys while planning your acceptance speeches. As you got older, though, you became increasingly aware of the distance between where you were and where you wanted to be. You heard stories of overnight successes and couldn’t help but experience a twinge of jealousy.

Everyone’s experience is different. But nobody escapes wishing they were already at the peak of their success, at least every once and a while. And in those moments, you can feel defeated. You might accept your given circumstances as all that’s possible. Some avoide persuing their successes or sabotage every opportunity that they come across.

If I could say one thing to the aspiring actors, writers, directors, producers and other creatives of tomorrow, it would be this:

Get as far as you can before your naive, fearless, youthful spirit yields to the stoic, “realistic,” fear and judgment-focused mentaility that too many adults covet as a mark of maturity. You can recapture the momentum of a naive drive to achieve and attain once you’ve sent it on its way, but there’s nothing like that first free pass to the land of endless possibilities.

But if you’re reading this, “reality” has probably set in already. Someone has taught you to mistake pessimism and playing it safe with being “realistic,” and you play that game at least part of the time.

My advice to you is to interrupt any conversaton that sounds like settling. My favorite is, “I just want to make enough to survive.” What the hell is that? Working actors – even those whose name you don’t know or faces you don’t recognize – make enough to put their kids through college and retire comfortably.

Do you intend to be a working actor? If so, you’re going to have to be cool with getting paid well.

Take a step back from the limiting conversations that “real adults” have and embrace the little kid in you that wasn’t afraid of anything and wanted to do everything. Live in the moment and absolutely love the ride. Commit to the results you want, but then let go of what the results might look like. Just go for it.

You can create a life where every moment is joyous and every dream you have is actively becoming your reality.

And it starts with embracing that naive child in you.

Ryan Basham is a film/tv producer and life/career coach who works with creative souls of all kinds as they turn their dreams into realities. You can read his regular blog at www.ryanbasham.com.

I really like writing blog posts. In fact, I LOVE writing them, and I get lots of benefits when I do. So why haven’t I been consistent about it recently? One word: focus.

One of the first things I noticed when I moved to Los Angeles is that there is a tremendous amount of opportunity. Someone is always making a movie, a web series, a student film. You can get into voiceover, loop groups, hosting, or commercials. There are more theatres per capita than any city in the US (the world?), you can be in single-camera comedies, multi-cam, or hour-long procedural dramas. There are opportunities to produce your own work, direct, write, or play your ukelele on Venice boardwalk. And in all of this, it’s very easy to lose focus.

Strategic Lack of Focus

I’m now moving past three years of being in Los Angeles, and I have made it a point to try just about everything. I’ve dabbled in producing, writing, hosting, improv, voiceover, and the list goes on. The benefit of this, is that I have a remarkable sense of what I most enjoy, and a very well-rounded understanding of the entire entertainment industry. I employed this same strategy in high school and in college to very good results. The key, though, is that once you’ve tried a lot of things, you need to begin jettisoning those activities that you are less passionate about, that distract you from your ultimate goal.

The Seduction of Busyness

I like being busy. I like working on a lot of things, having my hands in multiple projects at any given time. This can serve me very well at times, as I am exposed to a very high number of opportunities. The trap, however, is that I can get sucked in to just being busy. In the past couple months I’ve taken an extremely critical look (thanks Ryan) at what I’m spending my time on, and whether or not it’s directly feeding my ultimate goals. In the end, I realized that a lot of my energy was being spent on things adjacent to my vision. Whether that was producing, working on voiceover, or anything that is not directly related to putting me in front of the camera creating excellent content. The trap is that these things are certainly more productive than sitting on my couch eating funyuns (ew), but it is not the most effective use of my time. The other trap is that as a lot of opportunities come my way, it gets very easy to respond to them, rather than initiate the activities that will most drive my career (and my soul) forward.

Eye on the Prize

So how do you know what activities to initiate? Well, first you must be extremely specific about what you actually want. If you are unclear about where you are ultimately heading, you will get vague results. One of the ways that I have gained clarity about what my ultimate goals really are, has been by trying a lot of things. Now that I have completed that phase, though, I can move forward towards my vision. Moreover, with a very clear sense of where I want to go, it becomes very easy to make a decision. Even if an opportunity seems amazing, if it doesn’t match up with your vision you can say no, with the knowledge that it will only keep you from achieving what you actually want.

