What else could the first post on the site be but the definition of why I started it?

We crave it when we don’t have it. We panic when we have too much of it. We never quite know how to balance it. Ladies and gents, I give you: Free Time. 

I, if you have not realized, am a working actress. This means that I work hard and a lot….but very sporadically. I could work 4 weeks straight of 13 hour shoot days, have auditions on my off hours, and then have LITERALLY nothing for the next 6-8 weeks. Yes that is real. And it is not glamorous. It is mentally exhausting. 

Why? Well the first reason is obvious: finances. Having zero money stability is just something you agree to when you decide to live a creative career. It’s magical. And it blows.

Secondly: You can’t hold a solid “day job” to balance your schedule and finances because you need to be readily available for auditions (sometimes with as little as a few hours notice) or bookings. Basically you need be employed with someone who needs you and who also is extremely flexible. Yes it is as hard a gap to fill as you think it is. 

So I am currently on this great game of “When do I get my next job”…it’s super fun! Not.

Please note: I have income and savings sufficient enough to get by. For a time. 

Pilot season (when the up and coming shows for networks cast the most) is on it’s way, but without immediate auditions I find myself with the dreaded: too much open time. 

I have all my ducks in a row. And they are polished too. My reel, my resume, my updated website (SamValentine.net if you’re curious), my IMDb, my classes and coaches, I even have a showcase coming up. I have gifted all my agents/managers with holiday/pilot season gifts. I have organized my audition outfits and cleaned my closet and desk, and I have a morning routine complete with 7:30am wake up, meditation, time with my loved ones (my dogs and my boyfriend), and a solid workout schedule. I have discounted food delivery service rolling so my diet is on point. I even started my own Podcast (see the tab above). 

So now…we wait. To get a job or not to get a job? That is the question. 

Patience is in and of itself a JOB. 

I however hate the idea of spending so much time waiting for something to happen. So I have found a source of free-time filler. That is not monetarily enforced. That is simply something I can contribute to people like me who need to know that they are not alone in thinking free time is one of the most stress-inducing things a person can be glutinous with. 

So here is your safe space. Broke Actress is designed as a time-contributor, not a time-suck. 

Let me know how you feel, comment below. Seriously. Please. I am SO bored.