Source of Sunshine

I have plants surrounding where I sit.  Basil, oregano, chard, they grow towards the light.  I turn their pots, they stretch to straighten, to lean in the other direction, always toward the source of Sunshine. Human beings can be this way, too. We gravitate toward happy people, we soak up their good vibrations.

Personally, I know I will not call or meet with someone specifically if I know I don’t have a high frequency, am not feeling well enough to deflect or ward off their bad joujou and keep my own essence positively strong. This is important. There are enough negative energies bombarding us, from the outside world, and even more so sometimes from the inside. The self-defeating thoughts our brains can torment and torture us with is as bad as cutting or bulimia. Moving, stretching ourselves toward the inner Light we are all capable of creating is powerfully rewarding.

This year has thrown a lot of intimate, terrible yuck at my heart, and this has made my head exceedingly defeatist. I certainly wished for the pain to stop, sobbing and begging many times to no avail. Sleep eluded/eludes me, still, though this has gotten better with daily exercise again (when I am focused and allow life to be the imperfection it must) and a natural stress-free sleep combo from the Whole Foods Market. Sleep and exercise, dormancy and challenge, these are what makes Life.

A lot of accomplishments have occurred, too, though those are not as easy to dwell upon, but they can be. I learned I can memorize well and quickly, thus that is no longer a fear. I was shown I can audition and get a callback, when I go and have Fun, because Fun is part of the Light, and everyone wants to be comfortably warm and smiling. I laughed at myself, and still do, with many others also laughing at themselves and the challenge of learning choreography. To be challenged is part of living. All beings yearn and strive to be whole, to be well, this is our natural homeostasis, to grow and be healthy and shining with confident eudaemonia.

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see my StarMeter rise on the  International Movie Database

http://www.PerksOfNature.com

Mirth Worthy

Moments of inspiration, respiration, perspiration, they come in and out of life.  When a person is born, we celebrate.  When a person dies, we mourn.  A celebration

http://www.PerksOfNature.com

of the life they shared with us and the world is a productive, optimistic, motivating choice. I wholly empathize, and cry hard, to the point of nausea, when a close loved one croaks.  All that morose feelings, though, is for me, my regrets for not seeing them that one last time, hurt I did not soak up every opportunity with them because my “life”, and appointments, and commitments got in my own way. Excuses.

Our loved ones know we love them, they know this because we spent loving time and shared deep unexplainable connections, over countless moments together. To have regrets, the pain is deep. A pain unalterable, all we can do is allow, and let go. How easy it is, two simple, short words, to say: Let go, of all we wish had happened, would happen. How brief this life is, and how peaceful we can choose to breathe. Or to heave, with sobbing thrusts, when all is truly out of our little control. Control, like time, and money, are, in fact, illusions. Death commands: Relinquish.

This year has proven a grand reminder, to live in this moment, this present before me NOW. To breathe deeply, in and out, to seek ways to calm myself and care for this little being, channeling the most energetic essence, that is me. Many times, folks have told me I have to take care of myself, and those too are easy, valuable words. Figuring out HOW to care for myself, when life has thrown much seriousness to deal with onto the playing board, I try to … PLAY. As a wooer of words, I adore looking up synonyms. My favorite for months has been

PLAYFUL [adj] funny, fun-loving: coltish, flirtatious, frisky, jaunty, jesting, jocund, mirthful, rollicking, snappy, vivacious, whimsical, and zippy.

Simply typing these words has spanned a smile wide across my face. May mirth rollick into you day in many ways.  It’s all worthy.

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www.PerksOfNature.com

This Monday 10/10 I am enthralled to be a guest on BBox internet radio!  Have a listen from 1-3pm EST!!

Mis.CON-ception

KatrinaPerkins.com

One day last week two people, at independent times, asked me if I “went to work today” or stated with a tone of accusation “you don’t work every day do you?!”  NewsFlash: I Do in fact Work *every* day- I work for Katrina Perkins, Inc.  Simply because I may not leave the home office space to work on-set, just because I may not have an appointment, interview, or audition to prepare for and get to, every single day I am still (shocking!) working: follow-ups, marketing, and yes, even networking. These are only a few of the elements that must be built up and combined in order to get to and enjoy the fun bits I work to increase: moments to actually act.

To limit “work” to what is defined by leaving/going to an office is a misconception of those who work for others. Rather than investing their best energy toward achieving their own dreams and putting words to what they might silently wish to achieve, many people slave as an employee for another- to achieve the goals of someone else, and miss out on knowing what is required to work, and be successful, for oneself. There is banking, contracts, emails (writing takes time people! To craft these words!?!), memorizing, researching and reaching out to connect with new people and create the potential for future possible opportunities. If I were to not make phone calls and send emails, to reach out to make new relationships, how would my business grow?

