All the World's a Stage...

In lieu of having an actual acting class, I've resorted to people-watching and people-interacting (we will have to pass that hyphenation off as acceptable for the sake of this entry) as a surrogate form of acting training. Jerry Seinfeld did the same thing, and look how successful a comedian he became. And all his sitcom was about was about nothing. You know. Those little things in life that we brush off as insignificant but are really not. Those "straws that break the camel's back." Brilliant, right?! Why? Because we can all relate to those things. The stuff that happens to the everyday American...toothpaste caps, phone messages, bad dates...we all turn on our TVs, see ourselves in it in a slightly exaggerated way, and then empathetically laugh our hearts out.

So since I am deprived of acting lessons, I created my own. Of course, I did not look at my current job this way until my mom brought it to light for me one day when I was feeling particularly down about it. When you are involved in direct marketing, it goes slightly beyond your standard cup of customer service. Not only do you have to serve, you have to be the whole package; you are the introduction to the product and service; you are the presenter, you are the expert on all things that (whatever "that" may be, fill in the blank here); you are the problem-solver, diagnosing their needs and providing a solution. And of course, you are the one who provides an opportunity for them to fill that need and solve that problem with the product you represent. And finally you take care of them all the way till the final "Congrats!" and handshake.

Working with this marketing company and our top client has definitely been a challenge. Not in terms of skills per se; the ins-and-outs of the required skill set were very easy to learn. No, where the challenge came in was when I was asked to draw from within myself to keep motivated against probable and frequent barrages of negativity and rejection.

Can I just say that when I was little, I totally thought that if you were nice to the world, the world would be nice to you back. Of course, right?! That seems logical. I could not fathom how someone could be mean or snappy for no apparent reason.

Well, flash forward to schooled, practically grown-up me, in this thing called the "real world," meeting all sorts of folk who could easily incinerate you with a stare if their looks could do so much damage. I'm talking about roommates, classmates, groupmates, commuters, coffee-makers, grocers, deans, customers! Anyone and everyone is a possibility for a flare-up. Sometimes in my job all I do is say hi...I don't even get to what I'm supposed to say before they "give me the hand," growl, or snap. And to think - a simple hello!

I know people have lives and problems and such, but let me just say that compartmentalizing (ie, NOT taking your personal problems out on innocent victims) is a valuable skill to learn. Just an FYI.

Who would've thought that rejection could hurt so hard. When I make a pitch to a possible customer and they turn it down flat, they reject our client's service and product, not me. But it sure feels personal. And as a human being, I take it that way most times.

But then...then there are times when things couldn't go smoother. You meet the customers who make your day shine so brightly you want to make homemade banana bread for them. And whether they enlist your services or not, they somehow make such a positive impact on your day it restores your faith in humanity again.

And then of course there are days and times when things move along on an average plane...you get a mix of the no's and yes's and at the end of the day you've been exposed to such different scenarios and characters that you can only laugh. And then eat a hearty dinner and keep moving forward.

Showbiz is a lot like my lovely job. There are times when the wind fills your sails and you fly high. You get an agent, you book a role, you clear a check, you snag a callback; they love you! Then there are times when it seems that the pain of rejection is so bad you begin to question your very place in the industry you know you love so much.

You'll meet grumpy casting directors who judge you based on your "hello"; some agents will cast you aside before giving you a chance to show them what you have to offer; a role may go to someone else (this hurts the most...at least it definitely makes the top five).

But you'll also meet lovely people who look at newbies and go, "sure!", and agents who will take a chance. You'll give your 100% and someone will notice and praise you for it; you'll be the reason the commercial or the film was a success.

And through it all, you must keep trucking. And you have to be self-motivated. And you have to let the negatives ride off your shoulder and focus on the positives.

Above all, you must put God first.

Because anything worth having in this life has got to be something good, and all good things come from God.

God blessed me with this job. Yeah, at times it's hard. I've cried, I'll admit it. I didn't have as thick a skin as I thought. But over these past two months I've seen how beneficial it's been to me. Instead of me paying someone to teach me how to "improv" a conversation on the spot, how to live in the moment, how to pick apart a script, I get paid to do all that and more with the wide variety of clientele we have in the Bay Area. I have broadened my character horizons for story ideas, I've learned to laugh when someone shoves a hand in my face, I've gotten used to dealing with no's and with some of the most difficult people I didn't know existed. I've also learned to appreciate kindness and honesty in others, and how good it feels to receive it. I also know, on a very small scale, what God feels like. Before He can even say hello, some people curse Him to His face, judging Him before they know how wonderful He really is.

There's been a reason I've stayed here in Marketing...God has been teaching me, and He also knew I needed a paycheck :) What a lovely sense of humor He has. He's full of surprises, and He's an ever-patient teacher. The best one.

I've got a lot to learn, no doubt about it. But every moment I get to be refined by Him is a moment I cherish. He'll bring me 'round to my mission soon enough. I hope He steers me towards the film industry again soon...perhaps this has been the training ground, and now I wait to be sent out into "the field" again...this time stronger and more confident than the last time. Ready to face anything, and to know that God truly is in control. To know that in my heart, not only in my head.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
-Jeremiah 29:11

He knows. He knows everything. And He has plans. To think: The God of the Universe has plans for you. Don't let anyone less lead you.

Happy New Year, all. God loves you more than you know.

~Catherine