101 Things in 1001 Days

I am an obsessive list maker. It may be obvious to you from the insane amount I have already made on here but if not, here's another one!

I ended one of these this April and actually managed to complete a lot of the points. However when I made it I was in my first year of university and my goals and expectations were... less than realistic! I feel I have a better grasp on what I can achieve in three years and what I want to achieve by my 26th Birthday. 

The idea is to have points that aren't ambiguous. That way you have a clear indication of whether you have completed them or not.

So without further ado here is my brand new 101 things which I will do a monthly update of on here.

Start Date: Saturday June 15^th 2013

End Date: Saturday March 12^th 2016

Travel:

1.     Visit Croatia

2.     Visit Paris

3.     Go on holiday with a friend

4.     See a Romeo and Juliet at the globe  

5.     Spend the day at Alton Towers

6.     Relax in the country for a weekend

7.     See The Magic Flute

8.     See The Nutcracker at Christmas

9.     Take a road trip

10.  Visit 10 new places in the UK

11.  Spend my 25^th Birthday in a different country

Online:

12.  Write an ebook

13.  Redesign my blog to something I am proud of

14.  Get a new computer

15.  Create a brand for myself

16.  Rejoin youtube posting content I am proud of

Family and friends:

17.  Make the people I love a handmade gift for Birthdays/ Christmas (x5)

18.  Have a catch up with friends at least once a month

19.  Spend a day out with Kathryn

20.  Make an effort to send birthday cards to close family and friends

21.  Re-connect with at least five friends.

22.  Spend a day with my family at least once a month

My Mind:

23.  Learn French and be able to hold a conversation.

24.  Watch 20 Classic movies

25.  Cook 5 meals from 5 different countries

26.  Watch a movie from every year since moviemaking began

27.  Read a new book every month (x33)

28.  Read 10 Classic novels

29.  Organize my photos and scraps into scrapbooks and boxes.

30.  Watch 20 foreign films

31.  Watch 10 Classic musicals

32.  Take a photograph every day for a year

33.  Buy a sketchbook and fill it with drawings

34.  Learn a new skill

My body:

35.  Be 120lbs

36.  Half way to weight loss

37.  ¾ way to weight loss

38.  Complete the couch to 5k programme

39.  Cut out soda for a month

40.  Try pilates

41.  Take a dance class once a week for a month

42.  Keep a food journal for a week/ a month

43.  Improve my posture

44.  Go Vegetarian for a month

45.  Become flexible enough to touch my toes

46.  For one month get up early every day for a walk/ run

47.  For one month give up added sugar

48.  For one month give up caffeine

49.  Complete the seven day slim down

50.  Complete a tone it up members challenge

51.  Complete the Ballet Bar Challenge

52.  For 101 days give up fast food

53.  Take a yoga class

54.  Drink 2 litres of water per day for a month

55.  Whiten my teeth

56.  Do a full body detox

57.  Take vitamins every day for a month

58.  Floss my teeth every day for a month

59.  Wake up at 6am for a week

My soul:

60.  Write a list of 50 things I like about myself

61.  Write a letter to myself to be opened at the end of 1001 days

62.  Write a letter to someone I admire

63.  Write a list of 101 things I’ve already achieved

64.  Document my music taste over a year

65.  Get rid of 101 things

66.  Spend a whole weekend without the computer and smart phone!

67.  Unplug for 24 hours once every two months.

68.  Be working as a professional Actress

69.  Build a time capsule

70.  Meditate daily for a month

71.  Don’t say anything negative for a day

72.  Complete my own happiness project

For me:

73.  Get a massage

74.  Buy something designer

75.  Make Pinata cookies

76.  Carve a pumpkin

77.  Get a pedicure

78.  Watch a yankees game

79.  Make macarons

80.  Make a rainbow/ ombre cake

81.  Get a facial

82.  Fill my wardrobe with the basics from my list

83.  Buy a vintage dress

84.  Go for lunch at a tea room all dressed up

85.  Spend the day at the beach

86.  Own a matching pair of underwear from Victoria’s Secret

87.  Buy a new camera

For others:  

88.  Give blood

89.  Organize a charity event x3

90.  Send someone a care package for no reason

91.  Do volunteer work x15

92.  Make cookies and cupcakes and give them away

93.  Buy flowers for someone

94.  Throw Donna an amazing Bridal Shower

Money:

95.  Set a savings target

96.  Go a month without buying anything that isn’t a necessity

97.  Find an affordable apartment to live in

98.  Have a car boot sale

99.  Pay off my credit card debt and overdraft

100.                 Catalogue my expenses for one month in every year (x3)

101.                 Save £10 for every completed item

 Wish me luck, the same to you.

