My final class with an instructor is always bittersweet. The excitement for the future juxtaposed with not wanting to let go of the work and habits I have built up over the weeks. When you are able to stay long-term with one instructor, a certain understanding forms where the feedback gets better and better with each class. They learn the ins and outs of how you like to perform and what areas consistently hold you back. Something that the studio does, which I have not mentioned before, is the evaluations that get sent out to students at the end of a month.
This feedback is a fantastic measure of how you are performing over the course of one month. The idea is to achieve and set new goals every month to maintain consistent growth with your acting. My evaluation was not full of surprises as I am very aware of the areas that are still giving me trouble. Regardless, it is helpful to see your progress written out.
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It turns out that this final class with Jonathan will actually be my last class with the studio, so rather than cover the class like usual, I want to reflect on my journey as a whole. Eight months ago, acting was something I daydreamed about as a young man from the Midwest. Not living in one of the leading entertainment hubs allowed me to always push off my aspirations by saying once I moved to a "better" city, I would actually begin working. Then, I stumbled upon this studio and their trial class and thought, why not? What did I have to lose? At the risk of sounding cliché, the rest is history.
I was beyond nervous before that first class, but that simple decision to sign up may have been the best decision of my life. I write to you now as an actor and model with real representation in the industry. None of this would be possible without the journey I have taken with GRAS. The confidence and skills I have built over the months have turned daydreams into real possibilities.
I promise I am doing my best not to sound preachy or too sentimental, but one of the real goals I hope to achieve through this blog is to catch the eye of other dreamers in a town where they feel nothing can happen for them. My nerves have never gone away, but that isn't a bad thing. It just means I care. It will never be the "right" time to start pursuing acting. Something will constantly be vying for your attention. However, I implore you to take that leap of faith and try.
This journey started with no real end in sight. It was something fun I was going to try, and now acting is an integral part of who I am. I have to thank Gregory and every single instructor who coached me along the way. I will never forget my time with the fantastic people at this studio. I hope I see more GRAS students landing major roles in the future.