I took offense to the tone of accusation, and this, I realize represents an aspect within myself that because I reacted to it, there is some actual issue for me. Being my own Boss is hard. Staying focused and motivated and figuring out what the heck to do day by day- these are the tribulations of *successfully* working for oneself. I am responsible for wins, and the opposite side of that coin, I am also at fault when the business seems to have plateaued. Brainstorming at the rise of each day has become a focused productive solution. Consistency is a concept still to be mastered.

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www.KatrinaPerkins.com

regarding the previous post :  YouTube

Business Adventure!

Business must progress in order to remain viable attain growth. Therefore, 2016 will bring the addition of Vlogging to the enterprise of Katrina Perkins, Inc. Management has suggested this for some time, and finally, it shall be implemented; the video is scheduled to drop on YouTube the final Friday of the month. Now… I have decided on a topic: Five Things I wish I Knew (Before I began working background), next is to record the video, then edit, and finally set it free upon the internet!

This is splendid practice on several levels. 1. Choosing a topic (I am challenged when it comes to finalizing a choice, it’s the Libra in me only possibly). 2. Dissecting with intent realistic, weekly goals in order to achieve this monthly project consistently. 3. Recording myself (I am self-critical and have a silly belief I must look perfect, everything must sound perfect, and the ideas I string together must be perfectly understandable). 4. Editing! I have never edited video before, and this might turn out to be easier to learn than I anticipate, which is what I hope! 5. FREE me up to Doing something and Allowing it to BE! I am excited to be undertaking this endeavor, many other humans are capable and I too shall succeed!

This new year is only a week in and many good moments are opening up to me. A regular yoga practice has helped (I was off for a bit, and am now back Om haha) AND I have taken up meditation, at the same yoga studio, which has ben truly beautiful. It is a chakra balancing meditation which lasts about 45 minutes weekly and the energy is sublime; peaceful, centering, vitalizing, uplifting, and I feel stronger, too. Every new beginning has it’s wobbles, but perseverance and consistency bolster any adventure!

 

www.KatrinaPerkins.com  see my rising StarMeter on the IMDb icon too!

“What is the BEST thing that happened to YOU Today?!”

Dark Chocolate Malt with FRESH whipped cream

I am postponing a blog about on-set vocabulary, because a young friend who is recovering from an aneurysm asked the title question a couple times on a recent visit. Although I am a relatively appreciative human, all things are in flux.  Sunrise, sunset, balance, diet, sleep, cleanliness, inhale, exhale, the space inbetween, and the cycle of all these moments mingling.  Perfectionism is a fallacy, a frustration at which to be smiled and laughed at loudly.  A beautiful, temporarily, forgetful Being reminded me, we may think we make connections, words to ideas, motivation to movement.  Truly, we make moments – the pinnacle Being filled with Love and Laughter.

I am grateful to have visited her in a rehabilitation center.  She is so free, even to stop and explain her fear of doing less good should she continue.  Through a huge joyous smile, expressing how “frustrating” and literally grasping at not being able to find the right word, she entertained the room with her shining energy of perseverance.  So beautiful, always, on the outside, yet had been somehow hesitant and shy with people when participating in her passion: photography.  Now, from a bed she radiates confidence and enthusiasm making each moment Perfect.  Truth is, rather than this illusion we imagine- a sad magic reductionism, a mental cobweb we catch and wind ourselves up in- the deeper stuff, the sense/feeling in our guts prior to words and explanations, that is Real.

Patient, at times, frustrated, at time, calm, hot, sweet, mean, tired, jazzed, confident, afraid, self-conscious, free, as humans we contain all colors, words, and the labels they offer.  As an actor, I must accentuate what is a slight aspect of myself and emphasize one streak for a role- become comfortable, justify the “rightness” of behaving in a manner “less strong” or “slutty”.  To make sense and appreciate hearing a breeze dancing the leaves outside my window- and link the hieroglyphics we have created to represent this imagery = blessed.  Unintentionally, I punned the young friend in parting: Keep Being Patient with Yourself.  Are we not all Patients in the rehab ward for regularly re-learning Patience 🙂

P.S.  Please share YOUR answer to the title below!

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www.KatrinaPerkins.com

Shower the People . . .

