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About Me
- Cassie
- Struggling to make my dreams come true! :-) Fave quote: "If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride--and never quit, you'll be a winner. The price of victory is high--but so are the rewards." Paul "Bear" Bryant
2 comments:
Cassie, I'm sorry you're having such a hard time right now...and I can't tell you whether you should continue to pursue your acting dream in CA, or elsewhere, or look at doing something else entirely...but I can tell you this: if what you're doing isn't working--then you need to try something else, not continue to do the same thing, even harder.
You're asking for donations...and aren't getting them. So asking isn't enough. To focus on what someone else did or didn't do, or what did or didn't work for them, is a foolish waste of your very valuable time. Sometimes, magic happens--the stars are aligned correctly, the economy is just right, certain songs or a movie is popular--and someone manages to cash in on all that at just the right time...but lightning doesn't usually strike twice, and expecting it to, is counterproductive. Wishing might get you something in the long run, but landlords tend to operate in the short run--and on a schedule. You have to *make* it happen. And clearly, your current plan isn't working. So find another one! :)
"Bob" gave you some great advice, earlier, about people needing to feel emotionally invested in you, and your story. I don't think you quite understood what he meant. He didn't mean you should keep writing, "no donations yet"--he meant, "MAKE them interested in you!"
How? Not by telling us about your past successes...but by telling us about your current life. I've got a HUGE world full of interesting things out there, all competing for my short attention span, here on the Net--and if you want ME, the viewer, to pay attention to YOU--then you've got to give me something no one else can.
Having a dream and wanting it--is nothing new. I don't care. (In fact, the response most people will have is, "Oh yeah? Well, I wish someone would give ME money so I could pursue MY dream--but they WON'T, so why should I help YOU?")
So you've got to find something to GIVE me, so that I want to give something back to you. And you can't expect me to give to you just because you promise to give me something in the future--it's got to be NOW.
And what does a sick girl with no money and a pile of bills living in Southern California have that I don't have? YOUR LIFE!!
You work at Knott's Berry Farm. Now, you know, and I know (that's the REAL me, not the generic me I've been using in this comment so far! ;)), that that's not nearly as cool as it sounds. BUT--to the average person, that's glamorous. It's interesting. It's something they know NOTHING about...and would like to hear about. You've been in films. You are a working professional actress. This is good stuff! People want to know what that's like! YOU might know what a grind it is...but to most people, it's exotic...and you can start giving them something by letting them feel like they're part of your everyday life.
Are you sick in bed right now? Okay--find something humorous about that to write about. You're a performer--so perform! Tell a good story--and tell one everyday--or every few days! (See http://athansor.deviantart.com/journal/ for some examples of everyday stories...that, you will notice, get commented on. Get people involved.)
If you're not the folksy story type--go didactic. Pick a topic, and share your thoughts--write something that's thought-provoking, or bittersweet, or touching--but write about something that doesn't directly relate to your looking for donations--first you've got to win people over...THEN they'll want to help you. You can write something long, or you can write something short, like Seth Godin does http://sethgodin.typepad.com/ but you've got to write consistently, and it's got to be something that people will find relevant or unusual or entertaining, or interesting...it can't be about how you and your boyfriend and your three best friends went to your neighbor's birthday party...unless there's a really funny story involved.
You've mentioned that you donate to all sorts of causes...well, why? There must be something about them that has touched you personally...so why not tell us about them--in your own words...why *you* are interested in them--not that it's important to find a cure for MS, but that a very good friend of yours was cut down in the prime of his acting career, because of it. (One of the most interesting things on your site was you talking about law enforcement...and their part in your life..but you didn't tell us the full story--and yet, it's the sort of thing that make people feel like they're part of your life--like you're a friend, and not just another voice on the internet!)
What about other things you can give us? You're an attractive young woman...a performer...and you're living in an area that's teaming with wannabe photographers. Are you a member of ModelMayhem.com? If not--you should be! There are plenty of photographers out there looking for free models, who will do TFP/TFCD with you...some of whom, do quite good work...and most of whom, when they find a good model, are happy to work with them repeatedly. Not only would this be a way to keep yourself in fresh headshots (the digital negatives, if not the actual prints), but you could post your photographs on your main site, or on a free site like deviantart.com, and do little write ups about your shoots, and then post links to them and build up a following that way. Pictures sell...and there are plenty of people who like to look at pictures of pretty girls! (And no, I don't mean pin-up stuff--there are all sorts of photographers out there--some, like me, actually, provide costumes, sets, and do fantasy type shoots that would be right up an actor's alley! ;))
If you look around on deviantart.com, and search for "stock models", you'll find a wonderful group of everyday people who take pictures of themselves acting out various things, in cobbled together costumes--and then post them on deviantart, so that other people can make art with the pictures. If you haven't got a camera to do something like that yourself--hook up with a photographer through ModelMayhem, and try it. Good quality stock catches on fast there--and any completed art with your face in it would be one more thing to post, to get people interested. (And yes, some stock artists on dA have found themselves in financial difficulties, and have solicited donations, and some have done well, and some have done not well at all...but the ones who have done well are usually the ones who have a long history of giving, before asking for anything.)
