Hi Everyone!

​Thank you to all of you for your patience. It took some time but I've finally figured out what I want to do with my podcast. I did a test interview a while back with Gioya and now after trial and error I'm back in full force. I've done a couple of interviews already and I'm so looking forward to sharing the stories that Los Angeles artists have to share about their journey in their careers.

As some of you know, the idea for this podcast started with my blog. I found it hard to find the time to write and edit, and honestly blogging is kind of a lonely experience. I love to be out there, engaging with people so I decided to take "My life is Art" to the streets and homes of LA by interviewing local artists who are in the heart of the entertainment industry. I'm so happy that you all got some insight when it comes to my story and that it helped some of you. Your response is what inspired me to go even further by hearing about other artists who are still at the beginning of their careers, currently working and navigating Hollywood. This is why I changed "My Life is Art" to "My Life is Art...and so is yours" because it's more than just about my story now, it's about all of us.

In4radio is an online radio station that will be hosting my podcast every Sunday on in4radio.co.za starting on the 1st October 2017. I will always have a link on my Instagram bio to the most recent work I've done. I will rotate between podcast interviews and my inspirational pieces. "Inspirational Pieces by @anelemorris" are a week break between each podcast interview, so this means that interviews will only be every second Sunday. In my pieces I talk briefly about what I did to inspire and motivate myself in different areas in life, mostly with regards to my goals and ambition as a 20-something South African in LA, so you still get to hear my story every so often! 

I will be posting a lot here but Instagram is the best place to stay updated too. Remember to subscribe to my Youtube channel :)

Here's the first promo to "My Life is Art...and so is yours" on In4radio, Port Elizabeth's finest online radio station. Xx

Thank you for your art!

"My Life is Art (My LA)" podcasts through In4Radio aim to inspire, encourage and inform artists and anyone else listening. It's a place where we chat about our lives as artists. I have lived in LA since 2014 and my journey in acting has been one that has had so many major highs and lows, but through it all I learned so much and I just generally love to give any knowledge or thoughts I have about it all. For the most part I will be joined by Gioya Tuma-waku, my best friend who's also an actress but I will also take time to interview other artists around LA about their lives in art and what their experiences have taught them that they'd like to share. 

So if you enjoy hearing about the lives of artists, what we go through and what inspires us then please join me on a podcast journey unlike any other.

Click below to listen to "My Life is Art" promo.

​Night-In – Games Night
A tradition at my apartment with Ellie (my roommate). I love playing games, drinking some wine while playing and I’m a gracious loser so I make for a fun person to play any board game with! Ellie and I loved having groups of friends over for a night in of board games. It’s also quite easier on the budget when you’re in a saving mood. Ticket-to-ride is our game of choice but Heads-Up is a close second. Everyone feels involved in this kind of setting and it is a great way to get to know new friends, which I made plenty of in LA.
Pictures: 1. A game night at my apartment 2. Cheers to a game night for my roomie's birthday!

Towards the end of September 2016 (I can’t remember the specific dates) my OPT  visa which allowed me to work in the United States for one year was coming to an end and at this stage I was in my grace period. I had packed up my furniture and all my clothing, sold my bed, signed over my lease to my apartment to another actress and I was ready to leave LA and go back to South Africa. There I would continue working, spend time with family and apply for my next visa. But, there was something that I got to do before leaving the States, I got to explore Lake Michigan.
To say I REALLY needed this is an understatement. I was very focused on acting because I wanted to make sure that I got the most from my OPT year so I was working as much as possible and this trip around Lake Michigan came at just the right time. A wonderful surprise from my boyfriend, it was so much fun. I’m not a travel blogger so I’m not going to harp on about every single place we visited and every bit of food we ate haha, but I will tell you about my three favorite parts of the trip and share some photos.

Seeing Chicago for the first time

So Corban (my boyfriend) wanted us to start the trip in Chicago, as seen in the picture above, for no other reason except that it was convenient for him haha. He didn’t know know that I had never been to Chicago and that it’s a city I’ve always wanted to visit so for me it was a super special place to start. I wouldn’t say he doesn’t like Chicago but let’s just say it’s not his favorite place, so we didn’t spend too long in the city and anyway the point was to get out of the city. We spent most of our time at Millenium Park and the surrounding areas. We took some pictures at Cloud Gate (aka The Bean), had the best soup and bread at some local restaurant around there and we went to go watch the movie “Sully” (Starring Tom Hanks). I enjoyed all of this and Corban enjoyed taking pictures of everything haha, he’s a photographer (amongst many other artsy professions). I liked Chicago, it’s a great memory for me, except they really do need more public toilets, just saying.
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A glass of wine under the stars
Okay, we didn’t have any glasses it was more like a bottle of wine under the stars, close enough. While driving around the lake, we found a nice beach area to stop and admire the stars. I love how the lake reminds me of the ocean; it’s really huge and seems never ending. Corban had a small blanket for us and some wine and we enjoyed each other’s company while looking up at the stars. This is my favorite Lake Michigan memory. This whole trip wasn’t planned but it all came together pretty spectacularly. This night in particular just reminded me about life and how it can still have beauty even in the darkest moments. At night the beach is still as beautiful and the sun always rises.
Pictures: 1. Breakfast on a different day around the lake. 2 Fun at the lake

