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While working on Jinkies! or The Dog Play, our director instructed us to research our characters by watching episodes of Scooby-Doo and draw inspiration from their background and physical characteristics. I must admit I immensely enjoyed the process and will implement the practice into my actor's process. Of course, the beauty of our show is that it builds upon existing characters, but we can apply that to any character in any play. Deriving inspiration from outside sources helps flesh out a character further than relying only on the script.

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Scooby-Doo! | Daphne's Best Moments | WB Kids

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Jim Tamm's TED Talk on collaboration draws from his experiences as a judge. Beware, there are some graphic metaphors about chickens. He gives insights on how defensiveness can inhibit collaboration as a whole. And that nothing will help you become more effective at resolving conflict than managing your defensiveness, which is a fantastic point to make. Tamm details ways people get defensive and how to recognize them in yourself and create a warning system to help you realize when you get defensive in situations.

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Cultivating Collaboration: Don't Be So Defensive! | Jim Tamm | TEDxSantaCruz

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"If you have an idea that you genuinely think is good, don't let some idiot talk you out of it." ― Stan Lee

Stan Lee's keynote speech is probably one of my favorites. A great story about giving your all to an idea you genuinely believe in and taking it to where you know it belongs. I include this video mainly because Stan Lee has been a great model since childhood for me, and his words of wisdom inspire me.

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Stan Lee Keynote at the 2017 Graduation Ceremony

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Mark Soderwall's TED Talk The Fear of Starting sums up some of my doubts when brainstorming to write my own script. His anecdote about Arnold Schwarzenegger provides a unique perspective, where, in a world where seven-time Mr. Olympia also feels an imposter syndrome. Still, we must work through those fears instead of feeding into them.

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The Fear of Starting | Mark Soderwall | TEDxRedding

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The video above perfectly highlights the need for more representation of minority groups. Seeing ourselves represented on screen in good light has a significant impact on how we view ourselves, especially children. Such stories and characters are beyond important to display.

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2-year-old boy’s sweet reaction to his lookalike in ‘Encanto’ l GMA

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What Is Exciting Me Right Now:

ENTRY #1: It has been almost two years since I stepped into an actual rehearsal space. I am currently a part of the UTNT play Jinkies! or The Dog Play. These last few weeks have been beyond rewarding and sparked an excitement in me for what we are creating together. Working on problem-solving and developing our scenes inspire me to get out of my head and play and let go of that need to control. I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with MFA director Braxton Rae and playwright Josiah Turner. This whole process inspires me both as an actor and a writer. It has genuinely motivated me to write.

ENTRY #2: My spring semester consists of Corey Allen's On-Set Practicum course, and I feel like I have entered entirely new territory. The class puts great emphasis on collaboration. As a group of seven artists, we meet every Monday and Wednesday to develop our script and then produce a short film as a team with Corey's guidance. We are to fill in the roles of director, designer, producer, editor, actor, etc. I must be honest, I was pretty nervous during our first mock-up writer's room, but it was a refreshing experience. Over the next few months, I cannot wait to watch us accomplish everything in the short period of our time together.

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Blunotte by Robert Cellai (2020, Italy) Painting, Oil on Canvas

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Professor Allen projected Cellai's Blunotte to inspire and gently lead the development of the characters we would like to see in the fictional world we would create and write as a group. A fantastic way to unlock creative triggers. I am a visualizer, so I have recognized imagery works for me, and it is something I will continue to practice and implement to stimulate my brain when creating.

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Where I See Myself Going:

ENTRY #1: I aspire to one day write and direct my own feature film. Storytelling is ingrained in my culture and is the number one communication channel within my family. I drive my ideas from the experiences and interactions I have had with these stories I have been hearing since childhood; they are what inspire me. So, to produce my own work would be a dream. Films are where my heart belongs, so another ambition is to land a lead role in a featured film. And, of course, I hope to perform on and off-Broadway and tour with a company.

ENTRY #2: One goal of mine is to write my very own screenplay. For the longest time, I have had this nagging fear of getting started, which may be a symptom of my need to be perfect on my first draft, which has prevented me from developing work that I am passionate about.

