Elementor #7808

Do you ever feel like you are following someone else’s dreams? Or are you tuned in to what makes you light up like a Christmas tree? At thirty one years old I went through a very in-depth coaching session which uncovered that most of my life up until that point was about pleasing everyone else except me.

‘What? That can’t be right?’ Then I searched my feelings and thought back to when I was sixteen. A careers advisor told me I’d never get into University if I did just drama and art, which is what I really wanted to do..So instead, because I felt the academic pressure at that time I did French, German and History A Levels. I ended up in my top choice University (it was a big deal in the nineties!) to do an almost triple degree in French, German and Business. It was a tough degree as you had to be good at everything, literature, economics, computer science, European politics, German and French Grammar, German and French business, consumer behaviour…the list went on. 

What I did discover at University was the drama club, run by Lee Dainty who was a stand up comedian. I joined to become an actress and do plays, but it turned out to be more of a stand up comedy club, so that’s what I threw myself into. I did surprisingly well until I did not prepare my material for the right crowd and died a death one night in the Swansea Working Men’s Club..and I lost my nerve..it was certainly not pretty!

Fast forward some years after world travel, and then some time in sales, recruitment and then a headhunting franchise training company. I felt this yearning for something more. I’d achieved well, I’d bought a large detached house, new car, expensive holidays and loved many elements of my job. Namely, performing! Funnily enough my title at corporate MRI was Head of Performance Instruction, so without knowing what I actually did, I could have said to others that I was head of drama. I’m sure my old boss Mr Guy Lean would agree..

I loved acting out all the stories in the training and pretending to be this tough business woman (which I wasn’t at all!) and after this intense coaching it occurred to me, 

‘How could I continue with my life without even trying to be an actress for real?’ 

So I started to think, ‘How could I sustain a job and train to be an actress at the same time?’ So I started preparing headshots, looking at drama schools, talking to other actors, researching to to become famous and mentally rehearing what I would say in my Oscar speech! 

That last comment is fodder for another story where I manifested a meeting with an Oscar nominated Editor..more on that in a future article. Suffice to say that in a short period of time I started part time at the Guildford School of Drama and joined a few amateur dramatic societies to start building up my ‘showreel’ and experience. It was harder than I thought but I did not give up. Then I quit corporate as if I was truly going to do this I needed a hell of a lot of time to go to auditions, train and be on set!

I had been a life coach and hypnotherapist on the side whilst at corporate then started another business with my boyfriend to pay acting school(it is not cheap!) Then I registered with a few acting agents and started getting out onto TV and film sets. Initially as an extra then building up to more and more lines and screen time. 

I absolutely adored all my time in the field. 

I can’t say the same for drama school it was a super tough process and I was one of the oldest in my class. My body did just not bend the way theirs did. I lost a lot of confidence and had to rebuild it weekly! I had to laugh at myself but just kept going. 

Never give up

One afternoon I got a call from my agent telling me I needed to go for a fitting at the Harry Potter studios for the role of a head witch in the Ministry of Magic. I was so excited I couldn’t contain myself. Within a few days I was at the studio. I met Malfoy (Tom Felton), Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), the caretaker chap Filch (David Bradley) and the cherry on the cake, Daniel Ratcliffe who was talking to a small group of girls in the common area. I said a brief hello and shook his hand, he was very friendly, funny and open. I almost screamed with delight. I felt soooo grateful to be there. 

Despite all best intentions my scenes never made it in the edit and neither did my second role as an orphanage staff member. The one that did make it was about 10 seconds of screen time, in the rain in a nineteen twenties outfit outside Voldermort’s orphanage. Despite not having the starring role I spent many hours at Leavesden Studies nosing about, looking at sets and trying to keep out of trouble, as we were sworn to secrecy and weren’t supposed to discuss any of our scenes or the story nor take pictures. It was a joy to be there and I couldn’t believe I was actually getting paid for it to (plus breakfast, morning tea and cake, lunch, afternoon tea and cake then dinner..can’t be bad!)

I went on to star in numerous TV comedies and shows in UK and other films for many years until I got pregnant a few years back. I enjoyed every single minute of it. It is the only job I’d get up at 4am in the morning for! I met Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Julie Walters, Cate Blanchett, Judy Dench, Rupert Grint, Dennis Quaid, Michael Sheen, Paul Whitehouse, Harry Enfield, Lee Mack and many others who were all gracious and professional (bar a couple that I won’t mention here.)

LIVE YOUR DREAMS do whatever it takes, let no one stop you!

I may not be doing acting right now but my work involves lots of speaking and engaging peoples’ emotions. So what I learned and the people I met set me up perfectly for what I am doing now…rewiring people’s brains for success in life and business, which is also pure joy for me. I get to not only effect people emotionally as I did as an actress but make long term positive transformations. I’d call it Mind Magic and I’ m pretty sure Harry Potter would be very proud.

If you want to experience your own Mind Magic book a quick chat with me