Some Professional Advice

So today the Co-Lab received it's first e-mail from a local actor who's newish in town for some professional advice. How flattering! And nerve wracking!

Because of the nature of the question we decided it best to answer the actor privately and individually, and so I did. I felt like I could give a very well informed but impartial opinion on the question and was pretty thorough in my answer. I felt good about the advice I gave.

I mean giving advice isn't all that new to me personally. Of course I can advise friends and family when called upon. And I've occasionally been known to offer my two cents unsolicited ;-) (not always my best trait...some may say I'm....opinionated), but this was different.

Something about the idea of giving advice to someone in the scope of being professional and not personal was very different to me. It laid a different kind of responsibility on me. I still had to be true to my thoughts on the matter and make sure this person knew it was only my opinion, but I also had to make sure to maintain some distance and impartiality. What an interesting dichotomy.

The whole experience left me feeling very grown up. But it also reminded me of who I am. I am a working theatre professional in Boston! And I am a grown up. And apparently one worthy of being asked for advice. And that's kind of awesome.