. . . You Love with Love.  A dear friend, who happens to live across the globe, and whom I have yet set eyes on in person, sent me a most thoughtfully artistic gift.  As ‘pen pals’ we communicate through this delightful invention termed “The Internet”.  He consistently brings me laughter and smiles with his blog BlueFishWay and we have a running callback of having breakfast together each morning- a goal I hope one day to realize in the flesh!

In this life that is all too brief, one leaf on a tree in a forrest but for a season, it delights me much to have found friends who believe and support creative efforts.  It is a pleasure to applaud them, as well. We each have a voice, and this is recently reminded to me as I am in the midst of listening to a powerful audiobook, for perhaps the second or third time, “The War of Art” by S. Pressfield.  It is important to remember that the act of creating is selfLess.  The actor/writer/photographer creates to serve The Muse.  So many strive to create, to bring life and inspiration through art and its platform to bring clarity and beauty into the life of another human. Write the stories You want to read and watch . . . this is what occurred to me when viewing a movie I had once, in another chapter of my life, enjoyed.

Still I feasted visually on the location: Ireland.  However, the trite pursuit of a woman to wed, left me rolling my eyes skyward, and wishing for more stories of Women of Courage.  Throughout history many strong females existed, at the forefront of change and perseverance – Pocahontas, Debra Sampson, Elizabeth Blackwell, Annie Oakley, Annie Sullivan, and Amelia Earhart – are a mere half dozen.  This comes on the heals of a one woman play I am currently rehearsing which features these daring and brave women. Respected, admired, and inspired by true actions, these are the traits I seek in a Hero – someone to love.  Courage is a twinkle, a star that makes others smile and breathe deeply.  Thank you, to all who inspire themselves, fore YOU inspire me!

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www.KatrinaPerkins.com

With/out

After writing the entire blog, uploading a photo, and clicking ‘insert into post’ … POOF! away went the words and ugh, and now … about what am I to communicate?  Knowing, from previous akin events that for safety, I should have typed all this up in a document and finally pasted it in: I feel a fool. One easily frustrated at that, who then quickly closes the window [sigh] completely loosing any hope for ‘undo’. On the good side, you are all saved from reading a rant on iPhone vs. Android and the non-turn-on-able phone I have been with/out for the last week- Yeah, a whole week.  Considering this is my business lifeline, the freakout was considerable, at the start, especially because the contract is not up for renewal until I celebrate a birthday in 3.5 months, but then my marvelous mother [with the assist by my generous brother Austin] sent me a replacement battery.

Hallelujah to the Universe in all infinite energy!  Salvation has arrived [albeit three days later than scheduled thanks to the U.S. Post], but I am saved (from the shackle-less-ness-of-not-having-a-phone?)! Fingers crossed that this simple battery is the fix … and it was!  The Peace made and more easily maintained [surprise!] than expected throughout the past week’s stresses was immediately replaced with rapture for [WOOHOOOO!] once again being technologically linked instantaneously to every social connection . . . soon to be overwhelmed by the belabored, immediate influx of the finally received texts, emails, WordPress updates, oi Oi OI!  It was so funny going back to sending emails and remembering a time, not so long ago, when email was the quick way to connect, now replaced by the [sometimes] most rapid text message.

I am grateful to be back in business, and cannot believe the week has passed.  It was rather quiet 🙂 and that was nice for a change. However, back to the complete beck-and-call availability to all, casting, manager, and agent alike.  Thank you for the moment of/and return from technological solitude.

Please do weigh in, if you have an opinion, on the iPhone vs. Android query.  I would love to read and learn more than research has revealed.

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www.KatrinaPerkins.com

p.s. 01:42 the next day = 21:42 the night before

Standing on One’s Head

An “unlimited” monthly pass to the Yoga studio around the corner has inspired more and deeper breathing in me.  Normally (realistically) this is not in my budget, yet the festival I am performing in deserves to showcase me at my most relaxed and focused.  My usual practice includes Yoga DVDs, and honestly, lacks consistency, because although it should be as simple as roll out a yoga mat and start stretching, somehow the act of vacuuming impedes my dedication.  Perfectionism gets in my way.  Things needing to be just so holds me back from doing things that are just enough.

When I took acting classes with D.W. Brown at the Baron/Brown Studio in Santa Monica, California, I came to realize by carving out time to practice an hour of Yoga prior, the scenes I was in were more consistently in the moment and relaxed.  Coincidence (noun) = a striking occurrence of two or more events at one time apparently by mere chance.  “Apparently” is the optimum word. One moment affects the next, and so on throughout existence.  I certainly feel more clear and focused, and certainly breathing more since last Monday when I began ‘knocking myself out’ with unlimited Yoga – up to number five today!

