China Here I Come!!!!

So I will be standing only miles away from this in a few short days

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You don't understand. I've been wanting to go to Asia FOREVER. And now I get to live there for two months!!

It all happened so fast. I was having dinner with two of my good friends on June 1.  I mentioned how I wanted to leave New York for a little while and that maybe I should just book a ticket to somewhere in Asia and try to model.  

My first friend tells me her modeling scout would help place me somewhere with an agency and my second friend offered to watch my cat.  And then my first friend again tells me she knows a girl who needs a room in New York for two months.  

So it just goes to show that when the timing is right, sometimes all you need to do is say what you want out loud and everything will fall into place.

Not to imply that the past several weeks has been an easy ride.  I've been STRESSING. And I'm generally a person who can handle stressful situations pretty well.  I gave up my apartment right away and the scout was having a hard time placing me because, as I have discovered, Chinese clients don't prefer models with red or short hair (so now my hair is changed again!)

 I finally get word that an agency in Beijing would help me out.  Now, this was the last place I wanted to model.  And at first I wasn't pleased at all with the news.  And so a week shy of July 1,  I'm packing up my room for my sublet moving in, and in tears freaking out because I do not know where I am going to live the next week. I was  having second thoughts and wondering if I should move to Europe instead or move out of Queens to Manhattan. Well, a move to Europe in 7 days would be a little much and I just couldn't stand the thought of being in New York for another two months and giving up something I wanted so badly.  

I honestly think I was trying to talk myself out of doing what I've dreamed of doing for so long.  

And after hearing some people's good experiences with Beijing and looking up the modeling agency that seems really great, the idea was starting to grow on me. And finally one night a few days later, friends from out of town who travel a lot took me out to a lovely dinner in the West Village.  At dinner they announced that they had decided they were going to coerce me into buying a ticket to Beijing by getting a bottle of wine, taking it with us to the Hudson River and getting me drunk.  

Yes people. I bought my ticket to China when I was drunk. I hope my mom isn't reading this! Are you proud? ;) But honestly, it needed to be done and if red wine was the only thing that was going to help me make that final decision then so be it!

And I'm SCARED!! But not so much scared of being in China. I'm scared that I will totally fail.  I'm scared I won't book one job. 

But I figure the worst case scenario would be that I don't book anything. And I come back home to New York with an empty bank account and have to (gasp) resort to cocktail serving or bartending.   

And if all else fails at least I can say I SAW THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA!!!!!!!!

Spring Time Art Photos

When spring first arrived, I had a quick afternoon shoot with photographer Magdalena Olek in a Cherry Blossom filled park in Brooklyn. These photos were used in an art gallery presentation back in her home town in Poland.

The beautiful hats were lent to us by designer Velvet Antler and the garments by the lovely Kaytee Papusza, whose art show I am grateful to have been a part of as well.

And the artist herself!

Oh The Challenges Of Improv at the UCB

Improv, specifically long form improv, is so freakin’ difficult!!! For me, anyway.

I’ve been taking classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre for the past year. And each class higher doesn’t get a little more challenging…. its like the difficulty level goes from A to Z with no alphabet in between! In my last class in particular, we were introduced to a lot of specific new rules and taught more advanced scenic structure. And then without fully understanding everything, we are told to jump in the scene and clear our heads and not think! So I do that. The problem is I clear my head but instead of a brilliant idea popping up to introduce to my scene partner, my mind stays blank to the point of having difficulty forming sentences. And I’m struggling for words and suddenly my vocabulary is about as extensive as a third grader.  So I spend a lot of time glued against the back wall.

And I’m glued to this back wall with my arms crossed and struggling to pay attention to my classmates performing their scenes because I’m too busy telling myself how everyone is better than me and how I suck and I’m a little embarrassed to be there.

Now I’m also a bit embarrassed to admit this to you guys but I figure everyone can relate to some extent.

So I ask myself, why do I continue to do it?

Its not like I’m passionate about improv like some people are. Sure I definitely enjoy it when I’m able to commit myself to a scene, feeling fully present in the moment and making snappy and witty choices that move the story along in an interesting way.  But for the time being its like I'm stuck in a rut and its taking my self confidence and burying it under the ground. 

