Back in my early 20s, I didn’t know what to do with myself. My dad once told me, “You should try acting.”
I’ve always had horrible stage fright (still do), but I decided to give it a shot. I went to a small studio here in Los Angeles — the Mestnik Studio. I was young. I was one of maybe two or three Latinos in the room. Everyone else was mostly white, plus one Black girl. A lot of them seemed more trained, more professional, like they were already getting work. I’d never done anything like it — I was mainly there to face my fear.
But the place was inviting. The teacher was inviting. The people were inviting.
When I did my first monologue, people were surprisingly receptive. They told me I had ability. I didn’t pursue it further, but I still remember how it felt to be in a room where you could express yourself and people didn’t shut you down.
That’s what stuck with me: sometimes you find a place where you can express, and if you stay with it, you can turn that expression into a craft.
Question: Where’s a place you’ve felt safe to express yourself?
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