Friday, I did a headstand.  Technically, I did two headstands, because I fell out of the first, very brief, one and while others in the class were still in their pose (one person in Headstand 2!! – a variation on the already challenging) I had enough time to attempt a second.  I had more difficulty getting back into the headstand the second go, because, as the instructor said, I was too excited. “Take a breath, calm down, focus” and up I went.  One might think a strong head is required for this pose, however, as I learned a strong core is necessary, and today (I did another headstand AND this time held it for even longer!) I realized strength in the shoulders helps, too, because that is truly where the weight is placed.  NOW, off to Tech Rehearsal for opening night Wednesday!

May you feel beautiful, listen lovingly, and be determined!

“The Light in me bows to the Light in you.”

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www.KatrinaPerkins.com

Re-Memorial De-light!

It is Monday already! (Again!) And I barely remembered, because the weather is lovely out and I have stayed busy (after five walks to wear out the 90 pound pup who will turn One-year-old tomorrow!) creating a template for new professional paperstock. How exciting. It is rather fun to make progress in something that started out foreign and unnavigable, and is now uniquely my own to mail as a coverletter to select casting directors introducing myself with freshly printed headshots and resumes. So much business, it is understandable why one would be grateful for a professional assistant. A ‘ONE DAY’ GOAL!

Through the advice of a savvy business consultant at * BBRProductions * I have created [after many revisions and suggestions and additional improvments] a professional letter, or rather an easier to digest note-size preface with enough research on the receipient and spunky, naturalistic personality of the sender to attain an Agent’s attention. Appreciatively so, Praise, let it be! Additionally, I have incorporated a watermark of my logo in the personalized greeting; I feel so fancy-pants. Then! it occured to me “IT IS MONDAY! I HAVE A WORDPRESS TO POST BEFORE 7 P.M.!” [Eastern Standard Time to still count as today]

Here I sit, needing hydration- ah, that’s better [Cheers Ralph!]- still finalizing me note, and trying to decide which photo to include here- sometimes that is what really hangs me. Oh the truth is, it all hangs me up- this indecisive little Libra strives for more balance and Thankfully there is a Yoga studio a mere two minute walk, a guaranteed cure to better breathing! OH! And next week!!! The farm season begins again! Being out in nature on an organic * farm * with amazingly good people growing food always brings me Peace and Harmony AND BLISS! Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, local food: who does not derive immense pleasure from eating FRESH food?! I taste the love, and the veggies truly are more full of flavor. #Spoiled thanks to * Biophilia *. Now, back to work! Close to a finished product . . . then, assembling the paperclipped note/headshot/resume, printing address labels, a walk to the post office, and stamps. Let the mailing begin!

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KatrinaPerkins.com, AND “If you like to eat, Hug a farmer.”

P.S.  I posted this accidentally yesterday (Monday) as a page 😀

Fraturday Saints

Overnight (noun) work”day” begins near sunset, filming through the darkness of night, usually exteriors, ending the next morning with the changing of the morning sky a half hour before sunrise.

Fraturday (noun)  an overnight on a Friday, ending Saturday morning.

Last week I worked a three “day” overnight booking filming a movie with Dave Franco.  I was a masked character in a group of hundreds, but the location was amazing and should look really great for the onscreen finale. Let it be known: One overnight throws your sleep schedule off for at least a day, or even two.  By the time you get home, the sun is up and most everyone else is rising and shining.  Trying to sleep for more than a few hours is an effort, waking only a couple hours later, then trying to function on half the sleep normally necessary- the day drags as much as you do.  I cannot wait to take a shower and call it an early night and go to bed at a [once dreaded] child’s bedtime of 8 pm.

Back-to-backs can be a challenge, even when they are not overnights, especially when the project booked is different from one day to the next.  Inevitably, the first show will work 14-15 hours, wrapping really late.  By the time you get home, pack the requested wardrobe for the next day’s movie with the Murphy’s Law call-time of 5:30 am, three hours of sleep is usual.  Thus, back-to-back bookings eventually wear you down, requiring time to recoup, in the hopes of preventing a fall to illness, which can take you away from work opportunities even longer.

I owe myself eight hours of sleep; between the three consecutive overnights and one Fraturday just past- this is when being a napping pro would come in useful.  If it is a rainy day, I can nap, or a hot day when nothing is really scheduled… otherwise, the mind will not shut-up long enough to fall asleep in the middle of the day. Today, I napped!  Tomorrow, I go to a softball game to cheer on the SAG-AFTRA team in Central Park!  Hard work deserves some fun in the sun!!

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KatrinaPerkins.com

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