The sand dunes
It was like we were in the desert. I’ve never been surrounded by so much sand in my life. Corban and I both agree that this was the best place we visited. We camped nearby so we were all set to spend the day at the dunes. I just enjoyed walking around and looking at how vast it was, the funny thing is if you climbed high enough you could see the lake not too far away and just like that I’d be taken out of my “desert” get-away. The contrast of the dunes and the water made for some amazing pictures and the best day of 2016 for me. One of Corban’s pictures even got chosen as one of National Geographic’s "Facing Your Fears" assignment. 
Check out the full story here:
http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/s…/facing-your-fears/
Pictures: 1& 2 Fun in the Dunes, 3 National Geographic selection

Till next week! :)

​Xo

I read alot about how in LA you absolutely need a car and granted it would be way more convenient if you had one but I didn't and I made it through two years in LA without one. I want to tell you what I discovered about this but first, Here's how I did it:

Uber
I thought I'd start with the obvious choice. This a great way to get around in LA especially if you don't want to be the one driving in traffic. I absolutely fell in love with Uber because sometimes I just wanted a smooth ride to auditions and I didn't have to pay too much because I lived really close to where all my auditions would take place.

Bus
Now this is not everyone's cup of tea but I'm South African and I love tea and I didn't mind this kind. Taking a bus isn't so bad, I think the bus system in LA is pretty good actually. Occasionally you may sit next to someone who has loud earphones on or is taking a phonecall and speaks so loudly​ you think your ears are about to burst, but that's about the worst of it in my opinion. The buses aren't always on time so always get one ahead of your schedule unless you know that the specific bus you're taking is very punctual. They've also improved the bus routes now so you can go really far out with one an explore greater LA on a budget.
(Picture: I didn't take any bus pictures unfortunately so here are some random pictures of me in Cape Town that my boyfriend took! Enjoy ^_^)

Metrorail
The subway is fast and easy. It makes getting to Hollywood and the surrounding areas so much faster but it can be very noisy or very entertaining. It depends on what kind of entertainment you enjoy. You might view some dancing, singing, listen to some rapping and then give a quarter for the entertainment if you're charitable about that kind of thing.

Friendly people
I practice being kind as much as I can and I suppose all of it came back to me in LA. I was fortunate to find myself amongst some cool people who were happy to offer me a ride when I needed one. Don't get into cars with strangers though, don't do it.

The pressure of what some may define as acceptable is something I don't really conform to and that's why I ended up not really caring about not having a car in LA, I discovered so much about riding a bus, taking the subway, random and sometimes deep therapy sessions/conversations with Uber drivers haha and I learned so much more about kindness in people. All of this from not having a car. I've experienced LA and people in LA very differently to alot of my peers/social circle and for an actress that kind of insight is cool to have. Do your best to find the beauty in what can sometimes be disguised as life's short-comings, there's something for the soul to experience in that. :)

​​I'm still giving away one of my Boundless bags worth R1500.00 ($80). All you have to do is click below!

In this week's post I'm going to be more matter-of-fact. I get asked about where to live in LA so I decided to briefly cover this topic based on my experiences (as usual haha). When I moved out to LA it was to begin my studies in acting for film and television at the New York Film Academy in Burbank. So I had no choice but to live close to school since I didn’t have a car (which saved on car insurance and gas). There are many ways to find the area that’s right for you but I’m going to share just my experiences and hopefully this will help you better think about and find what you’re looking for.
For those of you who’ve read my blog from the beginning you’ll see that I mentioned how I stayed with one of my best friends Gioya (to find out how that happened read my first blog post), and so my first home in LA was in…
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Hollywood
Literally, I lived a minute walk away from the Hollywood Boulevard. It was great to have that as an initial experience. Getting around with public transport is really convenient when you live in Hollywood, the buses and subway are all right there, and there are too many restaurants to count so getting food wasn’t an issue. I would walk down La Brea if I wanted to go to the grocery store for a cheaper option. The downside is that there are tourists every single day so it’s always busy and you’re always being hassled to buy something, but I didn’t mind it so much, it’s the lifestyle, that’s Hollywood. The roads close occasionally for movie premieres and sadly the number of homeless people makes for a heart-breaking sight to see every day (occasionally their humour cheers you up though), so I guess you could say that this is the side to it outside of the lights camera and action. It’s alive though and that’s what I liked most, there was never ever a dull moment. I lived in Hollywood for about three weeks before I moved to my first apartment.
(Pictures: 1.The entrance to Gioya's Apartment block, taken on Halloween 2. After Gioya's final play at her school in La Brea just a ten minute walk away).

