A healthy actor is the best actor
It was 5:00 AM on a warm Saturday morning in April 2016. I was wrapped in the comfort of my warm rose-gold blankets and soft blush-pink pillows. My alarm clock sounded and instead of snoozing, like I always do, I jumped out of bed. The enthusiasm and adrenaline I felt from what lied ahead made it easy for my body to leave that seemingly sacred, cozy space. I was pumped about filming episode 4 of Harper's Radar in metro Atlanta and knew it'd be a great day. I mean, how could it not be? I was off to a great, energetic start. Right?
*Image of me (Harper, left), Amelia (center), and Shavon (right) between takes filming Episode 4
I've been acting for nearly two years. Relatively new to the industry, I've been learning all I can! About acting methods, set protocols, managing stress, and balancing it all... Everything I learn, I use to better myself and hope others are inspired by it.
It wasn't until that beautiful day of filming episode 4 that I realized how important it is to take care of myself. Seriously! I'm not talking about in the superficial or cosmetic sense, either. I'm talking about in an inner restoration sense: getting enough rest, eating enough fruits and veggies, drinking enough water, enjoying enough laughs, having enough fun.
Remember how beautiful and quiet my morning was? I felt great, but after thirty minutes on set, my body nearly shut down on me. Literally. I felt lightheaded, nauseous, and dehydrated. My tummy began to ache and my head began to throb (all out of the blue, it was completely random; and no, it wasn't the nerves from acting). My mom ran to grab food to increase my blood sugar, my sister-in-law grabbed fluids, and in the middle of filming, I had to get it together and find a way to feel better. Thank God for His strength and such great people around me.
So, what happened? I hadn't been taking care of myself. I pride myself on drinking water and eating fairly healthy. But, in light of all the work I've been putting into Harper's Radar, I'd been forgetting to eat, sleep, relax, hydrate, and breathe. It all caught up to me at the most random moment. I crashed. It was awful, but thank God it didn't last too long. We ended up knocking out the scenes we needed and proceeded to have a long 16-hour day. Overall, that day of filming was incredibly fun! BUT, it reminded me of the importance of taking it easy.
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