Sample Writings, My 1st Inspiration

Below is the beginning of my assignment number one paper for my Visual and Performing Arts Advanced Writing 340 Course. We were to write about our process and our art. Though this is only a section of the paper I believe it shows a little insight into my first inspiration to continue a life long path on the theater road!

“Dear third little pig, you were my favrite caracter. I hope you do more plays becus I want to watch you. I hope I kan be like you. Gracie.” This was the first piece of fan mail that I ever received. I’ll never forget the overwhelming joy I felt the very first time that I realized I could impact others through my passion for theatre. As a rapping pig in the sixth grade play, “The Fairytale Courtroom,” I made my first theatrical appearance. I wore overalls with one strap hanging down over my white wife-beater tank top, a 2pac bandana, headphones around my neck, and the attitude of LL Cool J (not to mention a pig snout and ears). From the beginning, I took my roles very seriously, always making sure to completely encompass my character...even when I only had four lines. I was able to transform my mind, body, and spirit into my role. In my very first performance, I remember believing I was actually an attitudinal rapping pig. I learned from a young age that my ability to keep this imagination alive would remain the essential ingredient at the core of my success. As I “became one with my character,” I was able to bring the character alive in the eyes of my audience. It was in a simple letter of appreciation from the heart of a five-year-old little girl in the audience that I realized I had the ability to bring a character alive on stage. My presence had made an impact, igniting a passion and becoming a possibility. Gracie showed me the influential power of art. This “possibility” has molded my entire life.

Below are some picture from plays I have done. I show you these to to give you an example of the character work I do. To me, creating a world and a character is what makes the entertainment great.

This picture was when I played Brooke/Vicki in Neil Simon's BRitish comedy, Noises Off!


This image is when I was in the musical "Once Upon a Mattress" and played the evil Queen, Queen Aggravain.

Artist Statement

My Love,

My flight took off at 7am this morning just as the sun was rising. As I gazed in awe of the snow-capped mountains and the sun rising behind it I was not satisfied with its beauty, because it was not you.

No sun shines as bright in my life as you do. You are there for me even when the sun is sleeping. You give me purpose. You give me light.

I sometimes awake in fear that I will not be able to give in return all that you have given to me. The dreams you play in my mind, the inspiration you give my life, the vision you give me of the potential I possess.

If I believed in myself the way you believe in me I imagine I too could make others believe. If I do what you call me to do, then maybe I could inspire others as well.

For in this life you have taught me that you only get as much as you give. Not that I love you in order to receive, but rather I love you so that I may learn to give.

Love, Serene


Why do I do what I do? I sit staring at the blank page on my computer as I begin to write this. There are so many words that bounce in my mind, but the only truth I could feel was that I love. I love my art. I love theater. How does one put into words the feeling of love? For love is like the wind. You can feel it, you knows its there, but you cannot see it or hold it, you must simply believe. I believe in my love for what I do. I feel privileged to be able to do what I love in this life. My other love is writing letters. I write to my soulmate everyday, and I write to my family and to my pen pal. So I figured the only way I knew how to express an artists statement of what I do is through a love letter. That is what you read above. I hope you too can love something in your life as I do.

ABC's Group Project

In the process of creating our group art project we began with the concept of music and its inspirational influence upon artists. Whether you use music to inspire a character’s actions like I do in my acting performance, or you are creating a type of dance that flows to the music like Sara, paint a portrait in which your brush strokes mimic the sounds you hear like Andrea, or you are playing a piece of music that inspires the way in which you play it like Christine.
Music is a powerful tool for anyone in the business of being an artist. It can affect your mood, your state of mind, and even your inner peace.
When our group met in Doheny Library we began to listen to songs on my I-pod. We came across the song “Home to Me” by Josh Kelley. As we listened to the lyrics and the peaceful, serene melody of the piece we reminisced on the ability of our art to be our comfort zone, our home.
This sparked the idea to create a music video to the song and show it to the class in hopes of getting some type of emotional response.
We looked on Getty Images and picked out pictures that would inspire an emotional response from our audience and that related to the lyrics of the piece.
When we finished the slideshow of pictures it gave off the vibe or idea that we can find home in the quiet moments of enjoying the presence and existence of people and the little things in our life. For example, the class seemed to respond to the picture of the human hand upon the elephant. This was interesting because it created a sensational response to many as they could imagine what that would have felt like. It made our senses aware of things we may otherwise ignore.
My hope is that by watching this piece people allow them self to step outside of the crazy world they are currently living in and take a moment of relaxation and peace. I hope that people slow down their world and begin to notice the people and the world around them. We need to slow down in life, because at the end of the day what matters the most is home; and what home means to us.
Sara then created a beautiful dance inspired from the music slideshow. We put the two into a split screen so that our audience could watch both the dance and the pictures. Andrea pointed out that metaphorically that was symbolic of the split we often feel in life between the crazy world we are living in and the place that is home to us, we must choose which side to focus on.