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​Burbank
I needed to find a place close to where I was studying so this is how Oakwood (now changed to Toluca Hills Apartments) in Barham Boulevard became my second home in LA. It is literally on the other side of the road from where I went to school, it was a struggle but I finally had a place to live. I started out sharing a one bedroom apartment with two other students of the school, one from Brazil and the other from South Africa (like me) who was also one of my friends and classmates. This turned out to be a short term solution and I found a more suitable solution. I lived there for about three months before moving to my third home, another apartment (still in Oakwood). I shared a two bedroom apartment with a Swedish girl, her name is Ellie and she is one of my best friends now. I liked Oakwood for its amenities (gym, pools, jacuzzis etc) but it felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. After living in Hollywood I needed to be near a subway, buses and life again. Oakwood is in Burbank and getting to walk past Warner Bros studios at least once a week was a treat. I would always see the audience for the Ellen show waiting to go in. I liked Burbank but it wasn't exactly my kind of vibe, I liked it because it was convenient for school but besides easier access to transport I also couldn’t wait to save some money on my rent after graduating. Prices for accommodation in LA are generally high, it could cost anywhere from $900 to $1400 pm for a studio apartment or probably more in Studio City/Burbank.

​North Hollywood (NOHO)
The fourth and by far the best place I lived. I really loved living here. Not only is it the home of so many great established and up and coming artists but the area just had a certain vibrancy/life to it that I didn’t find in Burbank. The subway and buses were only a ten minute walk away from where I lived so it was perfect. Ellie, Bambi (Ellie’s dog) and I moved to a cozy two bedroom apartment. In NOHO you can find a two bedroom apartment for anything from $1600 to $2800 pm or higher, it all depends on what you’re looking for. My only major concerns are convenient access to public transport, a balcony, my own room, my own bathroom, a new-ish kitchen, underground parking (for when I get a car) and a place for laundry to get done, which this apartment and location all had for $1650 pm (my share was $825), which is kind of a bargain in the area of NOHO that we were staying in. Still waaaaay too much in comparison to other parts of the world though haha. NOHO also had a good selection of restaurants and the grocery store wasn’t too far away from where I lived (about a 5 minute drive) so an uber didn’t cost too much but Ellie had a car, she and I would always go grocery shopping together (and pretty much went everywhere and did most things together lol).
(Picture: 1. Just outside my apartment before we went to the Hollywood Bowl for the first time. 2. The day we filmed a promo in my apartment (super focused face).

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​Where to next?? I’m in South Africa and heading out to LA to work in about two weeks and I would love to find a place in NOHO again, I quite like the area, but I wouldn’t mind staying in West Hollywood next. First I’ll be spending two months with Gioya again in Hollywood while I look for a new place.
I would say the smartest thing to do is to decide what matters most to you when looking for a place to live, what you’re not willing to compromise and what kind of area would make you happy. That’s what Ellie and I did. Whether you’re an artist or not, if you need any help or have any questions, reach out to me, I’m here for ya!

In my next blog post I will be covering the topics:
What I discovered from using public transport in LA
The next week - The day I hit the road and explored outside of LA.
The week after - My idea of a good night out in LA.

So much more to come!
PS: Don't forget to follow me on social media. :)

​I'm still giving away one of my Boundless bags worth R1500.00 ($80). All you have to do is click below!

Okay so here it, the blog post I've been waiting to write about for a while. Why on earth did I choose to go to film school?! Let's unpack it...
Let me first go over how I decided to go to college in LA to study ACTING. It’s always a tough decision for artists to decide to go to art school or not, no matter what you’re going there to study. I was actually just having a conversation about this topic with my boyfriend the other night and we both agree that there are definitely benefits to going to art school but it can also be a huge waste of time and money, only because there are so many artists who are successful without having a college education.  So how did I decide to go to acting school? Well, it had a lot to do with the bigger picture. I get a lot of questions about this topic, so I’m glad to finally be writing about it. All the points below lead to how I got signed. Enjoy!
Picture: 1. The day I graduated. 2. The day my best friend (and roommate) graduated.