Final Thoughts

The great thing about living in a big city is the complete abundance of opportunity. I would urge you, though, to not get seduced by just any opportunity that comes your way. Just because someone else wants you to work on something, doesn’t mean it’s a good decision. In my life, I realized that any hour I was spending recording a VO audition when I hadn’t written a blog post that week was me being seduced by random opportunities. I love writing for PvsPB, and I’m excited to bring some really great content in the very near future. I look forward to sharing with you some stellar interviews coming down the pipeline, and lots of exciting developments in my life as an actor.

Ben Whitehair is the Los Angeles contingent of this blog. Find out more information and view his materials on his website, or read the rest of his blog posts.

I’ve lived in Chicago for the past 5 years, and I’ve met some stunningly talented performers, many of whom I’m lucky to call my good friends today. There are countless opportunities in this city, and I’ve spent long hours building relationships and putting my brand out there. As a result, I’ve been blessed with a ton of great acting gigs, and I continue to live the dream I’ve been dreaming since childhood.

Lately, some of my most rewarding work has come in the form of directing, and in working on the production side of theatre. I find myself thrilled by the puzzling challenge of getting butts in seats, and by promoting a company’s vision in the artistic community. Through working with my Chicago company, The Consortium Project, I’ve gotten a taste of what it means to create theatre from the ground up, and I absolutely love it.

With my artistic focus heading in this new direction, I’ve decided to pair that change with an even bigger one. Therefore, I’m leaving Chicago next week and moving to Denver to start a new, not-for-profit theatre company in my hometown.

I had to consider a number of different factors, and it was a tough call to make, but in the end it came down to two things:

• If I’m going to start a theatre company, I’m committing everything I’ve got to it. Therefore, I want to set up shop in a place that I can see my self living long-term. Do I want to raise a family someday? Definitely. Do I want to do that in Chicago? Absolutely not. Having grown up in the Rocky Mountain region, I can tell you that it affords residents a quality of life that is second to none.

• Chicago has hundreds of small theatres, and it’s easy to get lost in this vast sea of storefront setups and young troupes. I want to go somewhere where the supply doesn’t outweigh the demand. Denver is incredibly hip to the arts, but there is still a ton of room for newcomers.

Once I had made the decision to move, it was just a matter of overcoming my ego and following my heart (which isn’t always easy for me, let me tell you). The ego was that loud voice yelling in my ear, saying, “Dude, you can’t leave now! You’ve done so much and come so far!” But as I thought about it, I realized that I’m not just throwing away the lessons of the past 5 years. The things I’ve done and learned aren’t going anywhere, I’m just taking them with me somewhere else. The fun of having worked hard in the past means you get to apply the lessons you’ve learned to the rest of your life! And these relationships I’ve forged will hopefully last a lifetime, because I don’t intend to let any of you go that easily.

Since I’m leaving Chicago, it only stands to reason that I can no longer represent the Chicago actor in this online forum. Thank you, readers and friends, for letting me be a small part of your careers for the past few years. It’s been a privilege, and you have taught me so much about myself as both an actor and a person. We are in the process of finding a Chicago actor who can fill my shoes, but in the meantime I’ll leave you in the capable hands of Ben and Erin.

I wish you all the best in your careers, and if you’re curious about the Colorado acting community, or would like to continue our wonderful dialogue, I encourage you to visit www.JoeVonBokern.com.

Yours always,

~JVB

It happened. We broke up. My (now former) commercial agency and I parted ways. Thankfully, of all the breakups I’ve ever had, this one actually went pretty well.

Let’s back up. I signed with CESD about a year and a half ago, after a friend of mine referred me and we had a stellar meeting. Everyone over there are consummate professionals, and I knew when I signed with them that it was a business relationship I was going to trust.

So what happened? In short, we weren’t making money and my contract expired. For the first year auditions came in waves, but they came. For the past few months, though, for whatever reason we weren’t able to get me any auditions, so when my contract came up to be renewed, they decided not to re-sign me.

What I Learned

1) Go in trusting

When I first signed with CESD I knew they were a top agency and that I was going to trust them for the extent of my contract (18 months). I knew that even if things were slow they were doing the best they could and it was worth being with them. This allowed me an incredible peace of mind during the inevitable ebb and flow of auditions.

