There were a lot of times I've thought about what I'd do when I grew up or what career I thought would be most fulfilling. I've never really thought about it too seriously. When I was younger, I wanted to dress up and fight crime. As I got a bit older I thought about several things. Lawyer? Artist? Na. Then I discovered something I really enjoyed, Improvisation (Improv).
We were just starting the new school year, and I was assigned to drama at the time. I wasn't too thrilled, but once we got up and going I was excited for class each day.
Improv didn't take too much actual acting at the time, but I really enjoyed it. I have always been a funny guy, and the class enjoyed when I was up there. I started thinking about acting, and paid closer attention to the shows I normally watch. I was nervous of actually acting, because it meant going up and auditioning for a commercial. I thought about taking acting classes, so I did some searches on the Internet. I found one that stood out, and asked my mom about it. Eventually she gave in and I was signed up for my birthday.
The classes are fun, right now we're doing a short film on "12 Angry Men", a play about 12 jurors who can't agree on whether to vote guilty, or innocent. Each character has their own background and personal story behind their decision; a few are even a little racist.
Now though, I'm not sure. I'm a good artist, I can draw really well . . . but I also love to act. It depresses me a little. There are thousands of actors, but few actually get "discovered" or make good money. What will I do? I'm still stuck on whether to actually follow through with acting or move on to something that perhaps would be a better investment in my future. I'm afraid I'll end up making the wrong decision, and that scares me a little.
Recently I was having a conversation with my friend Lida at the Sun Roof and we were discussing whether she should do what she's doing now, or take a chance and open up a store eventually. Lida's extremely creative and I urged her to go for it. So many people end up with jobs they aren't happy with, because they never strived for what they wanted to do. If they would have, they might be happy. Or, they might've failed and would be much less happy than they are now. This all really got me thinking about what I'd do. Life is full of successes and failures, but in the end your goal is to be happy with what you've left behind. I still have a long time before I have to make my decision, and I hope when I do it'll be the right one.
What do you strive for?
- Jadenman