The cost vs The outcome
I looked at the costs and thought about what I could get out of it in correlation with my biggest hopes and dreams. If my parents are going to pay for film school in LA I better be going for all or nothing, so when I decided that I was going to move across the world to study acting for film and television, I also decided that I was going to be successful in my chosen field and that I wasn’t going to let anything stop me. School is a great way to form relationships, start networking, know the area and build a portfolio while you don’t have the pressure of GETTING A JOB/BOOKED. So in deciding whether or not to go to film school in LA, I had to decide if LA is actually where I want to have a career, because if not, there are plenty of other options that are less expensive and less densely populated with artists, in my home country where I could’ve studied. If you’re studying in LA but moving elsewhere to start a career, I would reconsider. Study where you plan on building your career, it’s a great way to have an upper hand as an artist once you’re out of school. Worked for me :)
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This one is for the foreigners
The film school I went to was so accommodating to foreign students (I hope it works the same way with other film schools because it’s awesome). I found a place to live quite easily but moved after a short three months because I wanted my own room :-D (amongst other reasons). They were very clear on how we had to get good grades in order to be considered for OPT in our orientation about OPT. OPT is optional and the school helped us get this visa which is a working visa. You work only in the field for which you studied for a year (I’m not a lawyer so please do further research about this Visa). They also let us know about other visa options we had after OPT that we could look into in order to carry on working in LA. This was a huge help in getting me to plan for my future. So if you’re a foreigner, I would look into schools that are helpful and give you the right advice, but remember that ultimately you have to do a lot of research and work hard in school. I was accepted for my OPT visa and worked in LA for a year and knew that I was going to use that year to make strides towards having a good application for my artist visa (O1 visa). 1. Work that I did during my OPT year, student film. 2. My apartment which we used as a set for my short film.

What I did in film school that was crucial for my OPT
In film school I made sure that I got myself involved in as many film projects as possible. The college I went to had film-making students too (and producer students, animators etc). Getting some footage of yourself acting was a top priority as an acting student. I was involved in some good projects for the most part and had some great footage of myself acting which I made an acting reel from. This acting reel is a major part in how I was able to get auditions, an agent and manager during my OPT year.
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Training matters when you’re an actor
I’m going to be blunt in saying this but it’s true. If you’re not a trained actress the likelihood of a successful career is very low. You have to have some kind of training and even when you have gone to school, you still have to keep training to keep your instrument (your body which you use for acting) fresh. This was a huge factor in deciding to go to school. At first I didn’t realise how big of a deal training was in this field but once you actually study acting, the respect for the craft, enjoyment of it and passion for it just grows in leaps and bounds. If school isn’t an option then find an acting coach and attend classes. Agents and managers look at this sort of thing and it matters a great deal to them to trust that you’ll be professional at auditions and be professional in how you handle preparing for an audition. Luckily my school had a few classes that alumni could attend to keep training, it wasn’t enough to do without attending another class or doing something extra, but it was better than nothing. 

Getting a meeting with my manager and agent
I always get the question “How did you get your manager?” I always give the same underwhelming response, aside from praying “I googled him”. Seriously! Google is amazing, I learned so much of what I know purely from researching. The first agent that I had in LA was a commercial agent and she was great but I didn’t really feel like I was in the right agency, at first I was just happy to be signed, until I met my manager. I prepared a resume of all the work that I had done (including my training) and my acting reel and sent him an e-mail to which he responded. We met about a week later and he signed me. He then introduced me to two agents via e-mail and they both watched my acting reel and asked to meet with me, I chose to meet with one and he signed me too. What I like most about having a manager is that a manager wants to help you build your career so you do get extra attention (and we all know that actors love attention haha, I’m kidding. Maybe). After my OPT ended I had done enough work during that year (and the years prior, back home in South Africa) to apply for my O1 (artist visa) which was then approved for three years. Three years I will be sharing right here!
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So that’s it! I chose to go to film school because it worked well for my situation and what I wanted to achieve in my career. Think of the bigger picture, make going to film school an advantage if you go. Be strategic in where you go to study and why, get to know the people and the city, there are so many reasons why you should go to film/art school but ultimately it’s all about your goals and what you want with all your heart. Of course sometimes things don’t always go as planned but I really believe that if you continue believing in what you’re doing and relentlessly keep working towards your goals no matter what obstacles you may face, you will achieve the outcome you’ve hoped for eventually. Sometimes I had no idea how to do a lot of what I did but I kept going and learning along the way. Thanks for the read and remember to say hello in the comments section, or don’t, whatever you feel like. No seriously! Say hi! Love getting to know those who are supporting my blog. Xx

In my next blog post I will be covering the topics:
Where I chose to live in LA and what it was like.
Following week's post - How to get around LA and save, whether you have a car or not.
The week after that - The day I hit the road and explored outside of LA.

So much more to come!
PS: Don't forget to follow me on social media. :)

I'm still giving away one of my Boundless bags worth R1500.00 ($80). All you have to do is click below! 