2) Maintain Relationships

This experience was a stellar reminder that it behooves every actor to maintain contact with everyone, especially people you work with or could conceivably ever work with. Because I had stayed in contact with people I’d met years ago, I didn’t have to start from ground zero.

What I Would Have Done Differently

1) Marketing

I would have been more active in marketing to the commercial world. I always sent thank you notes to anyone who brought me in, but I wasn’t consistent in targeting the top commercial CDs and continually updating them on my career. More active marketing might have kept the auditions coming.

2) Communication, communication, communication

I would have had a direct conversation with the agency when the auditions dried up. “What can I do?” Clearly something had stopped working, and I would have made more of an effort to figure out what was going on, and more importantly what I could do about it. The earlier you have this conversation, the better. Once a problem has persisted for a while it may be too late to fix it.

3) Classes

I was in the midst of a lot of commercial classes (Killian’s Workshop, improv at UCB) when I started at CESD. Both being in those classes, and having them on my resume, I think were helpful in generating a lot of auditions. As time went on, however, I began to focus a little bit more on other areas of my career. Not coincidentally, my commercial auditions started to dry up. All this to say, that were I to do it over again I would have stayed more active in commercial classes.

The Rebound

As with any Hollywood breakup story, it wouldn’t be complete without a new love. Upon parting ways with CESD I first conversed with my manager and then immediately called over to my friends at Brick Entertainment. I’ve known Kenny and Nelson for about two years, after initially meeting them on twitter (that’s right). I told them I was recently single, but that I only wanted to mingle with them. I went in for a meeting, we discussed what I’ve been up commercially, how each of us see me in the commercial world, and ultimately decided to work together. They are two of the smartest people in this business, and I’m thrilled to be working with them.

Final Thoughts

If you decide to stay around this business long enough to find success, it’s all but inevitable that you will work with many different agents and managers. Remember to always treat everyone with respect (i.e. don’t badmouth your ex), and always be maintaining all your industry relationships. You never know where you’ll be in 5 years.

Ben Whitehair is the Los Angeles contingent of this blog. Find out more information and view his materials on his website, or read the rest of his blog posts.

2011 is now two full months behind us, but I think it’s super import to continually check in with ourselves and our progress. I’ve done annual reviews for 2010 and 2009 previously, and those posts discuss the structure and importance of my annual reviews. (You can find my annual review on 2009 here, and then my 2010 posts here and here.) Again, we’re all the CEOs of our own companies, and it’s imperative to continually look at what’s working, and what isn’t.

I’ll dive into the actual data in Part II, but from an empirical standpoint, 2011 was for me a year of dramatic personal growth. I spent an immense amount of time and energy looking inward, dealing with pain I was carrying around from my past, and taking a serious look at how I’m being in general and in my relationships.

At the risk of sounding melodramatic, the most profound revelations in the past year came out of revisiting the abuse I experienced as a teenager, and clearing myself of the bitterness I was still holding onto. In addition, I profoundly reconnected with the Big Picture and my Vision for the world. As I became more deeply integrated with myself and why I live the life I do, huge successes came my way and I rediscovered a profound motivation.

My vision for the world is one in which the only limitation on any individual is the extent of their imagination. As soon as I made this my focus I booked a role in a movie (when the writer, someone I met while auditing an acting class 2 years ago and haven’t spoken to since, messaged me on facebook) which creates a dialogue around  rape and domestic violence…two issues I’m passionate about addressing. Weeks later I booked my first national TV credit on CSI: Miami. While being a huge step forward in my career, the more profound benefit to me with that the role allowed me to have a megaphone (literally) and tens of millions of people to hear my own words on political topics I care deeply about. It was, to me, a sign from the universe that I can effect the kind of change I want and have the impact I desire in my current path.

Along with my personal and spiritual growth, my craft has been taken to a whole ‘nuva leva’. My focus on ways of being has made me more present, open, and vulnerable in my life and in my work. Increased confidence has also significantly improved my performance in the audition room and on screen.

I should also note that in 2011 I signed with an incredible manager, David Kohl. Building my team was the primary aim for the year, and I’m thrilled to have made created that. I also started working with a theatrical agent, and continued with my commercial agency. (Side note, the relationship with both my theatrical and commercial agencies ended in the past week, but more on that here shortly.)

Lastly, I continued to focus on relationships as the key way to book work. I rarely if ever self-submit, and I now rely on networking (read: connecting with people), previous relationships, and my representation to generate auditions and offers.

