Day 2: Who am I?

Ha! So I have challenged myself. There's something that happens when you do that! First its just a verbal connection with your desire. Then you get comfortable with the words coming out of your mouth. Then you are like hmmm...maybe I can change the course of my life. Well that's me...and oddly when I set forward with my goal yesterday ( I posted it on FB), I felt an odd sense that I wll indeed follow my goal of being a professional and consistently working actress and screenwriter in Hollywood this time next year.

Well, after I made my little challenge public...I felt good by the little support that I received on FB. Each supporter of my dream matters...even I matter. Cause if I am not my biggest cheerleader...who is?

So the question now is...who am I to write this blog? What's my background? Why follow suit like Sofia?

Who am I? I am a professionally trained scientist. I graduated from North Carolina A&T State University in Agriculture Science. I have worked in research for around ten freaking years! Mostly during graveyard shift hours researching my dreams! My dream started before I knew it was a dream at 5 years old...on Valentine's Day when my parents bought me a red notebook and a cute white teddy bear with a velvet red heart. I am not sure why but I took that bear and placed it on my bed and I took that notebook and wrote my heart out. I have been writing ever since. In regard to acting...Ive been performing since around the same age. Started performing at one of my best friends homes in her parents basements. We were around 5 years old then. I would coordinate a routine and we would put the show on for our mothers that were seated in the front room. As odd as it sounds I needed to write ( introverted activity) and act ( extroverted activity). Ive been at odds about it for a while now...because I am good at both. I feel confident in my ability to out write and act anyone. I feel confident in expressing myself through both mediums as well.

Back to my story....born in W-S, moved to Atlanta to live with father at 12/13. Attended Tri-Cities High school in East Point, GA. Let me back up my first play was in 7th grade, A MidSummer's Night Dream". My art teacher asked me to audition and I did and made it :) It was for the part of Hippolyta. That was my first taste of acting. So I went to performing arts school for drama in ATL. I fell in love with theater there---specifically black theater.

Fast forward to my high school graduation ---I left acting and writing behind. It seemed to be a shaky career to have and I pressed forward in a new direction. I was first a Governor's page in the state of NC under Gov. James Hunt ( PR page), and then I went to college first as a political science major and then science major. I ended my college degree working with graduate students at A&T. Now when I think about it...I always accomplished what I set my mind to...even if it is the wrong thing.

After college--I went back to Atlanta. I gravitated to cinema again. It was like a magnet. I started volunteering for this event called, " Black Cinema Cafe". I loved the events concept...although I felt that the people in Atlanta were more supporters of film and not in show business.

After 9/11 and Aaliyah's death I thought of my own life and I got a plan together to move to LA. I would use my degree to get me there. I moved back to my mothers house in NC and worked at one of the largest labs in the world--Lab Corp. I worked there for around a year and then I relocated with them to LA. While in LA I worked graveyard shift while I did the following:

1. Voluteered at A LOT of film festivals
2. Provided script coverage at SimmonsLathan Media Group ( under Angela Northington)
3. Interned at Edmond Entertainment ( asst. Tracey Edmonds)
4. Interned at Morgan Freeman's Revelation Entertainment
5. Asst. Casting Director Monica R. Cooper
6. Networked like hell

I did a lot...yet I was focusing on areas that I had no passion in...but were safe. Sadly, I left LA for DC to attend Howard University for MFA in Media Studies.

I arrived at Howard with hope for my career. But now when I look at it I was a bit directionless. I did not have a mapped out plan. I attended one year at HU, yet I left because academia Media is not the same as Show Business. Many of my professors at HU had never even worked in LA or NY, so it deeply confused me as to why they were teaching in the subject matter.

So I went back to the sciences while going after my dream. I worked at Baxter Healthcare for a bit and then Discovery Communications as an online editor. In DC I also worked as a personal assistant to night club mogul Marc S. Barnes. I walked off that job and pretty much soon after moved back to NC. I had to get my life together deeply before my next major move.

So here I am now. I have been in NC since Spring 2007. I have been working in the sciences making good money, acting when I can, and writing. While in NC I turned 30 and now I am 32. Dont worry...I know how people are with age and all when it comes to an acting career. I dont care. Ive been home in NC now for almost three years. I am so proud of these three years its been as if I have been in therapy under God's intensive soul care. I have done things I would have never thought I would have done and bottom line I got a life. I become Mashawnda. Yet through it all, my desire for my dreams will not go to sleep ( although I have tried). My dreams have to live. Or as Paulo Coelho says your "personal legend".

In the book, " The Alchemist" he states the following:

" When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision".

This is true for my life. I believe I realized this when I traveled to Rome last year...and out of all places I ran into this grand exhibit of the late Great Grace Kelly. The exhibit displayed everything from her acting career from rejection letters, delayed opportunity letters and pictures, and pictures of her wins and her life.

I believe that trip in Nov. 2009 did it for me.

I then realized that I had gotten off my path and this blog will follow me to getting back on my path.

So where does Sofia Coppola come from? Well initially it came from the fact that she had won a Oscar for best screenplay for , " Lost in Translation". Then I re read her bio...and oddly it appears that a lot of her opportunities came from her father. I have to be honest.

So in honor of my commitment to my father ( My God)...I am going to grant myself the same opportunities as she :) Odd connection but its all mine.

You will enjoy my ride ( TRUST ME)

I said all of that to give you an update for today.

UPDATE: A commercial audition booked for Saturday. I have received two rejection letters from book queries that I sent out in Jan 2010 as well. I am thankful for my progress to date.

My next entries will not be as long...just updates and things of that nature.

Have a great day!!!!

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