Annabelle

xoxo

The Radio in my Head

On Friday night Broadway boy Aaron Tveit performed is first concert at 54 Below. He has cleverly named his show 'The Radio in my Head" and all the songs he performed hold a special place in his heart, they tell his story of performing and it got me thinking.

 As Musical Theatre performers our job is to tell a story through song, after all that is why we prefer it over straight plays. The addition of music heightens the emotion for us. So why not tell our own stories through music? Aaron's genius inspired me to make my own playlist documenting my story.

1. Good Morning Baltimore- Hairspray.

-This was my first taste of Broadway. At 18 years old on a school trip I saw my first Broadway musical and got to do a workshop with some of the cast. It was at that moment I knew New York was the place I would one day call home.

2. Born to Try- Delta Goodrem

-At 11 years old there was a character on the TV show Neighbours that spoke to me more than anyone ever had. She was called Nina Tucker, a shy girl who came alive when she sang. Two years later the actress released her first single, Born to Try and I knew I wanted to perform for a living.

3. Over the Rainbow- The Wizard of Oz

- This was my first show in high school. I played Glinda but desperately wanted to sing this song! It was my first taste of being in a musical and I was in love.

4. Idaho- Nerina Pallot

- When I was 19 I was lucky enough to record with a professional sound engineer and this was the song. I learnt it in less than an hour and since then it has been one of my favourite songs to both sing and listen to.

5. I Miss the Mountains- Next to Normal

- For a long time I avoided this show, the issues in it and this song in particular hit too close to home and upset me far too much. When I was finally in a good enough place to listen to it I was completely blown away. Since then Diana has become a role I would love to play one day.

6. On My Own- Les Miserables

- The Musical and role that started it all. (See last weeks post for a full length ramble on how much this musical means to me! I shan't bore you again.)

7. Dark Blue- Jack's Mannequin

- I adored this band in high school but I hit a creative slump in university and stumbled across the front mans documentary. It inspired me just as much as Delta had ten years earlier and they have done ever since. So much so that I got their symbol tattooed onto me!

8. Out Tonight- Rent

- It took me a long time to get into this musical. My friends would always play me the songs and while I enjoyed them I was far too innocent to really appreciate it. Now I am obsessed! While I'm still quite timid whenever this song comes on I let loose and Mimi has become another dream role.

9. Memory- Cats

- This was the first song I ever performed. It was my first year at high school, I was 11 years old and my music teacher asked me to sing it for the class. She saw something in me that day and all through high school continued to push me to my fullest.

10. With You- Ghost

- I wrote about this musical for my final year dissertation and fell head over heels with the music. This song in particular is just so stunningly beautiful and surprise, surprise. Molly is another dream role!

11. Candyman- Christina Aguilera

- This is my go to karaoke song! I heard this album in my first year of university and became obsessed with all things vintage, as well as the different ways I could use my voice. Up until then it had been all musical theatre or Delta Goodrem. Now I started learning how to growl and riff and really expand what I could do.

12. No Good Deed- Wicked

- During my second year of university I was feeling unfullfilled. I was doing a Drama degree and missed singing. My parents completely supported me when I applied to do a short course in Musical Theatre and this was the first song I performed with them. I barely remember the performance because for the first time I got so into character I didn't think and afterwards I was hit with such a high I just knew I was doing the right thing.

Encore. They Just Keep Moving the Line- Smash

-This show gives me my weekly dose of Broadway and this song in particular really hit home. I get a degree, but that's not good enough I need to keep going. I get experience but there's always something else to complete. They just keep moving that dammed line!

So there we go! If I were to perform my own show, that would be the set list. It may be interesting to come back to it when I'm 30 and see what songs I would choose then. What would be added and what would be taken away?

Wish me luck, the same to you.

Annabelle

xoxo

Hell Week

Every performer has a hell week, whether it is that one overly intensive week when you're in from 7am to 2am or the one where everyone stresses over costumes and lighting and props etc etc. I've also noticed that despite the name most people come out on a high, knowing that through their suffering things have become infinitely better. After all, haven't we fought long and hard to get there? No matter how hard the week is, we still enjoy it.

My hell week was not enjoyable, nor was it based around a production.

This week marked the first in my new work experience placement. I have been put into an office to get some admin experience and I hate it. As a creative person being stuck in a silent office doing mundane tasks with nothing to stimulate me it's been awful but that's not all!

