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Because you know I'm all about that...date



The curse of being self-employed is that you often don’t know when or where your next job is coming from.  This is also part of the fun, but can make dealing with you quite annoying.  Not knowing when you will be busy or if you will have an income in the foreseeable future is both concerning and irritating.  Financially, mortgages, rent, travel costs all need to be budgeted for BEFORE deciding you can afford the fancy coffee en route to an audition. 

The thing I struggle more with though is booking things.  For a long time, I either didn't book things or had mild palpitations when I did.  “Booking things” for me covers the gamut of events from a routine dental appointment in 6 months’ time to theatre trips to holidays.

Ah holidays.  These are things that many actors don’t have for YEARS for the following reasons.  Reason one:  money (massive drama school debt and profit share plays mean no savings).  Reason two:  the curse.  The curse is that if you book a holiday YOU WILL GET OFFERED AN ACTING JOB.  You would think that this may encourage many a foray onto Expedia in the hope of tricking fate but doesn't because of… Reason three: sod’s law.  Sod’s law for actors is mainly needing to be in two places at the same time.  You can guarantee that if you are pencilled for a job, someone will offer you an audition for that same day which you’ll have to refuse because of the pencil and that then you’ll end up losing them both (true story).

Over time I've had to learn to control my FOMO* and just roll with it – you can’t be all things to all people and you can’t be in more than one place at a time (until someone perfects a Time-Turner that is) So now I try to say YES, deal with a date clash IF it comes up and live life to the fullest.




*FOMO for the non-text speak generation, is Fear Of Missing Out



Twitter: @mirandacolmans
Website: www.mirandacolmans.com
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