Seeing Before Believing.

"If I were a movie star, I would be Aaron Hammond." In My Improv Class today with the great character actor, Stephen Tobolowsky (and you know your guys are going, 'ohhhh, THAT'S who her teacher is!) He's fabulous! After all, he DID star in Thelma and Louise, which makes him okay in my book!

And today, he had us sit up in front of the class and answer his questions. It's a Stanislavki technique for getting under your character's skin -- finding out more about this person you are going to play. And so, he asks this hilarious, super-self-possessed African American guy in our class to come up to the front of the class and sit in the chair and answer his questions, which is the exercise. And there are 4 levels to the questions.

So, he asks Aaron, "If you were a movie star, who would you be?" And his response was, "If I were a movie star, I would be Aaron Hammond." And the whole class kind of wowed. And Stephen -- whom the great casting director and cool friend John Papsidera calls Tobo -- said that in all his years of teaching this class, no one has ever said that. Said themselves. They are always saying someone else.

And I got to thinking -- that is what makes someone a star. Is knowing in the deepest part of yourself that you want to be absolutely no one but you. Because you are filling a hole that exists in this industry. That there is no other star who shines as brightly as you.

And I feel this way. And I thank Aaron for having the courage to vociferate it.

Then, tonight, I had another class and our teacher was saying that in life, you have to tell yourself a story and repeat it to yourself throughout the day and -- especially when things are super tough and frustrating and you want to yelp and squish someone's face in -- she says with a smile! -- you have to remind yourself of who you are. What story you have created for yourself. And when you truly believe it -- your story -- you -- then you succeed.

I also read that Michael Jackson -- after he won only one Grammy for Off The Wall, he went around his house and put post-its everywhere saying, "I am the greatest entertainer in the world." He put them in his car on the sun visor, taped them to the mirror in his bathroom, placed them on his night stand, and on his kitchen cabinets... But the bottom line is, he worked SO hard and he also constantly affirmed his own dream, and he did it. He achieved his greatest dream.

And thus... my blog! Because I am "sounding my barbaric yawp" that I am a movie star and a best-selling author this year. And that because of this -- on a deeper level -- I will be able to reach and help and love soooo many more people in this world.

p.s. Appts for this week -- supposed to be meeting with a successful indie film producer tomorrow night -- I'll let you know how (and if) that goes. I'm meeting with a financier on Tuesday, and tomorrow night the amaaaazing Bekah Brunstetter -- !!!my screenwriter!!! -- is emailing me the first 25 pages of my movie!!! And many more exciting updates shall come this week... :)

p.p.s. My editor has fedexed me two copies of SNIFF -- my children's book -- and I should receive them in the mail tomorrow!!! We are deciding on the final lay out!!!