 Half way through the week my car broke down, as a struggling artist I do not have the money to pay for a new one or repairs which wouldn't be a problem as I can usually get the train except just tonight I was offered a paid job in a place you need your own transport to reach! Typical!

 The rest of my problems are silly and little, being sick on Thursday, the train being delayed by nearly an hour, blisters from new shoes but add them all together and you get a very grumpy, very stressed Annabelle on this Friday evening.

 One who will never complain about an acting hell week again because quite frankly I would take ten of them over another day in an office!

 Is it time for my big break yet? I'm ready for my close up!

Wish me luck, the same to you.

Annabelle

xoxo

The Age of Aquarius

 I'm finding age to be a funny thing in this business, one that manages to both worry and comfort me at the exact same time. 

 On the one hand you have the west end casting of Les Miserables, they cast young. Sierra Boggess mentioned that she was old at 29. It panics me that starting at 23 will mean I'll never achieve my dream of playing Eponine. But then if we hop across the pond to the Broadway production of the same show we see one of the best Eponines, Celia Keenan-Bolger, playing her at 28. One year older and she would be considered almost too old to play Fantine, who is older than Eponine! 

 It's confusing, as I said on one hand I'm comforted by the fact I still have five years left before being too old on Broadway, but in England (where I'm currently stuck) I'm pretty much past my prime.

 In fact, it seems to be a running trend that actors can still get a break later on in their lives on the great white way. Norbert Leo Butz, 29 when he got his big Broadway break. 

 Then again, I could once again turn the tables and confuse matters more by bringing up people like Jennifer Damiano, she is only 21 and already has three big broadway shows under her belt! Or my favourite Aaron Tveit who landed his role in Wicked at 23.

 I'm hoping you can see where my confusion comes from. I know there's the whole 'don't compare yourself to others' thing but when it comes to casting ages I can't help it. Especially when it's concerning my ultimate dream role.

 I have managed to stop obsessing over it all, I've accepted the fact I will never be a child prodigy like Miss. Damiano but maybe, just maybe I can still play the street waif I so long to be. Hopefully when I get the opportunity I won't be considered too old!

 It's such a funny thing to talk to 'real' people about. At 23 years old you are considered young, at the beginning of your journey with your entire life ahead of you. In the acting world you're old to be starting. I don't really have anything philosophical to say about this fact. It's just something I've found interesting... and stressful!

The only thing I have learnt is to keep going, keep learning, keep growing and when an opportunity comes along grab it with both hands and don't let go. I'm hoping that someday soon someone will take a chance on an unknown and I will be one step closer to those grubby street clothes!

Wish me luck, the same to you.

Annabelle

xoxo

Time to Study!

 This morning I went to my first dance lesson in about three years. It wasn't as horrific as I first expected it to be and I actually ended up having fun. Turns out I quite enjoy dancing when I stop worrying about how bad I am!

 I've had a lot of free time, what with no job, no money and, well no life! So I've been researching the Broadway stars I admire and seeing what they do, how they prepare. I discovered that while on Broadway in the leading role of Frank Abagnale Jr. Aaron Tveit was still taking acting lessons and I thought why am I not doing the same? If he continues to learn after bagging the job of his dreams why on earth am I sat around not learning when I haven't even got one professional credit under my belt?

 And so begins my 'quest' to keep learning. I've enrolled in dance classes, ballet to be exact, as well as acting classes. For now I'm going to leave the singing as that's where I'm strongest and focus on the other two. Also when money's short you really can't afford to do that many classes!

So I guess now is the time to knuckle down and get to the hard work, let's face it. When I finally do get a job I'll be craving this kind of time to completely dedicate myself to acting so I'm not going to waste it while I have it.

If a little inspiration is needed though, here's the wonderful Aaron Tveit in Catch Me If You Can showing off some dance skills. (Oh and Chorus girls with legs for days, if that doesn't make you want to go to the gym I don't know what will!)

Wish me luck, the same to you.

Annabelle

xoxo

The Filmmaker can not See.

 This week has been slow, what with spending no money and not having a job coupled with the dismal weather here nothing much has happened that's worth blogging about! 

 I did, however, take my own advice (makes a change) and make a video for youtube. I've been thinking about rejoining for years and over the past few weeks have had a flood of ideas and finally on Wednesday I filmed and uploaded my first one.

 I'm still figuring out the editing process, as well as camera settings which right now are pretty darn awful! But that will be part of the fun of making videos, how do I make the quality better without spending a ton of money?

 So here it is! I hope you enjoy my little introduction and until next week.

Wish me luck, the same to you.

