Birthday Changes

Change….
Change is good. This week, my birthday week has been a week of changes for me. As I sit at my lovely table overlooking all my flowers and lovely plants I realize that Im not scared of being the age I am now.
When I was 17 I thought by this age I’d have a house, a career maybe even live in an exotic location with my own designer house, amazing designer clothes, an expensive shoe collection and I would be very happy with everything.
Its funny how you don’t question how this would all happen, and the intricacies of it all when you are say….19, or 20 or even 23!
So now firmly in my early 30’s I sit, broke as ever and wondering why I am actually happier?
APPRECIATION
Appreciation for everything you cannot afford is a big lesson in life and one I feel many people underestimate. Like my shoes, luckily for xmas my mum gave me some money to spend and I went to River Island (after I spent most of the money on rent!) and bought a pair of grey shoes, grey ankle boots that have a furry collar. And I LOVE them. Wear them all the time, everywhere and almost a month later, they are still my ‘new’ boots!
NEW DIRECTIONS
In this week, I was simultaneously offered 2 full time contracts and got two acting jobs and also signed with an acting agent. I was honestly shaking as I was told I was offered the most amazing production job with a great company. Huge life questions springing up in front of me:
Am I abandoning my dreams?
Will I end up abandoning my path, because I cannot commit the time to it with this new job?
What about all the projects on my slate I am concentrating on – will they fall by the wayside as well?
What happens when I get bored of this job and start to hate it and hate my choices (as so often happens in full time work)?
And yet with all these choices and questions battering about my brain I still took the job. (Possibly from some induced concussion)
As we must learn, we have to go forward and take brave new steps as artists, as creatives, locking and chaining oneself to an idea is just as stifiling as working full time in a job you don’t want (and I actually want this job!). It’s the way you look at things and I realize there are things I want to learn (Final Cut Pro is a great start!) that I want to experience not just for me but for my own future projects.
And with my burning determination (I have been described as a tornado blowing everything out of my path! In a good way – I hope) I need to trust I wont lose focus but in fact have more time to work on those projects as Im not scrabbling around, but have a routine.
Routine is good for us routineless creatives. (I hate routines after 2 days).
As we can concentrate our energies into our creative pursuits rather than getting grumpy with everything around us.
So to sum up, being 31 has brought me; fantastic new opportunities to learn, grow and hopefully find the courage to step forward on the great path.
As someone great said somewhere:
One can only learn by stepping outside of their comfort zone
Go forth and step outside!

PS You need to read this blog - especially if you are a writer. Its hilarious about the writing craft by Chuck Wendig
sit down with a cup of tea and enjoy.

Sci Fi Film Festival, Cannes Countdown, Auditions!

What a couple of weeks!
For the first time ever I was laid down by severe muscle strain in my back. How did I do it you ask?
I have NO IDEA!!
Then this week I have had 6 days of gastro.
Tell you what its been really crazy. Maybe that’s the reason for all these illnesses, Im getting sick because Im worried, stressed and trying to hold it altogether!

SCI-FI Film Festival
I attended the opening last night, complete with storm troopers, press and directors. The free chocolates were fantastic and then it was trumped by free drinks and then cupcakes and icecream. Which did nothing to cool the hot atmosphere inside the Apollo theatre. But it made a very happy Jade and Siti who accompanied me.
We saw the Arthur C. Clarke awards, and watched China Mieville win for his latest novel, and then were ushered in to watch the feature film Splice by Vincenzo Natali, its now in talks with Warner Bros to be released worldwide!
The short film that won the 48 hour film challenge was inspiring and amazing - better than films Ive done with no time limit!
Well done to those guys.


PLATINUM CHISEL
Its been fantastic, offers have been coming in for it to be screened in places as far as Vladivostock, France and Portrugal. Not to mention a few interesting distribution offers.
I've been hard at work on the website refining everything I want. The new website is fantastic (I did it myself so it must be!) and will be launched very very soon.
Watch this space…..

AUDITIONS
Auditions have been great, I met with a certain agent who seemed very nice and proceeded to tell me about what I should do in an audition…..it was a bit bizarre.
Im torn, not so sure about them, although the feedback so far has been very good.

CANNES
On the other hand I will be working very hard with ICM at Cannes. So very exciting to be paired with such an amazing company!
I will be working with their US branch as a production intern. Should be a very interesting experience, and hopefully they might be interested in representing me in London (I should be sooo lucky!).

That’s all for now folks,
Keeping you posted and thank you for reading!
Jade xoxo