​Okay back to the topic at hand! So if you read last week’s post you will see that I spoke about 5 of the top 15 things that I did in my first two years in L.A that worked for me. This week I share the last TEN. Surprise! I know I said I would share only five for now but I got such a great response from you all that I decided to go all in this week! So here they are… the last ten. Please subscribe to my blog at the bottom if this feed so that I can keep you updated with my weekly posts. Next week I'm posting about "How I used acting school to get my first manager and agent! :)

6. Take care of your inner life
Living in Los Angeles took a toll on me at times. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it very much and I still do. However, just like living anywhere else in the world it came with its challenges. I have to say the biggest challenge (besides not having a car to get around, but that’s a story for another topic) was not letting the materialism of it all grow on me. LA has some of the most beautiful “things” money can buy. I mean the homes, the cars and the lifestyle. The list goes on and on and you see it every day. What you also see, which they sometimes neglect to show you in the movies, is the homelessness and the hardship.  It takes some believing in yourself and believing in something greater than you to get through some of the more difficult times. The term “starving artist” gets its truth from real life situations. Although I can’t say I ever starved because my parents wouldn’t ever let that happen to me, there were other reasons I struggled. As you know acting is not an easy industry to get into, it takes a couple of auditions that can really bruise your spirit sometimes especially during the times when your bank account isn’t happy with you haha. So I always made sure that I had different spiritual practices to take care of myself. I would go for walks, work out, read, meditate, journal (I have lots of journals) and I would occasionally watch videos of people who inspire me like Oprah or Brendon Burchard (I even participated in one of his courses on personal freedom). I like to do a variety of different practices for each day or some multiple times a week, because every day is different. Don’t ever forget you, you are so important in your life and while working, and making sure things get done matter, so do you! You have to be a priority in your life, there is only one of you.
(Picture: After working out and meditating I would read and Journal. Book is "The Motivation Manifesto by Brendon Burchard)

8. Make friends who add to your growth
Oh my gawsh! I can’t emphasize this enough! Choose your friends don’t let them chose you. Friends aren’t family. You get to pick ‘em. How great is that? Out of any of the awesome people living in the City of Angels you actually get to choose and they get to choose you (or pass, but that’s not the point that I’m making here haha) and you get to have a fulfilling friendship! Seriously though, that’s really the foundation of how a great friendship starts. Two individuals deciding, you know what? Yeah, I want to keep you in my life, you’re good for me and I want to be good FOR YOU TOO. It goes both ways. And that brings me to some friendships in LA, there tends to be an omission of the give and take principle which has worked well for centuries. Now I’m not saying that you should count every single thing you do for someone but you should be able to mention something that a friend is adding to your life and the good SHOULD outweigh the bad. You should want the best for yourself, and even though friendships go through their ups and downs, there should be growth in the friendship a sense of “Wow, look at how different our lives are. We’ve come so far.” I’ve met some amazing people out here and most of them I still keep in touch with but not every one of them is my friend. I love people and  I’m the kind of person who holds a conversation so if I’m having a conversation with you I’m going to be interested and engaged and that’s one of the characteristics of someone that I can have a great friendship with. And that’s just one of the ways I’ve chosen my friends and without knowing it maybe that’s how they chose me too. There are just some things that I have zero tolerance for: 1 Being friends with someone who’s efforts show that they aren’t interested in being friends with me. 2 Being friends with someone that I learn absolutely nothing from emotionally or spiritually or intellectually etc. Make your own list to help you and start really thinking of what you’re willing to give and what you’re ready to start getting (not superficial things) out of your friendships, this kept me sane in Hollywood.

9. Keep your mind focused on the bigger picture. Don’t take every “opportunity”
Oh boy if I had a dollar for every free gig that was presented to me as an “opportunity”, I would be the “It girl” of free gigs. Now don’t get me wrong, you’re GOING TO HAVE TO do something for free if you are starting out in your career in LA. That’s just a fact, unless you’re super lucky or you’re going to LA already having booked a paying job. My bringing up this topic is in advising you about which opportunities to take (which is usually what a manager does too, so I’m kind of your manager for a minute). Think about your ultimate goal, think about it clearly and measure up every opportunity to that. As an actress I occasionally get opportunities to do modeling work, and I ask questions about what kind of work it will be and based on the kind of actress I want to be known as, I measure up taking up the opportunity or not. If any opportunity that is presented to me which isn’t acting has the potential to affect my acting career in a negative way presently or in the future, I just don’t do it. That’s also the difference between wanting to be famous just to be famous and wanting to be a respected artist in your chosen career field. Also, taking too many opportunities takes away time from the focus that you should actually be putting into becoming more successful in what you’re truly in LA for. Have fun, give opportunities a shot but be calculated and smart about it.

