Overcoming Barriers
IYA LUV!
So, a few days ago I put a call out on my Instagram to find out what you guys wanted to read about in my blogs and there was one suggestion that particularly resonated with me: what are my barriers and how do I overcome them? Not only was this something I wanted to talk about but I proposed a collaborative blog with the person who suggested it as he too wanted to discuss it, being a young performer with autism.
It gives me immense joy to say that my friend and fellow actor, Jordan Connerty, said yes! So this blog will be an open discussion about our barriers as actors and as people and how we overcome them.
~
A blog about Jordan
My name is Jordan Connerty I am 24 years old and I'm gonna tell you a little story about my autism and acting.
I have autism I was diagnosed with it when I was 3 years old and I used to want to be alone cause I felt like I was better off alone but over the years I come to value friendship and began to make changes to my personality and when I came to Dadafest and Everyman they gave me the confidence to become a actor and I made and met the most amazing friends I have ever known
Over the years I had to mentally challenge because I knew they was people out there for me it’s just my mind was telling me things but then I start to get into acting in 2012 and I love to perform
I been in yep for 2 years did young Dadafest for 5 years did Uniglobal at the echo arena and im a part of Lovehistory Liverpool and honesty I wouldn’t be here with my friends, family colleagues and everyone else
From the bottom of my heart I wanna say thank and to everyone who wants to do the things they love do it no matter what race, disability and anything else if you believe and have the passion that you can do believe in yourself and trust me good things come to those who wait
And I just wanna say from the bottom of my heart thank you so much to everyone who was there for me and for making me smile
I love you all and thank you ❤
I want to say thank you to Rebecca for being such a amazing awesome and good friend
~
I have to say that Jordan is one of the most proactive and positive young performers I have ever met! His autism doesn't stop him pursuing his career and that is just the kind of mindset that has and will continue to lead him to success, I'm sure of that. Thank you for being my friend, Jordan. X
~
From my time at LIPA up until this exact moment, I feel I have found out so much about myself as a creative: my strengths, points of improvement (not weaknesses) and what I am truly passionate about. If you'd have asked me, for example, would I be passionate about poetry 5 years ago I'd have said, "You what? Poetry?! Nah, you're 'avin a laugh!"
The truth is, my default setting has come to be that I find inspiration in whatever I am faced with and that inspiration fuels whatever I do next. That has helped me overcome many barriers alone!
When Jordan asked me what were my barriers, however, I struggled to think of anything that hugely hindered me in my career at this precise moment. I am grateful to feel this way and I think something that helped me get to this stage was something a tutor at LIPA taught me,
"Be comfortable with the uncomfortable."
If I take you back to college open days, when I was deciding which a-levels to take, all I can really tell you is that as soon as theory was mentioned: my brain switched off - it did not comprehend! I ended up doing a BTEC Diploma in Musical Theatre at college which was predominantly practical and was the equivalent of 3 a-levels. I was so glad that I did! I found out I was a very hands-on learner, that physically engaging with what I was being taught helped me tremendously... it's just a shame that physically engaging with ballet didn't have a lasting effect!
Fast forward a few years, having realised this performing lark had my heart: I begin my training at LIPA. First year blew my mind!! Yet there was something that wasn't quite right. Yes, people on the course found the theory work and essays we had to write challenging, but I was past the point of being challenged - I was struggling! I had never written to this academic level, and I didn't understand how to. So I did some research, went to student support at LIPA and after various assessments, I found out I was severely dyslexic with reading and writing, but in the practical side of the assessment, I excelled.
It was hard at first for me to fully grasp that I had this learning disorder... especially because nobody could bloody spell it and I'd gone through majority of my schooling without knowing! I soon realised though, how much extra work I'd need to put in to achieve the grades I wanted and improve.
I think this was my turning point.
Suddenly, this barrier of mine became a bump in the road. I started to write my own play, which led to my theatre company being formed. I didn't have a single stress about my dissertation because I started working on it so far in advance that I didn't need to, and with my dyslexia tutor's help, I got a first with it! I wrote monologues, I wrote songs: I wrote anything and everything!
I'd always felt, before this shift took place, that I wasn't a true creative if I didn't write (how naive) - that it wasn't enough for me to just be good at acting and singing! Of course, many performers do just that! They act, sing and dance and make an incredible career for themselves, but I wanted to do more than that! I wanted to prove to myself that I could write!
The time came, however, where I needed to do something with everything I'd written. I'd learnt to combat one part of my dyslexia, now it was time to face the other - reading! DUN, DUN, DUUUUUUUN!
