Allison Mack's Official Site » inspiration http://www.allisonmack.com Wed, 09 May 2012 15:26:40 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 blue in prague http://www.allisonmack.com/2009/05/20/blue-in-prague http://www.allisonmack.com/2009/05/20/blue-in-prague#comments Thu, 21 May 2009 05:13:25 +0000 Allison Mack http://blog.allisonmack.com/?p=493 It is a beautiful, but blue day today in Prague. The show is challenging. Learning how to let go is one of the most exhilarating, yet frightening and challenging things I have ever done in my life. I feel like I am teaching myself to be a silly kid again… be free in myself to explore and go for the unsafe, unpredictable and wild self that is me. I have been dormant in this other, more serious and controlled person for a very long time now. The breaking out process is wild and scary and painful and wonderful and all that.

Here is a beautifully inspiring video to enjoy!

Sorry for the lack of my videos, I didn’t have any idea the schedule would be the way it is, I just haven’t got my stuff together with this one. But you can see some videos as well as pics on the crossed wires website http://www.iristheatreco.org. They will be up tomorrow morning! go see!

xoxo
a

]]> http://www.allisonmack.com/2009/05/20/blue-in-prague/feed 22 the end of a day of creation http://www.allisonmack.com/2009/05/18/the-end-of-a-day-of-creation http://www.allisonmack.com/2009/05/18/the-end-of-a-day-of-creation#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 00:41:51 +0000 Allison Mack http://blog.allisonmack.com/?p=489 I feel like in this process of creating a play with nine other amazing people, I am creating a side of me that has atrophied… a side of myself I was so familiar with when I was younger that I took it for granted. I though this muscle of introspection and creativity came from my mother’s womb. In other words, I assumed I was “special” and just born with this wild imagination the allowed me great freedom in acting and creating. The thing I forgot to mention to me was that I was spending at least 6 hours a week in acting class. Spending hours upon hours improvising and writing and building characters and ideas. But this was fun! It couldn’t have been work. This is what I told myself to continue the lie of “special-ness”. I think believing this lie has been one of the greatest disservices of my life; Something so sad. I have spent the last 8 years on Smallville assuming I was just “gifted.” I completely suppressed myself as well as my teachers for all the time I spent refining and honing this craft I had built for myself.
As a result I felt less and less facile with my ability. Every season of Smallville I felt more and more a victim of my circumstance. I felt more and more fearful of opportunity and even ability to play other things, let alone my current job well. The depth of imagination and creativity I once had was fleeting fast and I was blaming it on everything other than my lack of effort in building it in me.

Today was the day I re-discovered the importance of practice and effort in the art I once felt so magnificent upholding, but have felt so disconnected from. I am working with a team of unbelievable creators who have no ego, no suppression or competition, only joy in the creative process.

We have spent the last 24 hours brainstorming ideas. Any idea you could think to come up with, we threw out there. Just looking and thinking and thinking and looking, exploring every avenue, until our minds hurt and we didn’t know what else to say to each other. So we went for sushi (yes, there is a “Mr. Sushi” up the street from our apartment in old town Prague, weird?) and cleaned our minds with a nice dose of wasabi. And we got into putting the ideas on their feet.

What came out of this exercise was a 25 minute improv based in movement, music, text, and song that was so moving and rich, I was humbled and inspired! I was reminded of why I love what I do; why I want to do these small project that take so much time and cost so much money, but fuel my soul and help me to see what I am missing in my world. I am so passionate about what I do again. It feels like I have found it after having been lost for a long time. I have found me again.

Throw out the ego and pride of already knowing something and build a practice of learning something new each day, in each second, look for that which you don’t know, where your knowledge fails, and go for that. Because joy lies in growth and learning, not complacency and pride. There is no depth or support to a superficial image, so in the end you live with fear that someone will tip you over, and the whole world will come tumbling down around you. Essentially, you are living on a centimeter of security!

Ok, it’s 3:23 in the morning here in gorgeous Prague and I have an 11 am rehearsal! I will try and get some video up tomorrow, sorry about the delay on this. Rehearsals are going a bit longer than expected and I kind of think getting the show on it’s feet is important, considering that is the reason we are here!