Final Thoughts

As actors we get hired for our energy. Our presence. The way we walk into a room. It can be easy to discount or altogether ignore working on ourselves as human beings, but I’m not sure there’s a better pursuit as an actor. Similarly, it can be easy to get bogged down in the grind and lose sight of why you started acting in the first place. I’ve learned that the most powerful foundation I can have is my vision for the world. Why not take a minute, a lunch break, a long weekend to remind yourself (or discover) why it is that you’re here. What do you want your tombstone to say? Then with that in mind, go forth and have as much freaking fun as possible. :p

Ben Whitehair is the Los Angeles contingent of this blog. Find out more information and view his materials on his website, or read the rest of his blog posts.

Australian actors infiltrating the US entertainment industry, is certainly not a rarity these days. Once upon a time, invading ‘Aussies’ blended into the fabric with their pitch perfect American accents and we just assumed they were American. But today our film and TV is so crammed with Aussie faces, it’s hard to escape the fact that they are taking over Hollywood. From True Blood’s Ryan Kwantan, Hawaii 5-0’s Alex O’Laughlin, The Mentalist’s Simon Baker, United States of Tara’s Toni Collette and Chuck’s Yvonne Strahovski; to the film world’s current hot property: the Hemmesworth Brothers, Mia Wasikowska, Abbie Cornish, Sam Worthington, Guy Pearce, Rose Byrne and Joel Edgerton.

Australian actress Belinda Gosbee has been in the US herself for two and a half years and has already worked alongside the likes of Leo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara. She also morphed perfectly into the quintessential rural Southern Girl in Indie thriller East Stackton, played an All-American mom in baseball film The Pitch and recently won several awards for her portrayal of a ‘texting whilst driving’ mother in a powerful new commercial.

Belinda took some time out with me to explain the phenomenon of the Aussie actor, and her journey so far in the US of A.

Q. Belinda, everywhere you look right now there is an undercover Aussie gracing the screen here in the US. Why do you think Aussie’s are so successful here?

A. Yes! We really are infiltrating more than ever, aren’t we? I think it’s a few factors really. Firstly, we integrate well. We are quite adept with the American accent and we always turn up to auditions in an American accent. We don’t like to ever have it questioned that we are anything but American and we work hard at that. Why are we so great at the accent? It’s really hard to say but we do grow up with a lot of American film and TV in our ears, and I also think we have a very adaptable accent. The sounds are somehow easy to shift for us. Hey, we’re all convicts I think we just inherently know how to blend in! Secondly, we come from a very British style of actor training rooted deeply in the theatre. I think this gives us a real solid training base. And ultimately, I think we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We’re a pretty grounded lot, and we drink far too much. I think the crews enjoy having us around (she laughs).

Q. So last year you got to work with Leo DiCaprio and Clint Eastwood on J. Edgar, and this year you filmed a small role in Spike Jonze’s new film, Her, alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara. Tell me about it. You’ve only been here such a short time.

A. Yeah, it is quite a ‘pinch me’ moment when you find yourself up close and personal with some of the greatest working actors out there today. I personally grew up watching countless Clint Eastwood films, as my dad is such a fan. When he stepped out onto the set that day I was rendered speechless and started to tear up. I don’t think anyone has had that effect on me before! I was already standing beside Leo and was all very cool and calm about that, but Clint… And what an amazing director he is. So quiet, and yet so quick and efficient. Spike Jonze was very much the same. Very quiet, just got the job done. I’m really excited about Spike’s new film. It’s really unique, and it was such fun to shoot. I got to work directly with Joaquin Phoenix, who I just rate so highly. He is such a phenomenal actor. I think this film is going to be a cult classic.

Still from Aussie TV Show, Rescue: Special Ops

Q. So you were telling me that you are madly in love with the state of Louisiana. What’s the deal? Aren’t we lovable enough in Cali?