​10. A visa ends, work hard to get the next one.
So obviously this one is for those of you on my blog who are foreigners. I started in LA with a visa of an acting student in 2014 - 2015, then I went from being an acting student to being a working acting student in 2015 – 2016 and now my visa specification is that of a working actress/artist, PERIOD. That’s what’s called an O1 Visa (alien of extraordinary ability). From my first visa to the one I have now took A LOT of work. I started out in South Africa as a TV host of three shows for a community channel and I haven’t looked back since. Everything I have ever done from 2012 to 2016 was included in my petition for my artist visa and on top of that I had to make sure that in the year that I had, as a working acting student, that I booked work for the next three years (2017 – 2020) in the States, a HUGE requirement of the visa, so that I can continue to build my career in a city I truly love. I can’t wait to start the work I have coming up. That meant I had no time to mess around doing things that didn’t lead to my ultimate goal of becoming a working actress. There are many ways to follow your dream as a foreigner in LA and I learned that simply by keeping my mind in the right place. I lived my early twenties in LA so it was easy to get distracted but I didn’t and now I’m 25 and I get to do what I’m meant to be doing with my art all because I planned for it and believed that I could do it, and with that belief came a lot of friends and people along the way.

​11. Take lots of pictures!
This is more of a fun topic for me because it makes me so happy to think about, so don’t take this one too seriously! I love taking pictures lately and most of that has to do with the fact that my S.O is a photographer but IT ALSO has to do with the fact that I love having pictures to remind me of certain times in my life. When I started out in LA I wasn’t sure where this journey would take me on the way to where I want to be in my career so I didn’t really care too much about taking pictures because I just saw it as another time in my life, I was excited but I wasn’t really where I wanted “to be” yet, blah, whatever. I was soooooo wrong! I’m so glad I have friends who are interested in taking pictures and selfies etc because now I have some of the best memories saved to my pc or Facebook haha. Life is a journey and I have learned that when you embrace every bit of the journey no matter how painful or joyous, there’s always something to take away from the experience and sometimes pictures are the thing to take away too. So take pictures, take pictures of everything you want to hold on to if it doesn’t take away from the experience too much because the experience is what you want to remember so try not to interrupt whatever you’re experiencing by over-doing the selfies.
(Pictures: 1.At my apartment before a fun night out. 2.At totally different birthday party at Loews Hotel in Hollywood. 3.Birthday party in Silverlake.

12.Set goals that are in line with now and the future
I have to admit, most of my goals are more long term than short-term, but lately I have been paying attention to my short term goals too. Living life as an artist is always filled with a feeling that your life is a series of unexpected events. For example, last month I had no idea that I would start a blog. I knew that I missed writing but I didn’t want to start another screenplay just yet. One of my long term goals is to start a Youtube Channel for my “My Life is Art” but I wanted to know my audience before I did that and hence the blog. This is a short term goal that is leading to a long term goal of mine that I have been meaning to start on as soon as I get my artist visa which I now have, the Youtube Channel. This channel will be helpful for my acting career too because casting directors will be able to see that I am a working artist who is active with other forms of expressing myself as an artist and that is always a good thing. So my Youtube channel goal is setting up my acting goal really well too. And everything I did in LA in my first two years has set up my blog really well because I now have so much to write about that I can cover here in addition to my Youtube Channel. All my goals (of which these are just a few) are working together in building my ultimate future goals. Little milestones are what build up a life of work that you can be proud of and that will work in your favour. So take some time to really think through the goals you have for LA, utilize all the resources available to you on your way to achieving those goals. One of the resources I used were red carpet events around L.A, this is going to be such a fun series/topic to tell you guys about in the future, there are some fun pictures too, yet another set up for my new goal of a successful blog.
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13. Agents and Managers
I will not be able to cover everything I know about this in a short paragraph so the aim here is to give my artist friends, especially actors a brief introduction to how it really works in L.A. This is for those of you who are starting out from having no agent at all, I will go in more depth about this topic in later blog posts. So first, come to LA prepared. RESEARCH is the name of the game. I must be honest, I came to LA not really knowing much about how to land a manager and as a result my first interview which was with Discover Management (Google them) was a huge fail on my part BUT you live and you learn. How did I get an interview with a big deal management company like DM in the first place? That’s a story for much later. For now here are some things to know about agents and managers. They want you to be trained. They want you to have a resume they can work with so start acting ASAP. Act in school productions, in short films where they pay you nothing (you have to start somewhere, I’m still doing short films, I even produced some of my own, even with all my experience I’m still working as much as I can), they want you to be alive and well so do things that keep you active aka find a hobbie, they want you to sound “standard American” but keep your foreign accent because it’s “interesting”, they want you to take yourself seriously but not too seriously, in other words keep working on your craft and attend classes but ENJOY THE JOURNEY. Agents also want you to stay current so watch the kind of shows that are on TV today so that you are familiar with writers and directors and even better, with CASTING DIRECTORS. The top things you must have are headshots (LA and New York Headshots are VERY different, RESEARCH) and a good resume (a couple of short films, a play or two and acting courses or classes you’ve attended). Research how to approach an agent or manager. DO NOT GO FOR THE TOP FIVE AGENCIES, start small, trust me and you won’t waste your time. If you’re looking for a manager in LA, BE IN LA. If you’re looking for a manager in New York, BE IN NEW YORK. I can’t stress this enough, you have to be where the industry is. There are too many other talented actors in LA for an agent or manager to pursue you if you’re not in town. I was fortunate enough to sign with an excellent manager and agent. I was introduced to my agent by my manager, so in my opinion go for a manager first. If you’re going to be in LA I’m guessing you want to be in TV or movies, so make an acting reel! Agents and managers want to see you on camera, and they want to see if you can act and handle camera presence. I have been out of LA for 8 months while waiting for new visa which I now have, and when I go back I will still be under their management because I’ve proven myself to be an artist of value. People work hard for people who work hard for themselves, so do the work, work smart and I believe you’ll find what you’re looking for in this city. Again, more about this in a later, more detailed blog post.