Art Review

I recently visited the Grammy museum in Downtown Los Angeles at LA Live. Walking into the museum was a rush. The entrance is through an elevator that opens its doors to a virtual picture show and blasting mix of music with everything from Michael Jackson to Kelly Clarkson to Katy Perry. After passing through this hallway you enter the museum. It was quiet as people sat watching a large screen of Michael Jackson dancing at Motown. One could also walk around and enjoy observing the costumes, records, and pictures of the top performers of music. But the most intriguing part of the museum was the ability for a “hands-on” experience. There were guitars, drums, pianos, and even microphones that museum viewers could touch and play. The experience of this museum is not only educational, but also engaging as viewers could put themselves into the shoes of the performers.

This new type of “interactive” museum is good for bringing the kids. The newest generations of kids are being raised on cell phones and video games; by bringing them to an interactive museum they are able to use their hands with instruments and technology while educating themselves as well. I even grew bored looking at records and found myself most interested in learning when I had a microphone and bass in my hands. This was not just any museum though. Four floors high, it was like a maze of excitement walking through it. Still in its building stage, the layout and current repertoire of artist’s costumes was exceptional. The wall of four of Michael Jackson’s most famous outfits was breathtaking to look at. The museum catered much to Jackson since his recent passing, a nice touch since it seemed many visiting were looking for a place to recognize him. It did not overwhelm with dedication to him though, but rather created a nice balance as one could also observe other legends such as Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Sony and Cher, Madonna, The Beetles, etc.

Downtown LA Live’s Grammy museum is new and could use more paraphernalia to impress, but overall was stunning and engaging. This museum got rid of that stuffy, “don’t touch” atmosphere that many museums have. I look forward to returning again when I get the need to learn more about pop-culture or just to put a guitar in my hands and learn an Eagles song.

Giving for you Art

Have you ever experienced a deep pain your heart from loss or love? Have you fought, suffered, lived passionately, and stopped to watch the people passing by? It is my belief that it is the experiences in our lives that create the art we make. We are artists because we see the world differently than most. When we see a building it is more than just a building. We see a brick slightly misplaced and wonder who placed that brick? Did they become lazy or slip when laying it wrong? Did they have a family they were hurrying to get home to, and became sloppy with their work? We are artists because we notice. We feel. We sacrifice. And we are brave enough to share a piece of our soul with the rest of the world.

People have often told me that they never know what I am thinking. That I react to situations and life differently than expected. That my choices are often unexpected and odd. Whether good or bad I am yet to know. I do know that I am one of the most aware people I know. I notice the world around me, the faces one makes when I make a certain comment or the way one responds with body language to my actions. Everything I do and feel in my life I store in my mind to use for my art. I love interacting with people. I have a had a great love in my life. It was horrible. My heart was ripped out, I felt like nothing, I fought with my family over it, I almost destroyed the independent person I had worked my whole life to be. I almost lost myself. Amidst all of it, I noticed. The feelings my heart and soul felt were some of the lowest points of my life. Through it, I took notes. In some unexplainable way I enjoyed the passion and pain I felt because I felt like I was growing closer to understanding the human soul. It is a place I can go and use in my acting. It's all for my craft. The dark places I felt for three years with my family and love is now a piece of the magic behind my acting. It is a part of my life experience. Just one small piece of my life experience that I keep in my actors toolbox. I am willing to sacrifice opening up those hurtful feelings for my art.

There are so many other ways to sacrifice for you art. Many actors have stripped themselves bare naked, starved themselves, made themselves ugly and shown their flaws to encompass a role. This, however, has made them great. It is our flaws, if we are willing to show them, that make us interesting as artists. It is the appeal. If we want to see flawlessness we can open up a Vogue magazine. But true art lies in the mistakes and darkness of the human. It is when we reveal this side of ourselves to the world that greatness can happen. It is when we let go. Some examples that come to mind are Cameron Diaz in Being John Malkovich, Charlize Theron in Monster, and Christian Bale in The Machinist.

Cameron Diaz when outside a comfort zone and completely diminished her beauty in this role. She covered over her piercing blue eyes with brown contacts and muted her hair color. She also got rid of her tan and didn't wear very much makeup. My acting professor, Joseph Hacker, has always told me that when you stop being selfish and lose conscious of your vanity your acting will truly become something.

Christian Bale said that in order to create the emaciated look for the part he had to stop eating and develop anorexia. Its crazy to think that someone brought that upon them self and suffered in order to make entertainment for us.

So can I do it? Can you?