Sincerely, Shannon

So… It’s been a while… It’s good to see you again! I’ve been gone a little less than a year, wow. Time flies, I guess… isn’t that what people say?

These last few months have sent me into a slump. Nothing I used to love to do seemed good or fun anymore, and it was a lot of just pushing through, grinding out day by day, not really enjoying life anymore. I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting to feel like myself again, hoping one day I will wake up and just let out that breath I have been holding for the better part of 2025.

The thing that woke me up was something small; it was a social media post. It wasn’t anything huge; it was just a video someone put up where she said how she was going to start acting. How it’s been her dream for years and how she has always wanted to do it… I took a deeper look at her account. That video was a few weeks old, so I watched some of her other newer videos. She talks about all the stuff she is doing, the headshots and reaching out to people, and she discusses her first day on a film set.

That made me really realize something; I didn’t stop loving life, I just stopped moving forward. After seeing her post, I kept seeing all these people that are putting themselves out there and doing things that they love even when it’s hard.

I came to the realization that nothing is going to happen unless I do something; I won’t just wake up one day and feel like me again when I am not doing the things that make me feel like me. I’m not waiting anymore; I’m going to do it messily, and I am going to hope that helps me feel more like myself again.

We are starting small. One afternoon a few weeks ago, I decided enough is enough, and I signed up for an audition that would happen in less than a week; I was not ready for that at all. Then I hit submit to reserve my spot, and it was like this heavy cloud lifted from my shoulders, and I felt lighter. Hitting submit turned out to be the hardest part of getting started! I already felt more like myself.

So, I did it again! I reserved another audition slot for another show in my area. The feeling that I have some direction and I am actively doing something to get myself closer to where I want to be felt SO GOOD! That made me really realize something; I didn’t stop loving acting and loving life, I just stopped moving forward.

So I went to the auditions. They were literally one day apart; Friday evening I was auditioning for one show, then Saturday morning I was an hour away auditioning for another. It was so much fun, and it was something that I missed so, so, so much.

Even though I had a good time, I didn’t end up getting a callback for either of those shows. I was disappointed for a minute; both of those productions were projects that I was really interested in. Even though I didn’t get a callback for either of those shows, I still felt better for having gone to those auditions and not getting a callback than I would have if I hadn’t gone to the auditions at all. It felt good to be acting and auditioning again.

Coming back now means setting attainable goals for myself and giving myself grace; it’s time to stop hoping for something to fall into my lap. Actively searching for auditions, creating a demo reel at home with no experience, joining an acting class (coming soon…), posting to social media to get used to being in front of a camera again, and trying to bring myself back to feeling real again.

I’m not just wanting to get back into auditioning and acting; I want to get back into posting on social media. I am not trying to “go viral,” but I want to use it as a sort of time capsule. I want to build proof that I am working, and I need to practice being seen again on camera and by others (even if it’s just one person!).

Nothing is guaranteed; I wish I could say that doing all these steps I have set for myself is setting me up for amazing things, but I honestly don’t know. That is the hope: that all of this will lead to something amazing, so that’s what I’m holding onto.

I hope you follow along with me; you should be seeing me posting more on here and on my socials.

Sincerely, Shannon