14. Auditions
Another burning topic. Auditions ARE YOUR JOB as an actor just as much as jobs that you’ve booked are considered work. You have to “show up” to both. By show up, I mean you have to be mindful and present and enjoy it. I know it can be hard when you go to audition after audition, but here’s what I did that worked for me. I must’ve gone to over 45 auditions before I booked my first short film, it was a supporting part. I loved it, it was great and it was just before I had to leave the States to go back to South Africa and wait for my next visa. Auditions aren’t always easy to get. I was fortunate because I had a manager who worked hard and supported me immensely so I auditioned often but I know people who didn’t audition or book for a year straight and the work that they did do is work they found through other avenues (writers or filmmakers that they are friends with who gave them a part). So I'm always grateful for an audition and I only auditioned for roles I was comfortable with. When I got an audition, I would do my best by ALWAYS preparing and I would be on time every time, look the part, arrive, do the work, show the director/casting director who I am and leave with a smile. Then I would LET-IT-GO and move on to the next thing. This is why it is so important to have other things to do other than acting, I believe this is really important and therapeutic especially for the days you don’t book the part that you really wanted. I will cover this topic further and in more detail in later blog posts.
(Pictures of me doing some acting, these photos are called stills).

15. Believe
This is the most important thing I did that got me to where I am today. I believed. First you MUST believe that you can and that you will! It's easier to believe that you can do something than it is to believe that YOU WILL. For a long time I knew that I could be a great actor, I knew it, but knowing it wasn't enough. I had to believe that it will happen. There came a time when I was in LA when I had to start believing that I will be who I want to be and that that person already exists in me. All I have to do is the little things each day that I needed to do with discipline and before I know it I will be where I want to be, doing what I believe I can do and doing it with people I want to do it with. There is a reason you desire the beautiful things that you desire for your life, the experiences that you are working towards are not in vain, you deserve the good things that your heart flutters for so don't ever give up. Believe and act on those beliefs. I desired to be an actress in LA since I was a young girl and now it's a second home to me.

Thank you for reading and thank you for all your art! In my next blog post I will be covering the topics:
How I used acting school to get my first manager and agent.
Following week's post - Two places I've lived in LA and why I loved the areas.
The week after that - How to get around LA and save, whether you have a car or not.

So much more to come!
PS: Don't forget to follow me on social media. Xx

That's me on the far right and I'm with my two best friends Ellie (left) and Gioya (pronounced Joya, middle) in LA. This was taken the day we went to go listen to Corrine Bailey Rae live and for free, because that's just the kind of thing that you can do in L.A right? Her song "Put Your Records On" is the anthem to my childhood dreams! Anyway back to my friends. Ellie and Gioya pretty much some up my life in L.A for the past two years (2014 -2016). They are the people who always had my back, and you need a support system if you're living in the City of Angels. I'm a South African girl living, studying and working in L.A (I'm currently in South Africa, on a short break before heading back to LA in a couple of weeks). It has been an absolute dream come true but it didn't come without it's ups and downs. Anele, my name means "enough". Me? A girl from the small mining town of Klerksdorp in the North West province in South Africa going going to work in L.A and live the life she has envisioned in Hollywood? You wouldn't think so right? But hey, it happened.