Sight reading was my worst nightmare, honestly! I feared it with a passion, and I don't just mean in acting and sight reading a script etc. I'm talking year 9 History class when Miss Melvin picks on the student who is most shy and is trying her damned hardest not to make eye contact (me), to read entire pages of the history text book aloud to the class!
I WANTED TO CRY EVERY TIME! I can't begin to explain how real the struggle was.
I think my reading revelation came after LIPA. It was something I needed a little bit more time to work on, but the same tutor who had brought 'Be comfortable with the uncomfortable' to the table, suggested I try reading things aloud, literally everything.
So... I'd try reading articles, passages from books, text messages - aloud! All the while, stumbling over words because I can't get my head around how to pronounce them and having to re-read sentences because I sounded like an automated voice on an answer machine. Eventually, I started to notice improvements and it was around that time I was exposed to poetry and spoken word which simply blew my mind!
I began writing and was constantly finding inspiration to make words rhyme. It was incredible! But I knew that these poems would stay as notes on my phone until the end of time if I didn't do something with them. So I started up open mic night's with my theatre company - welcoming all backgrounds and abilities. It was a chance for me to build my confidence in performing my own poetry and writing, improve my sight reading and give others the same opportunity. Winner, winner, winner!
With an immense amount of pride, I can tell you I now enjoy sight reading... or at least 95% of the time! I don't stutter, I approach it with confidence and most importantly, remember to breath when I'm doing it - that always helps!
I am only at the beginning of my career and I have overcome barriers I never thought would come down! In doing so, I have gained confidence in my own ability: I am comfortable with the uncomfortable!
It is with everything I have learnt, remembering how I felt before in contrast to how I feel now, that I can't help but remain positive. I implement that positivity into my work, my social media, my mindset. Anything is achievable when you put your mind to it. I make it my duty to be as good as I can be in the various aspects of my craft.
“She believed she could, so she did.”
~ R.S. Grey, Scoring Wilder
A huge thank you to Jordan for collaborating with me on this blog - it was a truly interesting one for me to write!
We'd be fascinated to hear from you guys if you have had any particular struggles or barriers that you've overcome and how - we want to celebrate them with you!
Lots of love,
Rebecca & Jordan x
So, a few days ago I put a call out on my Instagram to find out what you guys wanted to read about in my blogs and there was one suggestion that particularly resonated with me: what are my barriers and how do I overcome them? Not only was this something I wanted to talk about but I proposed a collaborative blog with the person who suggested it as he too wanted to discuss it, being a young performer with autism.
It gives me immense joy to say that my friend and fellow actor, Jordan Connerty, said yes! So this blog will be an open discussion about our barriers as actors and as people and how we overcome them.
~
A blog about Jordan
My name is Jordan Connerty I am 24 years old and I'm gonna tell you a little story about my autism and acting.
I have autism I was diagnosed with it when I was 3 years old and I used to want to be alone cause I felt like I was better off alone but over the years I come to value friendship and began to make changes to my personality and when I came to Dadafest and Everyman they gave me the confidence to become a actor and I made and met the most amazing friends I have ever known
Over the years I had to mentally challenge because I knew they was people out there for me it’s just my mind was telling me things but then I start to get into acting in 2012 and I love to perform
I been in yep for 2 years did young Dadafest for 5 years did Uniglobal at the echo arena and im a part of Lovehistory Liverpool and honesty I wouldn’t be here with my friends, family colleagues and everyone else
From the bottom of my heart I wanna say thank and to everyone who wants to do the things they love do it no matter what race, disability and anything else if you believe and have the passion that you can do believe in yourself and trust me good things come to those who wait
And I just wanna say from the bottom of my heart thank you so much to everyone who was there for me and for making me smile
I love you all and thank you ❤
I want to say thank you to Rebecca for being such a amazing awesome and good friend
~
I have to say that Jordan is one of the most proactive and positive young performers I have ever met! His autism doesn't stop him pursuing his career and that is just the kind of mindset that has and will continue to lead him to success, I'm sure of that. Thank you for being my friend, Jordan. X
~
From my time at LIPA up until this exact moment, I feel I have found out so much about myself as a creative: my strengths, points of improvement (not weaknesses) and what I am truly passionate about. If you'd have asked me, for example, would I be passionate about poetry 5 years ago I'd have said, "You what? Poetry?! Nah, you're 'avin a laugh!"
