living life on the edge

Recently had one of the most amazing trips back to Sydney (#myhappyplace) for my graduation! Still missing every bit of it. Being back there was one of the most refreshing feelings ever, swamped with an overwhelming sense of familiarity and comfort of being back at a place I've grown to know so well and now call my second home. 

I'll be putting together a video very soon, but in the meantime, here's what I got up to while in Sydney ;)

I've certainly had a lot on my mind these past few days. Been willing myself to make a concrete decision on what I'm gonna do next. Sometimes I just wish I had all the answers. But you know, that doesn't happen and things don't just get handed to you on a silver platter. That's what makes successes all the sweeter, right? I know I'm someone who's very driven by the things that make me happy, but everything's got to have a purpose somehow. Once I find that, I'm pretty much set.

I've been told that we all have to start somewhere. We don't just expect to get gifted things, as though they were meant to be ours. Nothing is ever for certain, and what's yours can easily slip away. I think why people so often fear making the wrong decisions is because they know they've a long way ahead of them and a long path to carve out. Once the fork turns the wrong way, it's hard to rewind and go back. But precisely because we have a long way ahead of us, we shouldn't lose sight of who we are. And precisely because we have a long way ahead of us, we shouldn't be afraid to venture into new things. And remember, your life is what you make of it. Isn't it? After all, we still have a lot to learn.

Acting 101: To be or not to be?

The best acting exercises are always the ones that push you to your limits. You're not just exploring a character different from yourself, but you're delving deep into their thoughts, their appearance, their actions. As training or warm-up, these are my personal favourites:

1. Imagine yourself as a character completely different from what you would usually portray. If you're usually a loud person, how would you act as a mute or as someone with down syndrome? If you're usually a more reserved person, how would you act as a noisy market auntie or as a drug addict? 

By immersing yourself into the thoughts and actions of this character, you're able to bring them to life. Another really useful tip I learnt is to incorporate real-life characteristics. The slow breathing, or the swallowing of saliva after a lengthy sentence, taking the time to sigh or pause in between sentences. These help to create a more realistic and natural character.

2. Imagine yourself as another person. Now, think about the 'what ifs'. What if I were this person? What if this event happened to me? How would I react; what would I say and do? What if you met this person? What would he/she be like? 

Once you've brought yourself into the thoughts and world of this character, naturally enough, you'll become this character.

3. The psychological. This makes use of your imagination and the mind. How would you respond if you faced a classroom full of people criticising you and making you feel really lousy about yourself? They call you stupid, hopeless, good for nothing, and bit by bit these voices build up until it all becomes a blur. How do you react? What would you feel? Does your breathing get heavier? 

Remember these very moments when your heart seems to have stopped for a moment; when your heart is racing so fast, it feels like it's about to fall out of your chest; when you realised you lost something important and you're panicking; when you heard terrible news and you are on the verge of falling apart. Remember how these emotions felt, what you did, how you responded, and recreate these with each character and scene that you're given.

I hope this was a useful read for you. Comment below if you have any other tips that work for you! :)