Jenny just figured out how to stream a live cast of the show though! So I will keep you all updated with that info so you can see us perform in real time!

Fun, no?
ok ciao
xo
a

]]> http://www.allisonmack.com/2009/05/18/the-end-of-a-day-of-creation/feed 42 new, old http://www.allisonmack.com/2009/05/02/new-old http://www.allisonmack.com/2009/05/02/new-old#comments Sat, 02 May 2009 12:18:45 +0000 Allison Mack http://blog.allisonmack.com/?p=406 hello there!

I had the most divine day in my favorite city in the world, Manhattan! I spent the morning and afternoon strolling the town with several friends, shopping and catching up. Then, I had the great privilege of accompanying a new, but “old”, friend to a documentary film at the Tribeca Film Festival and then to the party afterward.

After we discovered we had completed the coconut milk based ice cream they were handing out at the party, we headed on a long walk uptown, about 54 blocks to home. This was where the new revealed the old, and we felt as though we had known each other for ever. It was so nice. I love the feeling of a good pair of sneakers or better yet a worn cashmere sweater. This is how a new old or an old old friend feels. Just warm and cozy. I am thrilled with the friendships I have earned throughout my life and I feel honored to surround myself with some of the most inspiring, depthy, and intelligent people.

Again, I am blessed.

xo
a

]]> http://www.allisonmack.com/2009/05/02/new-old/feed 36 Inspired Conversations: Mark Hildreth (part 1) http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/11/28/inspired-conversations-mark-hildreth-part-2 http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/11/28/inspired-conversations-mark-hildreth-part-2#comments Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:14:11 +0000 Allison Mack http://blog.allisonmack.com/?p=357 Enjoy!

mark-hildreth.com

]]> http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/11/28/inspired-conversations-mark-hildreth-part-2/feed 57 Overthinking Much? http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/11/20/overthinking-much http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/11/20/overthinking-much#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:17:02 +0000 Allison Mack http://blog.allisonmack.com/?p=353 Wrote this a few days ago:

That is definitely the name of the game tonight. I start my first day of directing on the set tomorrow; all the preparation I have done over the last year still cannot prepare me for what I am imagining the endeavor to be. I am so nervous. Excited, but nervous about the whole experience. But I am thinking that is a good thing. Alive, which is always good.

This prep process has been incredibly rewarding for me as far as my personal growth is concerned.
I have been able to see my failures in the type of person I want to be and really work to overcome them. It is an amazing thing to have such a strong and clear mode of calibration.

So now I am sitting in my living room, staring at my script, going over and over and over my ideas and shots. I think it is time to give the kid her lunch box and send her off to school. You can only learn so much before you have to simply dive in! Test the treading water lessons! Just go!
xoxo
a

]]> http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/11/20/overthinking-much/feed 98 Hi http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/10/15/hi http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/10/15/hi#comments Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:06:11 +0000 Allison Mack http://blog.allisonmack.com/?p=333 Hello all!

I apologize for the brief hiatus, I hope you all can forgive me! I have been completely bogged down with learning the new skill of directing and I’m spending pretty much all my spare time watching movies for research and learning as much as I can about this amazing craft.

It is so cool because I’m seeing the process of directing from a whole new light and it is beautiful!

Here is one of the videos I am feeling most inspired by right now! Enjoy and I will check in with some questions and thoughts very soon!

xoxo
allison

]]> http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/10/15/hi/feed 153 My Hopes http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/09/30/my-hopes http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/09/30/my-hopes#comments Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:18:20 +0000 Allison Mack http://blog.allisonmack.com/?p=320 In my life I hope to accomplish….
In my life I hope to accomplish a true understanding of the word compassion.
I hope to live that understanding in every moment of my life.
I hope to make beautiful art that inspires people to question, think, and push themselves in their relationships with the world around them.
I hope to build relationships with people that are based in authenticity and love.
I hope to inspire people to express themselves in the most joyful and genuine way possible.
I hope to be a woman who represents understanding and acceptance.
I hope to be instrumental in changing the way we relate to each other as human beings.
I hope to be an example of some one who takes responsibility for all things she effects in the world.
I hope to accomplish a life of joy!
I hope to laugh out loud.

