Listen to your KNOW...It is never too, late...

By Carla-Rae

A ~Linked In~ pulse article

I am Carla-Rae. In the professional world I am a performing artist including, but not limited to actor, director, producer, story teller, writer, singer, dancer, motivational speaker...yes a passionate performing artist.

I have worked on both amateur and professional levels on stage, tv, film, and now, on the web. It is a gift, a drive, and a passion to share living art through story telling with the masses. It has been something I have known, since childhood, I wanted and needed to do.

While I did do some of the things required to move ahead in this industry, like study and training I made the mistake of listening to well meaning family and friends who said, "That is not a steady, stable career. You need to do something with yourself that matters and brings in a steady income. Get a real job." These statements made me question my own inner KNOW. The thing that has been guiding me for my whole life.

I learned to quiet my KNOW by getting 'real jobs.' I cannot even count how many administrative, secretarial, house hold management, property management, and care taking positions and licenses for various 'real jobs' I have held in my lifetime. How great I am at doing all those skilled jobs! Yet, I really feel my SHINE when I am using my skills in the performing arts.

In the midst of the 'real jobs' I got the BEST lifetime job of being a mom to two amazing sons. I home educated them and they were my ever present cheering section during that time.
It took a lot of performing art to manage that. Sometimes I failed miserably, but always saw the bright side through their eyes. It wasn't long before they KNEW that performing arts was my place and they encouraged me to follow my KNOW. Just as I had always encouraged them to.

So, some where around 2003-2004, spurred on by the encouragement of my sons, and their father, I decided, to give my KNOW a shot. Even while homeschooling my sons, I did local and regional theater and commercials, but never anything that took me away from home for long. I wanted to be with my sons, after all. Yet, now here I was a 40+ year old mom stepping into one of the most scrutinizing, critical, industries, (especially for women ~ that is another post) in which, if one can get past the surface, there are deep rewards of storytelling passion that only a performing artist can really understand.

When one looks at my body of work on IMDB there are not a lot of roles listed there for two reasons. One, because I have only really just begun and two, because the roles I have been privileged to do are pieces I am honored to have had part in. Every story, my role was a character with strength, integrity and honor. One for which I won a best supporting actress award, not too shabby for a late bloomer. Not listed on IMDB are all the roles I have had privilege to portray on stage. One, in which, I realized a bucket list dream of being in a leading role in a world premiere play. I got to do just that when i played the role of Majel in Diane Glancy's play "The Bird House" which premiered at Native Voices at the Autry in Los Angeles, in the spring of 2013.

All that to say, BE ENCOURAGED, it is never too late, to LISTEN to your KNOW and follow your gut, heart, dream, goal... You may just find out, what your KNOW is telling you, IS your REAL JOB.

Keep shining in all you do, dear Linked In peeps,

Carla-Rae

(Me as Majel with (Ellen Dostal as Clovis),in the World Premiere of ~THE BIRD HOUSE by Diane Glancy ~ at Native Voices at the Autry, Los Angeles spring 2013.

(Photo by Craig Schwartz)