MOCKING BRAVE
Well, what a exciting eight weeks it has been in the Brave studios!
Over that period, I’ve learned what I feel is a lot, everyone has a different perspective though.
Probably the key takeaways were:
Self-belief, which i want to delve and do a bit of self research on.
Inner monologue, which is way more complex than you think.
Not getting so frustrated with the lines and remembering them, calmer would be the word.
This is the mock second take, you can be the judge.
As they say not one single performance is the same, and I totally agree!
With me, to be honest i felt this was a much harder scene (Neighbours) than the previous (Rosehaven) not entirely more complex just as you would have seen in the scene more one sided and flipping or as you’d say in acting a beat change. I’m about 80% happy with the performance, got few things that i can improve on! But still happy. Side note, when i exited the room I gave Barry a run-through and I reckon I F@!# nailed that one!
The head framing was a new way of taking a shot for me. My role in the scene was more of a talking side so my listening was limited. Hence my actions were with lines.
I would like to flip that scene and see how hard it is to listen and empathise while being taped.
To the peeps who were in the group with me, you’se bunch made it so enjoyable, not just because it was fun but the insights you brought and your point of views. Thank you!
And to Daniela and James thanks for being great sounding boards, different teachers or for a better word mentors. Thank you!
BRING ON FOUNDATION TECHNIQUE!
Brave 2.0
Well I’m more than halfway through my Brave 2.0 acting course term. I’ve got to say it is living up to the drama and fun!
I’m learning the inner monologue and the interaction it brings with acting. Tbh sometimes I feel like all this ‘stuff’ in acting out a scene is over the top. Sooo much ‘stuff’ going on! I feel like you can see the cogs turning in my mind when I’m doing the scene.
However my colleagues would and have said otherwise, especially Jas and Ali, so I do appreciate this, a confidence boost!
Which brings me to question is it just self belief and not the slow processing?
I actually have gotten over pretty much the nervous factor so what else can I BLAME this on 😉
If I had the ability to observe myself on this self belief I would but I don’t think that’s possible…
So, I’ll have to do a bit of research on myself and articles on this self belief and draw my own conclusions.
I have been listening to Brene brown Audio book the power of vulnerability, it got recommended and I think there are pieces in that that are handy tools!
Short and sweet that’s the way I like it.
If you want an actor or a speaker living with a disability get in touch via email on Tommyquick.com.au
Limited answers - relationships
My Thoughts
Since suffering my stroke, I pretty much feel like I’ve been stuffing up relationships. This feeling comes from not reading the cues or signals then staying up a fair bit of the night, wondering if I said or did the right thing. I know these are very negative thoughts, I'm just being honest about my feelings
The Ride
While we were moving from place to place during the 4 points ride, I had little opportunity to interact socially. If there was any interaction it was via dating apps. I’d start a conversation and it would just fade cause generally we’d be moving on the next day. In saying that, there's probably a handful of times when we still keep in contact via Instagram which is cool!
A Hypothetical One
I recently watched The One on Netflix and the synopsis is: there is a perfect system that matches your lifelong partner to you via a DNA program, and you live happily ever after. But the kicker is it's intertwined with a murder and a cover-up. It certainly intrigued me!
Right at the end of the first episode one of the characters gets hit by a car when she walks across the street to meet her future match (they’ve video-chatted) for the first time.
In Ep. 2 her partner is processing with her friend what has happened to her future partner. She says ‘What if she's brain damaged, what if I have to look after her?’ Her friend asks ‘what about her parents?” She replies ‘both are dead’. Later she also says ‘I don't know what I'm supposed to be feeling’. It ends up with her staying with her future partner and the potential ongoing effects of the crash. She turns out fine.
It made me think on this and really question because, the other day a mate of mine, who lives with an acquired brain injury (ABI), said “Able women don't go out with us”. Now that is a blunt as fuck comment and it caught me by surprise.
I’m living with a disability more than ever (due to the car crash) and some of the thoughts that go through my head are:
Why have I struggled to form a solid connection in a relationship?
Is it because of the disability?
