A triple threat is someone who can act, dance, and sing. But I (like so many others), am what I like to call, a modern day triple threat: I work, act, and freelance. My days are split into making the perfect Flat White or Latte, rehearsing (currently I am playing Lady Anne in Richard III) and writing. And a majority of my days are spent drinking way too much coffee, pulling out my hair, and driving back and forth on the island for rehearsals.
Doing what you love isn’t easy. Balancing life, work, and your passion (when you’re still trying to make your work your passion) is strenuous at best. You’re going to be exhausted, but you have to do it. You don’t have a choice, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s what I love to do and I will do anything to make it work, and I know I am not alone on that.
The best tip that I have to make sure I (and hopefully you) do not go bald from pulling out your hair is communication and scheduling. I’m extremely lucky to have a boss who supports my goals and is willing to work around my rehearsal schedules; and giving her enough notice on days I need to be out of the store by 5pm or days I need off completely, makes her life easier as well as mine. The show I am doing currently rehearses Monday through Thursday from 7pm-10pm, and knowing that those times and days won’t change until tech week has made this juggling act a lost smoother. Sometimes though, rehearsals aren’t so structured and it becomes a problem. But to that I say, see how early you can get either your work schedule or your rehearsal schedule so you can start planning how to do both without too much hair pulling.
When it comes to scheduling I honestly don’t know what I do or who I would be without my bullet journal. I can’t live without lists and having a place where all my lists are in one book has made my life so much easier. Balancing work, performing, and life needs lists, you can’t get around it unless you want to forget something. In my bullet journal I have a page where I lay out the month, the week, and the day; because if I didn’t I wouldn’t be able to get anything done. Even writing this had to be scheduled in, a time to write it as well as a time to edit it. I even schedule in when I do laundry and shower – it seems silly but when I’m running on 4 hours of sleep and 4 shots of espresso, lists really help.
It’s amazing how much your mind gets put at ease when you write things down.
Other things that keep me feeling semi sane and human whilst working 40 plus hours and rehearsing are going to the gym, meal prep, and schedule a day or half a day to do something you love – maybe it’s going shopping, or grabbing a drink with friends. Lately I’ve been going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and just wandering there for a few hours or the whole day. Meal prep is a god send – I think it helps with not getting sick, and forces me not to eat fast food because it’s all ready to go and I don’t need to think about it! And, going to the gym is great to clear the head and check in with my body physically – it’s also a great place to run lines! I record my lines on my phone and listening to them while I run to help memorize, that way I still feel productive and get my run in for the day.
One day, my work will be my passion and my hectic days will just busy and I won’t have to keep a second wardrobe in my car. But for now, they are two separate things and some days are really tough and some days are great. All in all I wouldn’t change it for the world, and if you are in a similar boat like me, I’m sure you agree.
If all else fails, get a bullet journal and look to the wisdom Winston Churchill, “If you’re going through hell, keep going,” and know that I’m rooting for you!