Established in Being, perform Action...
There's a great stigma for a born and bred Angeleno to answer, "I'm an actor," when one asks what she does. We expect an eye roll or a glance at the nearest exit sign. It's as if the actor is a pariah in the industry for our reputation is that of shmoozy networking and attention-seeking behavior. Sure, that may be the case for some if not most actors. But there is no doubt that every performer, once they're up there or in front of the camera, is having a spiritual experience. And by "spiritual" I mean some sort of an awakening.
It wasn't until I read J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey when I realized that acting - when done right - is an experience that transcends ego, or small self. When Franny is encouraged to act as a spiritual practice, she's told by Zooey, "The only thing you can do now, the only religious thing you can do, is act. Act for God, if you want to – be God's actress, if you want to. What could be prettier? You can at least try to, if you want to – there's nothing wrong in trying."
If we're to replace "God" with the more scientifically acceptable term "Consciousness" then the practice of acting is a practice of extending our empathy to all expressions of the human race. It's an empathy exercise. The more we empathize, the greater our sense of oneness and totality.
Krishna said to the timid Arjuna on the battlefield, "Established in Being, perform action." Good art is unifying art.
Here you'll see an actor and writer who strives for such unity.
Poetry is something that's helped me balance the creative flow along with other forms of writing such as essays and screenplays.
I'm represented by print and commercial agency Wildflowers, and I'm currently seeking a theatrical agent and/or manager. A screenplay in collaboration is in the works and I have a self-published poetry book called Chapped which is available on this website.
Last and certainly not least, I'm a mother of two brilliant boys.
@arielaroseprint
