Acting is a venture

We undertake all sorts of ventures in our lives. When you or your child decides to become a professional actor, it is nothing less than a "venture".
The definition of venture (as a verb) is, "to dare to do something or go somewhere that may be dangerous or unpleasant."
I love applying this definition to so many parts of my life and our family life. Acting can be exciting, glamorous and incredibly rewarding. Acting also demands guts and the desire to take risks.

A day in the life of an actor involves combating nerves, putting herself out there, practicing patience and accepting rejection. Repeat. Repeat.
It's really quite like a mathematical equation: hard work+waiting x several times= success!

No matter how often my kids have worked on set or in studio, they still come up against some nerves now and again. It may be that they're about to audition for a well known casting director or that they have to sing in studio that day.
To combat nerves and help my kiddos feel their best, I follow some advice from a few of the awesome coaches we've worked with.
I make certain that they have had a good meal prior to the big moment. Right before they "go in" I might give them a bit of chocolate or a bite of a granola bar. A (comfortably) full belly and a bit of sugar go a long way with performing children.
I try to be sure that we don't discuss anything "big" before auditions or performances. It's never a good idea to absentmindedly say, "Oh by the way, turns out Johnny can't spend the night with us tonight", as you drive to the audition or job site.
I joke with my kids. Humor keeps things light. The more Mom fusses with the child's hair, offers tips and reminders, etc... the higher the child's anxiety.
Acting is a big deal to my kids. It's hard work. But since they are KIDS, it should still be fun. It's my job to foster that adventurous yet fun environment.

Acting is a venture, and it's a marvelous way for kids to learn to approach life!
I hope to teach my children that having a family is a venture, as is planning an international trip or making a move. These life events all require hard work and patience and the understanding that it might not go the way we planned. Any venture is frought with risk. Isn't that what makes it exciting?

Do you have any fun tips you've learned along the way (in acting or in any venture) to help kids feel prepared, patient and/or confident?

The Voice Over industry

Is there a cooler industry than that of Voice Over? I think not! My children have been fortunate to record radio commercials, cartoon channel announcements, ADR for feature films and they've enjoyed both guest roles and lead roles on popular animated TV shows. Every experience has taught them something new and introduced them to SOMEONE new and amazing and inspiring... I could go on. I'm starting to wonder if it's a requirement for voice actors to be super cool and down to earth, not to mention kind and gracious. The kiddos have been lucky enough to meet the amazing actors behind the voices of Scooby Doo, Adventure Time, SpongeBob, Uncle Grandpa, TMNT, Steven Universe and so many more. These actors have been so fun to talk to and so inspiring. We learn something new every time and a new experience is always just around the corner. Yesterday, Collin enjoyed his very first recording for a video game! This was truly a dream for him and he met the creators of his favorite game. (The project is still under wraps so I can't say much more) but I can say that he had so much fun wearing a helmet with an attached video camera to capture his face and expressions. They will later use this for animation. Collin was thrilled, which of course thrills me! While at the studio, we met some awesome actors who voice the anime series, Bleach. Two of them also voiced Tiger and Bunny, another popular anime series. These guys were so funny and such a treat to talk to. One of Michaela's school friends is a huge anime fan and these actors called his number and left a message for him in their character voices. He was so thrilled. Since both kids worked on the same day this week in LA, we had some down time between jobs and enjoyed one of our favorite stores in Santa Monica, "Ye Ole King's Head" where we shop for British candy. We headed over to the pier and ate some fantastic Mexican fare from a food truck and hung out on the beach. These are the days when we feel extra grateful to be working in this industry.

Or better yet... create your own

I've always loved the famous quote by Robert Frost, "Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." I have given this beautiful quote my own twist and find myself using it with my kids frequently. I've often said, "Take the path less travelled... or better yet- create your own." This is the only way I can begin to describe our family and the choices we've made. I have three amazing children. In fact, we liked our oldest two SO much, that we decided to have one more, creating an almost 8 year span between our middle and youngest child. Our newest addition, Pax, is a fantastic joy and he too, will carve his own unique path in this world and it will be filled with triumphs and bumps- sometimes BIG bumps. Early on as a new parent, I found out that I was a "seeker". While there is not a thing wrong with taking advantage of the beautiful offerings life has right in front of you, I found myself continually peeking around the corner at schools, cities, programs and opportunities. Now having said that, I will also lament that raising a child is like a subtle dance. It's very hard to say whether the child is following the parent's lead or whether the parent is responding to cues the child is offering. I can't tell you exactly how we happened upon the life we currently lead, but I can tell you that it involved a lot of questioning, trying and change! Early on we knew that our daughter was a different sort of being. We heard from many that she was an "old soul", "observant" "lost in thought", expressive and so on. We got her involved in some drama and make beleieve classes while she was of preschool age. It was one of those things that just "took," and she fell in love with acting. Our move from Colorado to Phoenix, AZ brought us more opportunity in the acting world and even closer in proximity to LA. Kayla landed a local AZ agent and a Hollywood agent shortly after. She quickly booked voiceover roles on animated series as well as commercials. Her busy and exciting schedule required me to homes-chool both kids. For almost two years, we home-shcooled and lived in LA part time. Those were wonderful (and sometimes lonely) times filled with auditions, bookings, lots of laughs and some tears and disappointments. Both kids were working regularly and were in and out of their beloved charter school while we home-schooled as needed. We traveled, met a lot of people, read a lot, walked the beaches, read some more and tried new things. I wouldn't change that time for anything. During those years, I continued with photography, read and wrote. I started and nearly completed three books, and while I guided my children on their journey, I slowly began my own. Here I am at age 39 practically starting over with a new baby, a new cabin in the woods (which will be the perfect place to encourage me to finish those books and begin new ones!) and continuing on the awesome journey of raising my two eldest children and cheering them on their crazy paths.