Lucy Aiken-

EMC

Actress, Singer, Dancer, Writer, Entrepreneur

Boston, MA

Know Thyself: The Power Of The "Egogram"

There's a concept that I learned about in acting class recently that amped up not only my acting classes that was revolutionary to me as an actor but more importantly as a human being. That is the concept of the "ego-gram." Most actors don't know that the ego-gram exists, and frankly, I feel like it has improved my acting drastically even just being aware of this tool. The concept of the "ego-gram" is a tool for determining who your character is. Based on 5 questions about th

"What is My Type?" and Other First World Problems

STAY IN YOUR OWN FRICKIN' LANE. It doesn't matter what anyone else is doing. I think that they key to understanding one's type is to compile opinions from as many different sources as possible when determining one's type. However, this also means that the answers can vary drastically. For example, a friend from college said definitively, "You're the best friend. I don't think you're an ingenue" while a director of mine said, "You look a little old timey." However, this past s

Art Doesn't Exist In A Vacuum: Business of Acting Field Notes

1) There should only be one objective in the audition: the performance. 2) US agents want to know how they can sell you. The problem with doing a Shakespeare monologue for an audition is that they don't want to feel "quizzed" or "challenged." If it's iconic, IT BETTER BE DAMN GOOD 3) There are agencies for just voiceover artists 4) The best way to increase your chances of getting an agent include having an active profile on casting sites such as Backstage, Actors Access, etc.

What I've Learned From Voiceover Classes (If Anything)

1) Commercials (particularly union) can be extremely lucrative because of residuals, which means that you get paid every time the ad pays. However, there are also buyouts where they pay you a fixed sum at the beginning 2) When doing commercials and voiceover, it is IMPERATIVE to do your very best to make it sound like real dialogue between real people 3) When doing voiceover, tic tac helps with dry mouth, as does Fisherman's friend 4) In voiceover, "cue it up" means come in f

Micro, Macro and Midi Career Goals

Please note: I'm not comfortable posting my personal and relationship goals on the internet, so this is strictly my professional goals. Some things are better kept private! Long Term Goals (10-15 Years Out) 1) Get my Equity card 2) Become a member of SAG Aftra 3) I used to say "Be on Broadway," but honestly this is a dream, not a goal. There are concrete, tangible ways to join Equity and/or SAG, however Broadway is something that if I'm being honest, I don't expect to happen

The Single Best of Career Advice I've Ever Heard

To quote one of the best musicals of all time, Wicked, "I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason. Bringing something we must learn" (insert the rest of the lyrics). Well, I don't know if I believe that quote is true. But to this professor: I know I'm who I am today because I knew you. The single best piece of career advice I ever got was this: "You're too focused on the results." This was said to me by a professor in an autobiographical storytelling cla

Having An Abundance Mindset In Showbiz

"There's thousands of actors for every one job available." Actors hear these truisms constantly, and honestly, I tend to tune out when people say this because it However, I try to remind myself that: a) there's enough to go around b) It promotes what I personally believe is a scarcity mindset that can be unhealthy. To create an abundance mindset, I try to remind myself that I have all the resources within me that I need to achieve my winning outcome. Sometimes it's important

Conquering Demons When Creating Art/Real Stuff

We all have our inner demons, and truthfully, most of our demons are relatively similar. I think that all artists, myself 100 percent included, share certain universal fears when entering uncertain realms with their creative endeavors. Some of my personal ones include: 1) "People will laugh at me." Reality check: YOU ARE NOT THE LEADING PLAYER IN EVERYONE ELSE'S LIFE. I have to remind myself of this constantly 2) "Someone has done it before." Reality check: it probably has be

How I (Attempt) To Maintain A Positive Attitude Amidst Covid

Unfortunately I find that it's all too easy for me (and I'm sure I'm not unique in this way) to give more attention to the bad things than the good. If I hear ten compliments and a single criticism, I'll unfortunately be inclined to focus on the criticism. However, when I notice myself focusing overwhelmingly on the negative aspects of an experience, lately I've been trying to stop and refocus on the positive. I practice this by doing a small positive activity every day while

Top 5 Life Hacking Tips That Have Changed My Life

1) Eliminate interruptions and distractions. Honestly, this is something I still really struggle with 1) Eliminate interruptions and distractions. Honestly, this is something that I still really struggle with, particularly if I'm doing a task that requires me to use the internet, where distractions abound. However, when I'm doing a task (NOT something mindless like making a grocery list) that requires my full attention, such as applying for a film online or working on my show

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