As for my time here at UT as I pursue my bachelor's degree, I want to establish connections with my peers and collaborate on projects in hopes of learning as much as I can. After graduation, I hope to continue these relationships beyond my university years. I also hope to apply to an MFA program for Acting to continue my education.

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Hearing Dustin Lance Black speak on his creative process as a screenwriter and dissects how he comes up with his ideas. I work better when my process has an organized structure, so I can definitely see myself modeling some of Black's techniques into exploring my own ideas and refining, defining, developing, and finalizing those ideas. Whether for a script or another project, Black's process in laying out a strong skeleton for an idea and then slowly and steadily building the body and breathing life into it is one that applies across all fields.

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What Underscores My Work:

ENTRY #1: When working with others, I adhere to some core principles: honesty, respect, support, and loyalty. Of course, the list is expansive and changes depending on those I am working with. But those four core principles are what I for sure carry into every rehearsal space I enter and every project I take on. Complete honesty with your collaborators helps curate work you all agree on and take some pride in. Leading with the utmost respect allows you to deal with your differences. As collaborators, we are responsible for one another, so unconditional support is significant. And last but not least, loyalty ensures commitment to your team, which I take seriously.

ENTRY #2: Most of my work is underscored and derived from who I am as an artist, collaborator, and person. As a minority, it is beyond important that the work I produce reflects such experiences as they are true to me and my core. Representation matters immensely, so giving voice and a platform to all collaborators, where power dynamics do not hold to such high standards, is a must.

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Jon M. Chu's TED Talk The Pride and Power of Representation in Film puts into words what I feel about the representation of minority groups in media. He speaks on how those represented should determine how it reads on the big screen; I wholeheartedly agree.

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The pride and power of representation in film | Jon M. Chu

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My Thoughts About Artistic Processes:

ENTRY #1: Everyone likes things done their way. Believe it or not, so do I! I am a thinker, so my mind is constantly churning, and when I get an idea that I see as worthy of developing, I write it down immediately. Whatever comes to me, I pour it out on a page. And then I go in and refine. I think it is important to write ideas down to develop them. Also, sometimes your thoughts may not work for one project but may be perfect for another. So having that on hand is extremely useful.

ENTRY #2: My most significant flaw in the area has to be my confidence in sharing and voicing my ideas with other people. I notice that I hesitate to do so primarily because of false beliefs of my ideas not being good enough or being outright rejected. I definitely need to break out of and work on it to collaborate and reach my potential.

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Catherine Reitman's TED Talk, A Guide to Believing in Yourself (But for Real This Time), is just a lovely watch/listen. Learning to say yes to your own ideas before sharing them with others will help you diminish that fear of not being good enough and withholding your ideas. SAYING YES TO ME!

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A guide to believing in yourself (but for real this time) | Catherine Reitman | TEDxToronto

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What I Think About It & Why It Matters:

ENTRY #1: When I think of the word 'collaboration,' I think of a group of individuals from distinctly different views and backgrounds, coming together in the name of similar interests and goals. It serves as an opportunity to create and do something that you either cannot do by yourself or deems difficult if you do.

ENTRY #2: Collaboration is essential to creation and innovation. It opens the door for learning from others and gives way for new communication channels. We fulfill roles in projects that one person may not successfully achieve independently through collaboration. Theatre is all about collaboration; without it, we would never accomplish putting up productions. We need writers, directors, actors, stage managers, designers, crew members, etc. Of course, there is collaboration even within those roles. But as from an overview, collaboration lies at the very core of theatre.

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The Power of Collaboration by Dr. Shelle VanEtten de Sanchez details collaboration essentials with five points.

1. Lego my ego!

2. Practice makes perfect: anyone can learn to collaborate.

3. Share & share alike: collaborate to share work, resources, credit, blame, etc.).

4. Holding tight is very safe & very small: releasing your ideas comes with unknown responses, but it opens doors.

5. Teamwork does NOT equal collaboration.

Sanchez makes a significant claim that holding tight to an idea = control, whereas leading arms wide with an idea = losing control.

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The power of collaboration: Dr. Shelle VanEtten de Sánchez at TEDxABQWomen