Annabelle

xoxo

The Starving Artist

It is 8pm on a Friday night and once again I am sat inside watching bad movies and eating my body weight in chocolate. While I have always admittedly been a bit of a loner this constant house arrest isn't due to lack of friends, more a lack of money.

 There's this romantic notion that surrounds the starving artist. They suffer for their art but ultimately grow from the experience.

 All I'm growing is the desire for a money tree.

 Not only am I not acting, I'm just not working, what job can you get with a drama degree? None apparently! The acting jobs want people from drama schools and the 'real' jobs want people with 'real' degrees leaving little old me back at my parents and finding free ways to entertain myself.

 So I thought I'd share a few things I've come up with for my fellow starving artists!

- Watch through your DVD library: Seeing as this is only a part of my collection I think this will keep me occupied for a while! 

-Spring Clean: 'Tis the season and all that. I'm actually really proud with the way my room has turned out and I have boxes full of things to sell, which in turn will make me money.

- Go for a walk somewhere new: It's free and you get to explore and learn something. If you take your camera along you can get some awsome shots too!

-Improve yourself: Get out the old singing books, go on youtube and teach yourself dancing, pull out the Stanislavski! You won't have this much down time for long so use it to better yourself and in turn your career.

-Get online!: Blog, make videos, find a way to be creative so the artist side of you isn't starving too. Even if no one reads it, you get it out and get to think!

In the meantime I've started a couple of savings projects to help with the lack of money issue. 

- The Spending Fast: This is where you only spend on needs, such as rent, bills, food, and nothing else. Everything else you make goes into savings. These hardcore girls have done it for a whole year, I'm attempting three months and then I'll go from there. Who knows, maybe I'll manage a year too?

- The 52 Week Challenge: This is something I'm going to be lenient with, unlike the spending fast, the idea is you put £1 in week one, £2 for week two, £3 for week three and so on. By the end of the year you'll have around £1,700 saved and it won't have been too much trouble.

If you have any ideas please let me know and I hope these inspire you in some way!

Wish me luck, the same to you.

Annabelle

xoxo

Catch Me I'm Falling

 Another day, another rejection. I didn't get the one from Sunday and, yes, I'm hugely disappointed.

"What did I do wrong? Why didn't they like me?" 

I'm okay at dealing with rejection, but every now and again (usually after a couple of them in a row) I get those horrible voices that pop up in the back of my mind.

 You're not good enough, you can't even get a supporting role in regional theatre what makes you think you can become a professional? You're 23 years old, that's too old to just be starting you should already be there. And then a list of people I admire and where they were at my age. (Aaron Tveit was already on Broadway in Hairspray no less, Sam Barks was in the Les Miserables movie! And you are sat on your behind at your parents... keep dreaming.)

 It's probably safe to say the reason I can deal with rejection and criticism well is due to the fact they will never be as harsh as my own mind. It all starts with one thought then my brain grabs onto that and runs with it, going around and around in circles until we're back at square one and curled into a ball of self loathing and tears.

 It used to cripple me, but I've got a lot better. I still think that way, I think we all do at some point, but I know not to let it affect me so much. So what those people were at so and so by my age, they're not me, they haven't been through my journey. When the time is right for you it will happen.

So I will keep being as prepared as possible for each and every audition and try my hardest to keep those voices at bay. I mean 23 isn't too old, right? In the eyes of everyone outside the theatre community I'm young! I just need to keep telling myself that.

 Wish me luck, the same to you.

Annabelle

xoxo

The Audition

 After the harsh "That's all we need," yesterday was a nice surprise. To begin with the people holding the audition were incredibly lovely. (I'm not saying the others were horrible, I just had about 10 seconds with them and that's not enough time to tell!) 

 As you know the day started with a dance audition. We were taught a routine from Newsies. For those of you familiar with the show can you imagine my intense fear when I hear that name come up, especially as a none dancer! For those of you unfamiliar here is a video to show you the standard these guys are at...

(The insanely incredible dancing starts around 2 minutes in.)

 At that point I thought, might as well give up, you're dead meat! Oh boy was I wrong. For starters the way the guy ran the audition was extremely relaxed, he'd make jokes (Including A Chorus Line "Again... Again....Again..." thrown in for good measure!) If you were stuck he would run over it with you without being snotty about it and when it came to actually performing it if you were very stuck he got up and ran it with you. 

 I can say very proudly that A) My group managed to perform the dance unsupervised... whether I got all the moves or not is another thing, but I did it with a smile on my face, and B) I didn't fall on my behind! That for me is a huge success compared to my last dance audition.