Are the assumptions that I'm incapable?
Is it because of the assumed dependence on living at home?
Is it sympathy, not empathy, that the other person is feeling, pity?
Is it harder to get a rewarding job living with a disability and from there, being financially stable?
The mobility, the slowness?
The fact I don't drive?
The physical intimacy?
There are limits to finding answers here. Should I be able to find resolutions in the inner depths of my mind? The best chance here for me to get any answers is to listen and understand where the other person is coming from.
My curiosity has got the better of me. Please do enlighten me on this hypothetical question (I love 'em’)
If the Netflix show, The One, was a real concept and you could really just put some hair in a test tube, and match it with your life partner. Would you get the test done?
Another question, what happens if you match with a person living with a disability, do any of your immediate thoughts fall across any of the questions above?
Or maybe your thoughts are completely different to any of the above, please let me know what you're thinking?
You do need to see the TV show to gauge the whole storyline but watch the trailer to get a sense.
Interesting Find
This is a super interesting YouTube Ted Talk, It is probably the longest-running study of all time, Here are the three main themes they learned from this 75-year Harvard study:
Good social connection leads to better life outcomes. Loneliness can be toxic and lead to worse health outcomes.
That it’s the quality of social connection and relationships that lead to better health outcomes.
That healthy, loving relationships give the other partner's memory a protective coating. Good relationships protect your brain as well, less memory decline
‘The good life is built on good relationships’
My Key Takeaway
The key takeaway for me from this TED talk is that having good friendships and/or partnerships is so important for all of us both physically and emotionally. None of us thrive on loneliness. and I will make the assumption that I'm not the only person reading this who feels this way.
Anyway, that’s my thoughts done for today.
Feelings
I was super lucky to work over the two days with the Stroke Foundation Childhood Lived Experience advisory group face-to-face meeting. Some great outcomes and directions were made and gained for the next 12 months.
More news to come in this space as we grow, learn, and evolve together. I love the group that I work with (2+ years) and I see us as a pivotal centerpiece for pioneering change in the area! That area being childhood stroke.
My feelings over the past few days if I were to sum it up in three words would be, Empathise, growth, and honesty. There could be so many more in there but they’d be my top three.
To be honest it has rejuvenated my beliefs even more on what we can do, and be, in the future!
I will mention that there was a fair bit of talk about the Tassie 3 points ride in March 2025 and the potential, opportunity we have there in speaking.
That’s an inside scoop!
This image was legendary with all smiles and if you want any linkedin info just click the image.
Dare to be Brave
Final week, drum-roll please!
It was the crunch time, the roll-up, the calm before the storm and surprisingly I wasn't nervous, I was more like let’s do THIS, I’m itching!
Jason and I did two run-throughs and we got slightly creative Eg throwing in a few extra lines and emphasising certain points, we emphasised to a T!
When we got into the studio, I kept thinking of ways to adjust and flow, essentially transitioning from one action into another, I quickly learned that that wasn’t the best way for me to act and I don’t think it will ever be…
The build up was killing me cause I wanted to give it a go early and get it out of the way but at the same time I was thinking, mulling over which way to attack the scene.
I famously over cooked myself in overthinking as the previous mentioned, realised this fast and promptly stuffed up my lines, or more to the point skipped ahead to my last line, which made it very difficult for the other Tom, a professional actor to adjust, we had to restart.
I did hold my composure, so I was happy about that.
The second go was good till I forgot my line towards the end, again my composure saved my ASS. I held in the moment and rethought my line from the depths of my inner brain and finished off the scene.
We gave it another go and we bloody nailed it, absolutely BLOODY nailed it!
I think the key takeaway message for me is to try and stay present with acting but also beyond acting. I think controlling the uncontrollable and worrying about things that is outside your powers is a thing that I do too much of in life.
Primed example paragraph two.
So what’s next?
Well, there’s a little bit of a gap in classes and then I’ll be moving on to level two at Brave. In that gap time the actors and I in my class are going to catch up for a social BEV, should be grouse fun, might do a recap of the scene!
Stay tuned for round two.
TQ over and out!