If you watch L.A hair, you know who that is. Anthony Pazos, he is a celebrity hairstylist and reality star on "L.A Hair", he works in Kim Kimbles hair salon in the show. If you don't know who Kim Kimble is let me fill you in, she's a celebrity hairstylist and her regular clients include Beyonce...need I say more? The funny thing about meeting Anthony is that it was completely random. I attended a bloggers event in L.A where they happened to be introducing new products and he was there. I told him that I watch him sometimes in South Africa on Vuzu channel 116. He couldn't believe that their show actually reaches such a global audience. He's a cool guy. And that's L.A, you sometimes get to meet people who you've seen on your TV screen on the journey to your own life dreams and goals. That kind of interaction is so much fun and helps you realise that even though Anthony is not in the kind of career that I am working in, meeting him was a fun reminder that anything is possible. Sometimes being in a city like L.A means you are constantly on the grind so you sometimes forget about the beauty, fun and blessing of the whole experience. Today I am going to tell you about the beginning of my L.A experience by explaining the top 15 things that I did in my first two years in LA that worked for me. I'm going to start with the lighter stuff.

1. IT'S OKAY TO WANT TO LIVE IN LA
I used to be so shy about telling people that I wanted to live in LA because I thought that they would think "Who do you think you are?" AND "Oh so what's LA got the SA doesn't?" I thought people would think I'm trying to be something I'm not, when in all honesty I just wanted to learn from an industry that has had a HUGE part in making acting what it is today. I said that I'm moving to LA before I knew for sure how it would happen and the constant affirmation lead to me taking actions in that direction because telling people MADE ME ACCOUNTABLE TO ACTUALLY DOING IT. I'm a trained actress and I trained in? L.A! I wanted to learn the characteristics that make an international artist successful. I learned exactly that. I now proudly say that I'm an actress, and that I live in L.A no matter how many of "us" there are in Cali. I do this because it's a huge admirable step to give up everything you know to move to a different country and go get your dream. Speak your dreams into fruition and you encourage others to do the same.

​2. DON'T BE ALL AND ONLY ABOUT YOUR "ACTING BUBBLE"
Get out out there! Meet people! Do stuff, be a human with other interests. Ultimately that is also what makes you an interesting actor. It took me a short while to learn this lesson and put it into practice because I am a huge introverted extrovert. You will hear casting directors preach this too and it's some really good advice not just for actors but life advice in general. Having interests outside of your career will lead you into amazing life experiences just as much as your career would. The people I went to school with had amazing house parties and I met all kinds of international students and learned about different cultures all in one room (depending on how big the house was). I also went to events where I would connect with producers and directors around L.A. Going to the beach might connect you with an engineer or a lawyer, who knows? But getting our there and doing stuff or meeting people brings a different perspective to life.

3. LIVING IN CALI IS NOT CHEAP
Don't come to LA without a plan. It's that simple. Unless you're okay with hopping from couch to couch or living in your car for a while. I know people who have and that's totally fine if that's something you're willing to do for your dream or vacay...whatever you're coming to LA for. My point is don't be fooled by the gram and facebook posts. Living in LA is costly, you don't know how, why or through whom "so-and-so" , got that handbag, was having a night out at a roof top party, is at Coechella, or got that trip to Disneyland for the day. I mean from the Starbucks at the corner of your street to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, The Grove. It's all going to cost you and what you should do is budget. Don't be fooled by people's so called "lavish" lifestyles. I mostly lived off of what my parents gave me because starting out in LA is TOUGH. My first year out of school was met with a lot of sacrifice on my part and my family's part but I always made sure that I had a good balance in how I spent my money. Know your limits and don't do things and spend money because that's what everyone else is doing. If you can't go out for dinner that night. Just don't, that night will pass anyway and there will be other dinners. I've always been pretty good at saying no, and I practiced that even more while at school and after school. For the most part I have awesome friends who spoiled me occasionally, like the girls' day in Disney that we had. See what I mean? You just never know how it happens so don't be fooled. Picture below: "Hangin' out with Walt Disney and Mickey"

4. LA HAS NO TIME FOR LAZY PEOPLE
This should be obvious but it's not. Many people have traveled from all over the world to come to LA to be lazy. If you're on vacation, great! Do that! Be on retreat, do what you feel like. If you're in LA for work and to get a dream that is your calling. Then for lack of a better emphasis YOU BETTER WORK. Nothing will be handed to you, you won't meet someone, who will introduce you to someone and then bam! That CAN happen but only if you are prepared. That kind of thing happens to hard workers, people who put themselves in a position where someone would want to introduce you to someone influential who can help you and get you into the rooms that you need to be in. I always made my work as an artist a priority and it worked well for me. Together with my actor friends we raised over $10 000.00 in funding on Indiegogo towards our short film which we produced. That achievement speaks volumes to how dedicated we all are to our careers. People in LA have time for people who care about their craft. Experienced people who are out there doing something, ANYTHING to be a force in your chosen field. You'll find that there are so many people working hard at one thing or many different things in LA. Don't be left behind watching Netfilx and chilling, get up and do something, who knows where your dedication might take you. (Me modeling in LA: Pictures Below)