So I’m thinking about why I’m determined to not give up.  Is it because my favorite shows on tv are sitcoms like 30 Rock, The Office and Modern Family? Is it because I have people in my classes and at UCB in general that are currently on these sitcoms or working on other tv shows and theatre productions sometimes because they are associated with UCB? Could it be because I find improvisation a fascinating and beautiful form created and structured from nothing but a single idea ? Or because comedy is what I love the most and if being involved with a community of improvisers is going to make me a better actor then so be it?

Yes all of the above. But maybe the number one reason I’m determined to stick with it is because it’s a challenge.   If I can get over this pile of self doubt and introvertness I tend to slide back into every so often, how freeing would that be? And then I could be one of those people on stage I admire and who make improv look way too easy.  

And here is my most recent, extremely talented class backstage after our performance:

 

Fashion Shoot with Powell Styling

I shot for Powell Styling with photographar James Douglas Shields and got these awesome new shots for my portfolio.  I am so thankful I got to work with such a great team!

We shot down in Wall Street. What a beautiful area!! I want to go and have lunch down there by myself at the same time all the handsome business men do....

If I had a rooftop like this, I'd sunbathe everyday!

My favorite shot... oh la la! Paris, anyone?

On a secret mission....

I apologize for the lame commentary on my photos. I guess I'm just in one of those moods..... ;-)

Be True To Yourself (and update your blog)

I'm back!

I want to give a brief thank you for all of you who take the time to read my blog and for the comments. I  thouroughy enjoy reading up on all of yours.  If you have yet to introduce yourself and/or have a blog to share by all means say hello!

I got a personal email awhile back from Modelina Michelle, a lovely girl from the Bay Area in California who is a petite model.  Not only did her email and kind support make my day (Thank you Michelle! :) but she also asked if I had any advice to give to those pursuing modeling/acting.

So it got me thinking... who am I to give advice? Who am I not to give advice? Well, its nothing you haven't heard before but now you get the Kristin version (I know you can hardly contain the overwhelming excitement you feel at this very moment). So embrace yourself....

It will give me a chance to post something in between my ever changing hairstyle, which I'm sure can become repetitive and boring... (ok let's get real here... it will be nice to fill in the gaps when I don't book anything for two weeks. No one will be the wiser ;)

So here goes nothing:

BE TRUE TO YOURSELF!!

Overused? Yes, but I still love this passage from Hamlet:

"This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!"

If you listen to what everyone else tells you and try to conform to their sometimes well-meaning sometimes malicious "advice," you will be one sad and lost soul.  Know who you are and OWN it. And be proud. This makes the hugest difference in the casting process. And in life, well its just that much more fulfilling to think you are really that phenomenal! The doors of opportunity seem to open a lot more swiftly when I'm always checking myself to make sure I am working at, committing to and presenting my best and true self. 

I have been told my ears are too big, my teeth are too small, I need to shave my arms, I'm not a true model unless I get naked, I'm too tall and skinny for this modeling job, I'm too tall to be an actor, my freckles are too random on my face, I'm too nice, I'm too good, I'm not outgoing enough, I'll never make it in the business unless I'm a backstabbing bitch. I've also been giving countless "opportunities" to meet with certain people who can "give me success" if I suck their dick.

Classy, no?

And ironically enough, the people who criticize the most and act like  you should feel SO BLESSED to be getting their opinion, are the one's who have little to no credibility to their name. Its almost funny. And here's what I say to all that....

"I find nothing wrong with my ears or teeth and my freckles are cute. I'm not shaving my arms because that's lame. I'm too tall and skinny? Is this not a modeling job? I'm too tall to be an actress? Then get me a taller actor! Idiots. I'm more of a model than those naked, cross-eyed girls in your portfolio and by the way you're a bad photographer. It pays to be nice and I am awesome. And some of the best actors are introverts. And above all, I would like to keep my integrity and morale, thank you very much. So, in actuality, YOU can suck it!!!!

My Little Tribute to NY Fashion Week

So here is my little tribute to the 2010 New York Fall Fashion Week. I was going to choose two or three looks that I need to somehow recreate with Forever 21 or H&M clothing (or buy from the designer if I do in fact reach my New Years Goal of 5 million $$. Hey you never know!) But, I of course would have to narrow my choices down which would take me all night, so I decided instead to pull every photo off the Mercedes-Benz website that caught my eye.  So bear with me....