A. Oh my sweet Louisiana! I am, I’m in love! And New Orleans, don’t get me started. It’s officially my favourite city in the US. I had the pleasure of working for almost a month on location in rural Louisiana last year on this fantastic Indie film. I played the lead role of Kelly, who is a small town girl with a load of secrets. I was so honoured to get to play her. They auditioned in Hollywood as well as Louisiana to cast that role, and they gave it to an Aussie gal! I was the only non-southerner playing a southerner on that set and boy, that first day was daunting. I felt like they were hearing every little mistake in my accent and cursing me under their breaths. But everyone was amazing and stupidly fun, and the greatest compliment I could have been given was when a local girl came up to me and was, “Shut up! They’re telling me that you’re Australian?! There is no way. You’ve got my accent, girl!” But the people, and the food, and the culture down there, I was just in heaven. I was also a mad Saints fan already, so I fit in very well. And y’know I do absolutely adore California. I knew I’d become a true Angelino the day I first stuck up for my adopted city. I get so sick of people knocking LA. I take it so personally these days.

Q. So what’s next? What have you been up to recently?

A. Well, I just completed writing my first screenplay, which was a major accomplishment for me. I still can’t believe I did it. I’ve always written for myself, and I have a degree in Journalism, but the idea of writing a whole screenplay was so daunting. I kept convincing myself that I was the actor in this arrangement and that writing was for writers. The minute I acknowledged myself as a writer everything just fell into place. A wonderful writing teacher told me, “Write what you know”, so I did just that. I let it pour onto the page and somehow by the end I had this story. I’m excited about it. I really want to get it made, and I most definitely wrote with the idea of myself in the lead role. I’d be crazy not to. It’s all about making your own work these days. I’m so inspired by everything Brit Marling (Another Earth) has achieved.

I also want to get back onto the Stage. I am missing it incredibly right now. It’s like an ache in my heart. That is something I really want to focus on in the near future. I think LA has some great theatre, you just need to know where to look.

Q. So finally, tell me about this ‘anti- text and driving’ campaign you’ve had such success with of late.

A. Yes, it’s been doing so well. It has such an important message. We all take it so lightly, but texting and driving is serious and people are dying every day because of it. I sat down and spoke personally with the Santa Monica Fire Brigade (who funded the campaign) and the stories they could tell you just out of the Santa Monica area were horrific. In the commercial, I play a mother who ends up killing herself and both of her young daughters whilst sending her husband a quick text from behind the wheel. It’s just awful. But hard-hitting messages seem to make people stop and listen. I’m all for it. And yes, we have now won two awards for it. I’m stoked! An Indie Fest Merit and a Bronze Telly Award.

Belinda Gosbee is from Sydney Australia where she has carved out a career for herself across three mediums, having worked continuously in TV, film and theatre. She is a graduate of the Australian Academy of Dramatic Arts, and holds a BA in Journalism. www.belindagosbee.com

Stills from East Stackton, Louisiana

Fill in the blank for me. Once I have _____, I will be happy. Are you sure that’s the thing? Pick wisely. Even pick a few things. Maybe once you have your own show, more money, a girlfriend, a puppy? Okay, final answer?

*Buzzer.* Wrong. The paradigm here is backwards, and as much as we think something external from us will increase our happiness level, that’s simply not the case.

So let’s flip this on it’s head. What happens when you’re happy, joyful, creative, grateful, etc.? How do you behave? In ways that lead to more happiness, exactly! You’re so smart. When you are living in your happy place, your actions are then in line with your vision and you move towards your goals. Then, from that place, you will manifest that golden retriever puppy you’ve always been wanting.

If you are familiar with the principles of the law of attraction then you might already be familiar with the Be. Do. Have. principle here. I was only recently introduced to this paradigm, though, and it has dramatically changed my life. As I mentioned in my my last blog post, as I’ve shifted my focus from the end results (not that I don’t still have very clear goals and visions in place) and onto my ways of being, the results have taken care of themselves.

Think of this analogy. Someone was recently complaining to me that they didn’t have a boyfriend, stating that if they did then they would be happy. Now, if you’re being a Debbie Downer all the time, depressed that no one likes you, who do you think you’re going to attract? Is that the type of person someone is going to want to date? I’m gonna say not so much. If, though, you focus on being a happy person, pursuing your passions, and manifesting joy, then people are going to be attracted to and want to be around you.

So whatever it is that you want, how would someone who already has that act and behave? How would someone getting paid $25,000/week on your favorite sitcom be? What about someone living in abundance? What about someone in a successful relationship? See what happens if you spend your next week focused on how you’re being, rather than the results you want.

Remember, we’re human beings, not human doings.

Ben Whitehair is the Los Angeles contingent of this blog. Find out more information and view his materials on his website, or read the rest of his blog posts.