The truth is, my default setting has come to be that I find inspiration in whatever I am faced with and that inspiration fuels whatever I do next. That has helped me overcome many barriers alone!
When Jordan asked me what were my barriers, however, I struggled to think of anything that hugely hindered me in my career at this precise moment. I am grateful to feel this way and I think something that helped me get to this stage was something a tutor at LIPA taught me,
"Be comfortable with the uncomfortable."
If I take you back to college open days, when I was deciding which a-levels to take, all I can really tell you is that as soon as theory was mentioned: my brain switched off - it did not comprehend! I ended up doing a BTEC Diploma in Musical Theatre at college which was predominantly practical and was the equivalent of 3 a-levels. I was so glad that I did! I found out I was a very hands-on learner, that physically engaging with what I was being taught helped me tremendously... it's just a shame that physically engaging with ballet didn't have a lasting effect!
Fast forward a few years, having realised this performing lark had my heart: I begin my training at LIPA. First year blew my mind!! Yet there was something that wasn't quite right. Yes, people on the course found the theory work and essays we had to write challenging, but I was past the point of being challenged - I was struggling! I had never written to this academic level, and I didn't understand how to. So I did some research, went to student support at LIPA and after various assessments, I found out I was severely dyslexic with reading and writing, but in the practical side of the assessment, I excelled.
It was hard at first for me to fully grasp that I had this learning disorder... especially because nobody could bloody spell it and I'd gone through majority of my schooling without knowing! I soon realised though, how much extra work I'd need to put in to achieve the grades I wanted and improve.
I think this was my turning point.
Suddenly, this barrier of mine became a bump in the road. I started to write my own play, which led to my theatre company being formed. I didn't have a single stress about my dissertation because I started working on it so far in advance that I didn't need to, and with my dyslexia tutor's help, I got a first with it! I wrote monologues, I wrote songs: I wrote anything and everything!
I'd always felt, before this shift took place, that I wasn't a true creative if I didn't write (how naive) - that it wasn't enough for me to just be good at acting and singing! Of course, many performers do just that! They act, sing and dance and make an incredible career for themselves, but I wanted to do more than that! I wanted to prove to myself that I could write!
The time came, however, where I needed to do something with everything I'd written. I'd learnt to combat one part of my dyslexia, now it was time to face the other - reading! DUN, DUN, DUUUUUUUN!
Sight reading was my worst nightmare, honestly! I feared it with a passion, and I don't just mean in acting and sight reading a script etc. I'm talking year 9 History class when Miss Melvin picks on the student who is most shy and is trying her damned hardest not to make eye contact (me), to read entire pages of the history text book aloud to the class!
I WANTED TO CRY EVERY TIME! I can't begin to explain how real the struggle was.
I think my reading revelation came after LIPA. It was something I needed a little bit more time to work on, but the same tutor who had brought 'Be comfortable with the uncomfortable' to the table, suggested I try reading things aloud, literally everything.
So... I'd try reading articles, passages from books, text messages - aloud! All the while, stumbling over words because I can't get my head around how to pronounce them and having to re-read sentences because I sounded like an automated voice on an answer machine. Eventually, I started to notice improvements and it was around that time I was exposed to poetry and spoken word which simply blew my mind!
I began writing and was constantly finding inspiration to make words rhyme. It was incredible! But I knew that these poems would stay as notes on my phone until the end of time if I didn't do something with them. So I started up open mic night's with my theatre company - welcoming all backgrounds and abilities. It was a chance for me to build my confidence in performing my own poetry and writing, improve my sight reading and give others the same opportunity. Winner, winner, winner!
With an immense amount of pride, I can tell you I now enjoy sight reading... or at least 95% of the time! I don't stutter, I approach it with confidence and most importantly, remember to breath when I'm doing it - that always helps!
I am only at the beginning of my career and I have overcome barriers I never thought would come down! In doing so, I have gained confidence in my own ability: I am comfortable with the uncomfortable!
It is with everything I have learnt, remembering how I felt before in contrast to how I feel now, that I can't help but remain positive. I implement that positivity into my work, my social media, my mindset. Anything is achievable when you put your mind to it. I make it my duty to be as good as I can be in the various aspects of my craft.
“She believed she could, so she did.”
~ R.S. Grey, Scoring Wilder
A huge thank you to Jordan for collaborating with me on this blog - it was a truly interesting one for me to write!
We'd be fascinated to hear from you guys if you have had any particular struggles or barriers that you've overcome and how - we want to celebrate them with you!
Lots of love,
Rebecca & Jordan x
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