 Cute clothes, more stockings and thigh-high socks. Oh I'm SO excited.  Even more excited than when it suddenly became okay to mix brown and black and then gold and silver.  Seriously though.... it used to be so annoying when those "rules" were in existence.  My former roommate (you know who you are!!  ;) Would say to me, "Seriously Kristin. You cannot wear those brown boots with that sweater." Well, now I can. HA! And now I can wear thigh-high socks with heels so THERE!

I spent some time at the tents at Bryant Park this year, which I'm so thankful I did since it was the last year Fashion Week will be held there. (Now that's just weird).  Tommy Hilfiger was the very last to show his collection. I also got to see Tibi. It was so inspiring just to be around the craze of Fashion Week, and watching these shows live put a permanent smile on my face the entire week. I'm SO grateful to be a part of this industry. I may not be at the status of these models, but every designer I work with and every photo I take exhilarates me to no end. I LOVE being a model in NYC. And I enjoy and admire the people I work with, and who I aspire to work with. Amazing and talented and beautiful people!!  Standing there absorbing everything around me confirmed this even more.

I can't wait to post the photos from the shows I worked. I walked for some really awesome designers.  Next post!

Ok now I have to give credit to the designers whose clothing I'm showcasing :).....

j

In not the correct order at all....

Adam, BCBGMaxazaria, Brian Reyes, Carlos Miele, Cynthia Steffe, DKNY, Georges Chakra, Herve Legerby Max Azria, J Mendel, Jill Stuart, Leifsdottir, Mackage, Max Azria, Michael Angel, Milly by Michelle Smith, Monique Luillier, Prabal Gurung, Tadashi Shoji, Tony Cohen, Vera Wang, Zac Posen

Anyone want to go shopping???

Its the B12 Vitamins. I Swear!

My January ROCKED! 

While I was in LA I asked a friend of mine what his NewYears Resolution was. 

"I don't have a resolution. I have a Theme..." he says in an endearingly superior and meticulous way. 

and that is...

"Focus and Breathe in the New Energy."

So imagine how shallow I felt when I had just told him my resolution was to get 5 Million Dollars.  I'm not sure what my back up plan would be if this isn't the year my fantastic self gets discovered. Rob a bank? Marry a rich douche bag?) I'm just thankful he didn't say something like, "Reach out to others more and make the world a better place."

So ultimately I'm stealing his theme for my own good. 

And I am feeling fantastic, grounded and balanced and more consistently focused than, well, ever. And whether its this profound New Years Theme which is infiltrating my new energy, or my trip to LA or my recent advisement to overdose on B12 Vitamin supplements (which is most likely the case. Seriously. Its like being on a stimulant medication or two cups of coffee without the jitters. If any of you feel like you are going A.D.D. crazy take them!)

 Or maybe its my 30 day eating habits consisting of no cheese, alcohol, bread, sugar, dairy, processed foods, or fruit. Don't be jealous!! Ok its not too bad. You know, I like rice. I eat a lot of almonds. And Thai food.  I'm getting really, really sick of having eggs or plain oatmeal in the morning. I'm not going to lie. And I cheat a lot. I just can't give up chocolate. Hey, you know, its that time of month, my body isn't getting what it really needs so I have to make sacrifices... ladies you understand. 

Ok. Anyway. Seeing as this is NOT a blog about medical advisement or natural path remedies, I will now talk about something more profound like... MY HAIR.

So here I am at yet another show with L'Oreal- a local show in New York. And here is my stylist Kristjan, who I also worked with in San Fransicso and Seattle .  

  

And then, remember that fight video I did way back when? Well, I got back together with Andrew Dasz to shoot some still photos with lifestyle photographer Jeremy Harris . Here are my two favorite shots:

The rest of the month I have been fortunate to be going on about two castings a day on average. I was feeling good about this until the other day when I went on one high end casting and all the models who looked about 17 years old were talking about how they went on 10-15 castings that day. (And the jealously and insecurity rises....) But WHATEVER. I've booked a few things for the upcoming Fashion Week and hopefully more in the next several days.   

And as far as acting goes, I got contacted from a producer I did a three week casting director workshop with 2 years ago while I was still living in LA (So these things do work sometimes!) So it looks as if I may be getting to audition for an action film. 

And I started class at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Yay!! Gonna get my funny on... 

I've had too much coffee today. I think it may be kind of obvious in my written words.... Anyway. B12 supplements. Take them.