When I was little, I thought I was hot shit. No joke. I'd walk around with my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fanny pack and be all like, "Yeah, that's right. I can wear this and a flower hat and I'm still perfect." Then, I got older and self conscious. Somewhere along the line I got so afraid or weird that I wouldn't even call to order a pizza. Feeling like a big loser, I knew that I'd have to do something to get myself out of my shell, so acting seemed like the thing to freak me out just enough to achieve said result. Well, almost 10 years after that shift and a degree in acting from Tisch, I'd say it worked. I'm not the most outgoing person ever, but I also don't let introversion cripple me from making connections and doing things I need to do.

This brings me to my broader point.

Over the past few months when developing my film and taking my career into my own hands I realized that you can never achieve anything from just sitting in your room writing, or walking into an audition room and nailing an audition. Just because you are great doesn't mean you will make it. 

   There is so much more work than just doing a good job.

You have to go to events, meet people, shake hands, network, read blogs, tweet. It's all about community. I think I've finally found a little niche that I love and feel at home in. The independent film world is exciting to me. I've been meeting filmmakers passionate about storytelling, interested in collaborating with actors and other creative people. I've been trying to create my own work and share it with others, not rewrite and revise and make it perfect because I'm afraid to get it out there.

So in closing, find your community and go out there. I may not be wearing my Ninja Turtle fanny pack, but I'm starting to walk around with that same confidence. Rock on.