2017: FILMMAKING AND COMMUNITY AND ALWAYS PLAYS

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2017 WAS A YEAR OF GROWTH.

I can sum it up by saying I did the work I wanted with people i respect, and I love the way it paid off.

MY FAVORITE ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

  • New Dramatists intern, meeting and working with playwrights I’ve secretly looked up to for years and meeting new writers to be obsessed with.

  • Joining Theatre 68, a community of actors working and challenging each other to be stronger. And performing with Theatre 68 in String of Pearls!

  • Writing and seeing my work up: Playwright’s Loft I and II, reading at Dramatists Guild for Gluten Free.

  • Producing my first short film, “Not a Criminal.”

  • Started working at The Artist Co-op.

  • Starred in a short film as a battered wife.

  • Wrote short plays all year for Best Friend’s Foundation, a DC non-profit that supports public school students.

FOR 2018…

  • I’m going to write a feature and star in it.

  • I have two plays cooking that are begging to be finished. Gonna finish them.

  • I’m gonna audition my head off. Hello, EPA early mornings, late evenings at One on One.

  • Gonna go through The Artist’s Way with a group of strong lady artists.

  • I’m heading for bigger, bolder, deeper art. Gonna stick with writing 1-2 hours a day, and auditioning/ acting the rest of the day. I’ve loved freelance writing for day jobs. Will continue babysitting and background to keep my schedule free.

And my favorite 2018 goal…

500 REJECTIONS.

I want professional work in 2018. I want big, bold, deep, exciting, crazy work. So the only way I’ll get that is to relentlessly apply, email, reach out, collaborate. I’m going for 500 rejections in 2018. That means every time submit for a role, send a play to a company, go to a networking event, reach out to a new friend, send more plays, apply for more jobs…

I’m counting them all until I get to 500. I’m going to assume, for counting purposes, that every time I reach out it’s a rejection until I hear otherwise. And I’ll keep an “otherwise” tally right next to it. A big fat count on my wall.

I’m psyched. This is how I’ll go around my fear of failure, my tendency to wait until things are perfect. Oh well, it’s not a perfect self-tape, sending it anyway. Oh well, this play isn’t flawlessly rewritten, sending it anyway… Gotta meet that 500 goal! I’m ready to be surprised by what comes of this.

See you in 2018, friend.

acting, Creative Writing, Film, Life, Playwriting, ScreenwritingKathleen Jones