I've tried to give you some examples--but if you start focusing on what you have to give, I'm sure you can come up with some things that I haven't thought of.
And that's just Part 1.
Part 2 is also giving--but it's more active. Part 1, is all about you--and your life. "This is ME. My thoughts. My photos. I'm so lovely and interesting that I know you want to know about ME." ;)
Part 2 is all about ME--the audience. You can't wait for your audience to come to you--you have to go find it. And you can't say, "Come look at my site"--you have to MAKE them come to your site--by talking about THEM.
This blog is on blogger.com. You should be spending at least 30 minutes a day on blogger.com, looking for blogs of people that share your interests...and you need to read what they have to say, and comment. And not only that, but you have to keep coming back every day, commenting on what they have to say. You have to woo them. If they're popular--it'll take longer to get them to see you...but it'll be worth it, in the end, because you'll have moved up a bit, in the blogging world. (If, for instance, you were to come visit my site, and leave me comments on 5 of my photos--you'd probably think I'd notice, and you'd probably be anxious to hear what I had to say in response. But the truth is--I usually have roughly 400 or so unanswered comments that I'm working my way through...so unless someone is a repeat visitor, probably all they'll get from me is a "Thanks! :)", when they leave me a comment. If they stick around--and I start to see them commenting on my work regularly--then eventually, I'll start to remember them, and finally, I'll check them out--and will feel like I need to say something about THEIR work, to even out the scales...and if they're smart, they'll thank me with enthusiasm, but without making it look like they're trying to hog all my time...and I'll continue to look out for them. And while everyone online is different--those who are serious about their online lives, more or less play by those rules...and you need to, as well, if you want to generate traffic here. (And if anyone DOES comment on your site--you MUST respond within a day or so...because if someone left something that they want a response to--they'll only be interested for a day or so...after that, they're more likely to be annoyed at being blown off. Anyone who leaves you a comment is giving up their precious time to share their thoughts with you, and until you're a high status blogger, and it shows (ie, you're posting all the time, and have a lot of comments), people who give you that--and get a belated response will feel unvalued...and that's bad...because the people who comment are the people who are closer to being "caught" than anyone else. They're read your stuff. They know what you want. They're interested enough to give you SOMETHING, even if it's not money. DON'T blow those people off! They're like a fish, nibbling at your hook. You've got to dangle value in front of them, make them feel important, if you want them to take the bait. ;))
Actually, it's not all that different from acting...it's all about networking...and never letting people forget who you are. You can't just invite people to your plays--you have to go see theirs, first. ;)
I wish I had a quick fix for you...but there usually aren't any. There's just a lot of time spent building up something that, hopefully, will pay off in the end.
Best of luck to you!
(Oh...and you needn't worry about responding to my comment, actually, in a timely fashion or otherwise--my advice about commenting wasn't meant to include me. ;) I wasn't caught by your story...but something else entirely--I stumbled on this site while looking up an old roommate of mine...and your name came up with his, at one point, and I remembered your name. I was an RA and a teaching assistant the summer you did the Early College program at USIU. ;) I post mostly on photography and art sites--not here on blogger.com...so I won't be likely to see any responses.)
I know you said not to bother commenting, since you are unlikely to see it, anyway....but I'm stubborn.
That was amazing stuff you wrote, & I greatly appreciate you taking the time to write it all. Thank you so much.
You are right, I need to be way more active. It's hard to want to even get out of bed when you're as depressed as I've been. An "excuse" but valid. The meds I'm on for the seizures cause severe depression, & I'm actually just starting therapy & maybe depression meds.
I never really thought about my life being "exciting" to anyone. I guess that's silly, cause I can see how it would be to some people. Some people act like the things that I've done are a big deal, but they aren't a big deal to me, & I err on the side of insecurity with modesty. I just see/feel stress, failure, & depression....so I just didn't think my humdrum life would interest anyone!
I have a friend who posts his photography on deviantart, & will hopefully take some pics of me to post there, as well! I'm always wanting to do fun & creative photo shoots. I may not be model-gorgeous, but I've never met a camera I didn't like! ;-p
I do believe I will be pursuing this dream--slightly twisted--in Nashville, instead of LA. I just can't afford LA.
Again....I thank you. And I will check out your stuff.
Do you remember me from USIU? I loved my time there.
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