The End of the Mini-Challenge

Well. Today was an interesting experience. I have discovered that the way to get unsuspecting victims to agree to mind-numbing work is to lie to them about the benefits involved. Not only is it nigh-on impossible to earn the £300 minimum required in order to get any commission at all, but it is significantly more likely that I could sell my own face than make the £1500 needed to win the holiday. Approximately two hours after realising this fact, the burning desire to win deserted me, only to be replaced with an all-consuming desperation not to be the worst seller of the lot.


However, by the end of the day I ascertained that actually I was significantly better than the other new recruits. Perhaps because most of them spent the day with a face like a smacked arse glaring into their Blackberrys...? A lesson I learnt about myself today during the longest day ever; no matter how horrendous the task at hand, I don't give up. I think half of that is because of my competitive side, and half because secretly I'm a bit of a wuss and am too poor to get fired. Tell you what though, it is exhausting trying so hard to not to fail. As someone once said;


In order to go on living one must try to escape the death involved in perfectionism.


Hear hear.

A Mini-Challenge

One of the main issues with choosing acting as a profession is the utter lack of regular work. Or in my current situation, any work. So in the meantime, as an out of work actor, I need to find something else. Today I got some promotional work at the Ideal Home Show, demonstrating and selling beauty products over the weekend. Promo work is well paid, and always different, so after two years of selling the same product over the phone day in, day out, I'm looking forward to a change, even if only for a short while.


Now, herein lies the challenge. Despite a relatively average basic rate, the amount we actually earn depends on how much we sell. For example, if I sell £300 worth of products, I earn £60, if I sell £500 worth I earn £100 and so on. This already kick starts the competitive side of my nature, but wait! there's more. The record for most products sold is £1500 worth in one day. The incentive is that if any one of us makes over that amount, we get a week's holiday in Mallorca. TAA DAAHHHH the clouds part and the sunbeam of opportunity presents itself. A holiday??? At this point in time I don't think I could possibly yearn for anything more than a holiday. That was it then; as soon as I found that out I couldn't suppress the urge to be the best. So watch this space. Even if I don't win the holiday I still want to be the top sales person. But I do really want the holiday.


As Charlie Sheen would say;


The only thing I'm addicted to is winning. This bootleg cult, arrogantly referred to as Alcoholics Anonymous, reports a 5 percent success rate. My success rate is 100 percent.



I know the Alcoholics Anonymous part isn't relevant, but whatever.

An Insight.

So, I am a struggling actor. Well, not really struggling. One cannot struggle when one is not even an actor at the present time. I am an out of work actor. Seriously, that is my profession. It kinda sucks. I am starting this blog to try to make sense of where I want to go. Literally, spiritually, emotionally, yada yada yada. And also because I spend a lot of time thinking up ideas about new things that I want to do, and never actually end up doing them. I enjoy writing, and yet haven't got round to setting up a blog until now. I moved to London over two years ago to pursue my acting career, and aside from one commercial (a blink and you'll miss me moment), three unpaid plays and a whole lot of money wasted on rent, I haven't actually achieved that much.


Last week at work - a truly heinous job that I kept at because of its 'flexibility for out-of-work actors' - I had a minor breakdown. To cut a boring story short, they screwed me over, I cried, and then I left. With hindsight this is probably the best thing that could have happened. I realised that I've just been coasting along hoping that something is going to come up, but I haven't actually been doing anything that I really love, mainly because I have been worrying about my unfortunate financial situation.


Therefore, as of today I am going to try not to worry so much about money, and am going to do more of the things I love. And I'm going to document it.


I love to paint. My masterpieces are never going to win the Turner Prize, but I enjoy them, and feel that I can create some kind of harmony within the colours. It calms me. I've decided to set up a website so the general public can see them, and conduct an experiment of sorts. I'm going to set up PayPal on the site, with a basic rate of the paintings at £20; this covers costs of materials and approximately £3 a hour for my time. Now, the premise of the 'experiment' part is this; Pay What You Think It's Worth. If someone thinks a painting is worth £30, or £50, or even £100 (that would be awesome), then that's what they pay. Currently my thoughts are that most people will pay the least they possibly can, but hey, maybe the public will surprise me. I plan to keep the world posted on any developments in this area. Worst case scenario, no one buys them, but I still get to paint. Nothing to lose!


To conclude for today, this is something of a new beginning for me. As William Shakespeare writes in 'As You Like It';


All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.


Cliched? Perhaps. Screw it, this is my new part.