The more I reconnect with my creative side, the more I realize I am absolutely infatuated with what it means to tell a story. Acting has become my conduit to contribute my own storytelling, and my interest and fascination with it have grown over the past few years. In the past, though, acting wasn't my primary conduit.
Quite a while ago, like from the third grade to the eighth grade, I used to write all the time. The stories were probably total crap, but that didn't seem to bother me. In fact, I was so unaffected by the quality of the story that I would just let anyone read it. I wanted their opinion, and I would just let myself learn from what they said. One time I shared a story with my class where the characters involved in it were some of my fellow classmates. The love interests? Well, their names were mine and a girl in my class that I had a crush on. Yeah, smooth and completely shameless.
What I'm shocked about now, though, when I look back at that time, is that I didn't care if people didn't like the story, I just wrote to write! Nowadays, because I'm older, when I go to create a story I think about it way too much. I often catch myself thinking things like, "No one would want to read this!" or, "This is a stupid idea." Right when I think anything like this, I'm stopped in my tracks. In consequence, nothing gets written and I find myself getting upset two weeks later because I haven't written anything creative.
Recently, however, I think I've found a new inspiration to overcome the fear that developed with my growing age. Earlier this summer I was able to see a video promoting the new "Mass Effect" game coming out, and I was thrown back to when I played through the second and third games. They were awesome. I felt connected to all of the characters they created, so much so that if one ever died, I actually was incredibly upset. How did a video game elicit such a response from me? Then look at my favorite movie series ever, "Star Wars," and look at the fact I get goosebumps when I would see the trailers for "The Force Awakens." "Phantom Menace" was my first movie in theaters. Darth Vader was my favorite character in any story ever, and seeing his progression in the prequels was one reason why I actually like the prequels. Don't hate.
It's not only science fiction, though. "Game of Thrones" has a huge following, both the series and the books, and I am proudly one of them (though I'm not fully caught up; I hate this feeling). The world they have created and immersed their viewers in is absolutely amazing, and I am swept away every time I watch it.
I also recently went and saw the movie "The Infiltrator." I don't think I have felt the suspense and internal conflict during a movie like I did there in a long time. There was very little open, visible conflict like you often see in movies today. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't nonexistent, but the movie focused more on the psychological aspects of being under cover. The whole experience was awesome because it made me feel much deeper things than typical. Fear, suspense, genuine shock and pain for what the characters were going through. It was awesome. Go see it.
I could keep going with a ton of different stories that are available today, but I'd be here forever.
I guess what I've found is there is an excitement when I think about what storytelling can do. Thousands of people will take time out of their life to be taken away in these worlds, and that is absolutely beautiful. There is a sense of comfort in these worlds even when completely terrible things can happen in them. We subject ourselves to stories that are tragic, heart-warming, comedic, etc. because it is relief from what we go through every day. That key action, taking people away from their own lives and including them in a fictional one, has been what has drawn me into acting in recent years. Being able to move an audience became addicting right when I realized that laughter wasn't the only way an audience could be moved. Hearing a gasp of shock or a sniffle of sadness while performing almost makes you want to pause the show, look up and say, "Thank you," to the audience and then continue. When those things happen, you know the audience is right there with you, and that is an incredibly personal and unifying experience. In that realm, I think I've only found the tip of the iceberg.
I think I have started to find more of the iceberg by realizing that acting is not the only way to take people on a journey and I'm shocked it has taken me this long, honestly. I'm so excited to try to get back into the swing of writing, but I have to realize that nothing will be good at first or maybe even ever, but that isn't why you do something you're passionate about. You do it because you love it. The only way to get better is to practice and your love for what you're doing is what will get you through the difficult times.
What about you guys? What are y'all's passions? Share below!