xoxo
allison

]]> http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/09/30/my-hopes/feed 56 Scare http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/09/09/scare http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/09/09/scare#comments Wed, 10 Sep 2008 03:48:13 +0000 Allison Mack http://blog.allisonmack.com/?p=286

Lou Says:
September 4th, 2008 at 4:07 pm

anything can inspire change. looking at the right random object. noticing a theme in a movie or tv show. conversations. books. illness, death, and even birth.

but whether or not we decide to ACTUALLY change is up to each person. I can want to change. I can TRY to change. but that doesn’t mean I will. there has to be EFFORT and AMBITION.

Personally, what inspires change in myself is realizing my own potential and wanting to achieve it. but attaining one’s own potential is like constantly dividing. you can get closer and closer and closer to the ultimate goal, but it’s nothing more than an ideal situation. ideal is never met. ideal is utopia (if you will). I want to be the best I can. this is why we all learn. when we stop learning, we stop growing. stopping growth is to stop yourself from going up in the world. then you’re just stuck.

I want to change to prevent getting myself stuck in life. not just my skills, but also ethically/morally, spiritually, and socially.

what do I want to change in myself, specifically? everything. not a total change, but more like improvements. more ambition, being less lazy, noticing more in life that I’m missing out on. things like that. oh yeah. and getting into shape. :P

I found this post to be really well stated and very beautiful. Thank you, Lou.

I feel that change for me happens in two ways. Either I see something amazing and I am inspired to strive for it, or I feel so uncomfortable, so totally sick of myself and the way I am doing something that I shift.

Obviously the former is much more optimal than the latter. However, I must say that the latter is much more effective. Change is scary. Doing something new? AHHHH! Holy shit!

It is so funny, because I watch myself opening my eyes to something I want to be, something I see inspires me to push myself to grow. But if it is really something new, something so beautiful, yet so foreign, often I will make up all these excuses, generate all these lies so that I have a reason to stay the same. And even though fear totally sucks, it’s familiar and much more appealing than the unknown.

I have so much respect for people who unabashedly dive into the unknown. People who stare into the abyss of uncertainty and embrace it. Those who seek that are truly the leaders and change makers.

Eleanor Roosevelt said we should “Do one thing every day that scares us.” But what really scares us, not fake, “I- wanna- get- out- of- pushing- myself- or- trying- something- new” scares us.

So I challenge you as I am challenging myself, take on something scary, something unknown and new, and embrace it.

Dive in and see what happens.

Keep me posted!

I wanna know about your progress!

xo
allison

]]> http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/09/09/scare/feed 75 Bravery in Art http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/09/07/bravery-in-art http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/09/07/bravery-in-art#comments Mon, 08 Sep 2008 01:33:54 +0000 Allison Mack http://blog.allisonmack.com/?p=274 Last night I saw such a beautiful exemplification of bravery that I had not ever recognized before.
I was in the audience of a play comprised of 3 one-person shows. The courage one must have to believe they can tell a story, honestly, for 20 minutes to a group of strangers is so honorable and beautiful.
I am so moved by people expressing. To me there is something so extraordinary about our capacity as human beings to translate experience and emotion.

I feel like it is one of the major things that sets us apart from animals: Our capacity, and reason for creating simply to create. To communicate with something other than a conversation, or to communicate something so potent it inspires depth and introspection which than effects all conversation.

Amazing.

So here is a nice little philosophical question for you:
What is art?

xo
allison

]]> http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/09/07/bravery-in-art/feed 91 Inspired Conversations http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/09/05/inspired-conversations http://www.allisonmack.com/2008/09/05/inspired-conversations#comments Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:47:03 +0000 Allison Mack http://blog.allisonmack.com/?p=269 Ok, so welcome to my very first “Inspired Conversation!” Please watch and enjoy!
Get to know what Ward is about today and check back tomorrow with more info on the inspiring thing he is doing! I thought I would break it up for y’all!

Check it out!

xo
allison

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