 Then came the singing... this was my time to shine! I sang No Good Deed from Wicked and am so happy with the way it went. If you add in the laughs I had with some girls I met the day was actually one I will look back on fondly, even if I don't get a part. And this is how I will look back at every audition from now on, by listing the things I achieved and learnt from the day rather than focusing on the bad. So here goes...

- I learnt a very hard dance combination for me, and managed to overcome my worries and perform it with a smile and a character.

- I remained standing through the entire thing!

- I met some wonderful people who pulled me out of my shell enough to dance in a very crowded street and sing in a pub, two things the old Annabelle would never dream of doing. (Well, maybe after a couple of pints...)

- I belted my little heart out managing to put character into my song, despite my nerves.

 All in all I'm happy! Now I need to wait out the week to see if I get a part or not.

Wish me luck, the same to you!

Annabelle

xoxo

Dancing Through Life

 On Sunday I have another audition, it's for regional theatre this time around and that makes it no less scary than any other in my mind! In fact it's even more terrifying as it starts with a dance audition.

 Now I'm okay at dancing if you give me time to pick up the steps, I've had some training and figured out my problem is confidence. (I know, join the club!) That doesn't stop me sabotaging myself every time a dance audition comes around.

 Let me give you an example. I had an audition for Into the Woods, having never heard the music before (remember my thing of not researching shows until I've seen them...) that was a big enough issue, thank you very much Mr. Sondheim. On top of that I had to learn a dance routine... I picked up the steps easy enough and while rehearsing as a group I felt pretty confident, hidden, able to watch the choreographer.

 Then it comes time for the groups of four to perform it and when one of the turns comes up I fall flat on my backside. There was no way to hide this, I was sprawled on the floor very ungracefully scrambling to get back up and complete the rest of the combination head down in shame.

 It's safe to say I didn't get the part... or any part for that matter!

[Source]

 So how do I stop myself doing the same on Sunday? If you have any ideas please let me know because I sure don't. I'm naturally a very nervous person, something happens when I sing that takes it all away, the same can't be said for dancing.

 It's that thing that when I sing I stop over thinking, everything becomes very simple and life is one big happy pie full of rainbows and fluffy bunnies. (I'm not sure either.) When I dance in front of people I other think. Should my arm be here or 3.5 inches up to the very slight left? Yeah my perfectionist comes out in full form and as someone who falls over their own feet while walking, trying to manoeuvre while thinking about if your head should be tilted to the left looking to the right while your arms flip to both sides is near impossible.

 On the plus side there are plenty of female parts that require no dancing, Eponine. Elphaba, she's actually meant to be awful! Natalie in Next to Normal, Molly in Ghost, any of the girls in Hair. Just flail and you're a hippy!

Wish me luck, the same to you!

Annabelle

xoxo

That's all we need.

"Gimme, gimme that thing called love!" The last note rings around the rehearsal/ dance/ whatever room. Nailed it, and I never thought with my nerves and how dry my throat felt just seconds ago that I'd be able to hit it and sustain it but things went better than expected.

 "That's all we need. Thank you for coming." The panel smiles and I collect my sheet music from the pianist who gives me a sympathetic smile, walking out the room my only thoughts are "Don't cry, don't cry, don't bloody cry!"

 That's all you get, you spend hours waiting around working yourself up, your heart apparently deciding it wants to become a gymnast as it does backflips in your chest and your stomach ties itself into such a tight knot that food is not an option, no matter how long you're there for. Then after weeks of preparation your sixteen bars are through and "That's all we need..." It's brutal, and frustrating!

 What did I do wrong? Why didn't they like me? You'll just never know.

 Auditioning isn't fun, no matter how you try and spin it into a performance it's terrifying! The only moment of calm you get is when you start to sing and everything just melts away and you think, "yes, this is why I'm putting myself through this." To sing, to act, to do the thing I love the most. 

 I've known all along that wanting to become a performer would be so much harder than I could imagine. After every rejection I'd have to pick myself up again and prepare for the next one. I've come up with my own method of dealing with it. I allow myself to mope about for a couple of hours/ a day, depending on how much I wanted the job or what I'm doing with the rest of my day, then let it go. 

 I can't just let it go straight away. a) I'm not wired in that way and b) It's hard when you really care about something! But allowing myself time to be sad means that when it comes to moving on and picking myself up again it's a lot easier!

 So that's where I am. Picking up the pieces of loosing the role of Tracy Turnblad (I really wanted this one) and trying to move onto the next opportunity, whatever that is.

Wish me luck, the same to you!

Annabelle

xoxo