This is a recent email I received from an actor we will call John.

I’m a recent graduate of the (name withheld for anonymity) MFA program. And honestly, I feel I was cheated out of a great actor training experience. My teachers tried to kick me out of the program because I “wasn’t demonstrating abilities to be a professional actor,” but I fought my way back in the program. I didn’t want to lose my chance to get an Equity card and showcase to NYC agents. But going into a few months after graduation, I have no viable, healthy nor any existing relationship with my peers from that program. It’s like they all forgot about me and those three years in the MFA program have never happened. I guess my question is, how do I move past this? How can I maintain my confidence in being …

I’m actually writing this post to let you all know that I’ve started a new company! I’m really excited to share with you all. Not to worry, I’ll always write for The Acting Room, and I’ll always You can’t wait for your life to get started while you’re trying to get your other creative careers going!teach acting and work on films. Those passions are my heart and soul. So keep coming back and keep acting!…

But I also hope this story about what I’m doing inspires you to think about ways you can support yourself while you’re getting your acting career up and running. I’m also writing this to let everyone know that being an artist can be hard, and that you can’t wait for your life to get started while you’re trying to get your other creative careers going!

As many of you know by now, I’ve been an actress AND …

I recently received a lovely email from a young actor/actress in the UK, wanting more advice and information about being a Christian actor, especially when you’re still in your teens and you want to “fit in.” Although I’ve tried to answer many of these questions in my previous posts: Being a Christian in the Acting Game (Parts 1 and 2) — I always feel there’s a need to repeat and update. Here is a summary of Jo’s beautifully written and thoughtful email:

“I have a topic and also a future post that would be very interesting for all Christian actors I’m sure; to know howWhat if it’s a really awful play that doesn’t hold any moral themes?far to go at college in your drama class and everything you might do involving drama. At school it’s really hard to stand up and say ‘I don’t wanna do …

I recently received a question from a young actor from the UK, asking me if it was possible to get a Christian Agent, and if it was necessary. Honestly, I don’t really know the answer. I would think that of course you could find a Christian Agent. But I would have no idea where to start, other than Googling, “Christian Acting Agents.” However, honestly, I think you’d be limiting your options by deciding you would only want to work with a Christian agent. That’s like saying you won’t buy food from a shop owner who’s not a Christian, and on and on. Many people in the film industry are not devout Christians, but that doesn’t mean these same folks won’t care for you, or empathize with you, or want to help you find a successful career. …

Besides the obvious inspirational religious or faith-based books that most people read, such as the Bible, or the Upanishads, or the Bhagavad Gita, there are so many other books I’ve loved and read dozens of times, which I wanted to post as recommendations, for your reading pleasure! These are my favorite books that truly changed my life! I get so many people writing me asking me for advice about being an actor or artist who’s Christian, or just plain spiritual-minded, and I realize that some of the best advice I can offer, actually comes out of these books. In them is so much of what inspires ME, and I also admit that much of what’s in these books goes even way beyond my own personal faith.

The messages within each of these books are the same. They are …

For the last several years, I’ve been writing a novel. I’m now trying to get it published. The novel started as a reaction to a year-long period in my life which I could call now, “My Dark YEAR of the Soul.” I couldn’t find any film or teaching work in LA, my father was dying of alcoholism back in Kansas City, I had gained fifty pounds, was feeling middle aged, (having just turned forty), and I was more broke than I’d ever been. It was a terrible time. My husband and friends had no clue how to help me. And I struggled each day, just to get out of bed.

One morning, sick of it all, I sat down at my computer and started to write. Since I couldn’t think of one single profound thing to say, I just wrote about …