This blog entry started out as a look at the professional headshot. Actress Cherrelle Robinson was coming by for a session, so I asked her to write a few words about headshots and the acting life. When I got her thoughts later via email, it confirmed something that I've always felt… prepare for opportunity… see green lights where others only see red… stay on point/stay focused… never quit… and a nice headshot is a plus.
I had planned to include lighting diagrams and talk camera talk. But, I decided to use this post to talk about dreams instead. In a city like LA, I see actors giving up the dream every day. But so many people other than actors have passion, have dreams, but they don't have Cherrelle's courage. I wanted to use this post to focus on her journey and unwavering commitment to the acting craft. Hopefully, this will inspire someone... who's trying to figure out the next move... someone on the bubble... to pursue their dreams.
Cherelle Elan – My Journey to Hollywood
As with any goal I set in my life, there's always one lesson I tend to keep in mind. I believe that luck comes when preparation meets opportunity. From the age of 14, this idea has always been constant with my every success. I can remember the first time I took note of the process. When I was 14 years old, I used to watch the Miss Teen USA pageant and thought one day I wanted to compete and represent my hometown Washington, DC. However, growing up in the inner city where resources for this type of competition were not available, it was less likely this would happen for me. Nevertheless, I have a huge imagination and would prance around the house 24/7 as if I were going to compete someday.
Four years went by and over the course of those years, I was in High School. There were these long stairs in front of the school, and I would gracefully master walking down those stairs as if I had a crown on my head. I studied communications and improved my interviewing skills in high school....all along thinking I was preparing for a career in front of the camera as on air talent in entertainment news or something, but sub-consciously polishing my skills for something I had no idea would come along in my life. Graduation night came and my plan was to prepare for college coming in the fall... that meant getting a summer job to pay for books. Though I had given up on the idea of competing in the actual Miss Teen USA Pageant, to me the graduation cap on my head was my crown...so I walked across the stage waving as if I was a pageant contestant that had won (We have pictures of me waving). Low and behold that night one of the teachers who had taken me under her wing pulled me to the side after the graduation and said you should compete in this pageant tomorrow morning, you would do very well. At the time I didn't think anything about it. The next day I casually asked my mother if we should go...I could wear my prom dress. She said sure...is there a fee. There was no fee so we went...not knowing it was the actual Miss Teen DC USA pageant. It was funny because I hadn't a care in the world whether or not I would win. Strutting down that runway and answering the questions were natural to me. Usually young girls get formal training and pay lots of money to win these types of pageants. I believe all those years of my imagination and desire to compete in a pageant plus the constant practice in my mind of one day competing was my formal training. I ended up winning the Miss Teen DC USA title and represented my hometown on national television.
Things like this have happened in my history before, but it was this time that I remember very well in my entertainment career. There was the time my mom and I had looked at my grades and imagined what if I would graduate Valedictorian of my class. My peers used to tease me because I would carry all of my books home from school every day, but I absolutely loved school because school was the one place I could win. Low and behold our vision came true. I was Valedictorian of my Junior High school class. These two instances are key examples of preparation meeting opportunity in my life. I continue to believe in these examples today as I pursue acting and writing. Everyday, I work on my crafts preparing for the opportunity that will come! It's just a matter of timing. Things will line up and I will be ready!
One more thing...I've also learned it also takes courage to jump into the unknown. I can remember getting accepted into Graduate School but not having a dime to pay tuition. I had made up my mind I was going to go regardless and the money would somehow appear. My mother had already contributed to my undergrad career and said I was on my own with this one. So I trusted myself...took out a small loan to cover my first semester...arrived on a campus I had never visited...met with the Graduate Adviser...sharing with her my situation of not having any money to cover the rest of my time there but I will graduate. She offered me a job in the Dean's office paying $25 a week with the possibility of the position turning into a grant to cover the rest of my tuition. The first semester went by; I applied and was awarded the grant, and graduated with a Masters Degree focusing on Television/Film Management from one of the top schools in communications in the world. For me it took courage and trust in my own personal history to achieve this goal. I am truly grateful for the experience, the knowledge, the talent and strong faith. Today I have reflected on these experiences and use them as I pursue my acting and writing career. Underneath the entertainment, this is all really business. And all the exposure, commitment and preparation will eventually carry me to the opportunity that will deliver me to the next phase of this big picture--Increasing courage and strengthening faith.
"We are proud to announce that Photography by Hamilton has been rated by local brides and voted The Knot Best of Weddings 2008/2009 Pick. Please pick up a copy of The Knot Best of Weddings 2009 magazine and check out our listing."