Turning "Hard Times" into Art while living in L.A.

The Roots - Hard Times (feat. John Legend) [Live]

Audition or Bust!

I knew that when my alarm clock didn't go off this morning, it was going to be a nutty day. Mercury in retrograde? Well, I couldn't let that stop my stride, being that I had a major television show audition to prepare for. Thank God I woke up early on my own...the first miracle of the day. I had to get on the freeway asap and be very careful with my over-heating- prone- car. It was 9am and I was making good time.

Car working great and lines memorized. "I am gonna rock this!"

 I thought to myself.

As I was drawing closer to the freeway exit, all of a sudden I see smoke rising from the hood as I came to a stop light at the end of the off ramp. "Nooooooo . . . !!!"

 The car went, "Ca-put!" So there I was, right at the tail end of my exit, car smoking...

but not as much as I was!

I didn't miss a beat.

I quickly wrote a note saying. "Calling triple A, please do not tow . . ."I was not about to miss this audition.

I called my manager who calmed me and said that I was just a couple blocks away.

So, I started walkng.

 I was still making good time. Not only did I arrive, but I was 15 minutes early!

Say Wha??? 

 I could not worry about that damn car now!.

 I walk in, sit down and immediately breathe and focus. I was greeted by a sweet girl who I told my car story to. The big boss comes in and gets right down to business. I quietly tell her about my car fiasco and she insists that her assistant take me back to my car to make sure I was okay. So Nice!!!!....

 I auditioned....Luckily, I had to be in a high stakes emotional hostage situation so I thought to myself..."I may as well just go with it!"

I managed to get a smile and a "Good, good" and off I ran with the assistant to get to my sorry car!

When we arrive at the freeway I realize that THE CAR WAS TOWED! Great! So then there was the whole adventure of trying to figure out who towed and where it would be. After numerous detective work, we found the towing storage facility.

 "For ONLY 200 bucks, the broke ass car could be mine again...."Yippieeee!"

Well, I didin't have that money right then and there, so I decided to deal with it the following day.

This whole time, the casting assistant is soooo awesome and cool! He asked where I lived so that he could drop me off at home. I couldn't believe it! I told him my address and he said his best friend was a building manager over in the area so he was familiar with the neighborhood. Cool, so I asked him what the manager's name was and it turns out (Seriously!)

His friend was My building manager after all!!!

Small world.

Moral of the story: Don't give up. Hopefully I get the part, but even if I don't I know that I have what it takes to count on ME! Oh, and also that I hate driving in Los Angeles! Sigh.

xoxo yvette.

Beauty and talent and skills, Oh my!

In the land of popular women singers, the only thing that seems to matter is SEX and more of it. Whether it's Beyonce, Lady GaGa, or Christina Aguilera, the only thing that seems to stand out more than their voices are their bodies. Sorry ladies, I know it's the way-to-gettin'-PAID, but where does that leave the rest of us? I believe this example only encourages our little girls looking up to you to value body over talent and brains. Don't get me wrong,there is nothing wrong with being beautiful, but when the "look" is more featured than the talent, I truly believe we as a society are selling ourselves short.

Enter Janelle Monae. . . Who seems to find the delicate balance between voice and beauty does it with passion, positivity and killer vocal abilities. Should I even say she is "Tipppin the tight rope?"

Below is her innovative music vid. I think James Brown would be a little jealous. This girl makes me glad to be a female artist! This girl's got it!

Thanks again, for showing the world that black women singers don't have to be strippers in order to be appreciated. BRAVO!

Enjoy.

xoxo Yvette

Love is the only thing left when you're gone.

My good friend thought that this was a good quote I said to her, while helping her mend a broken heart. I agree, so I decided to share this with you all. I know first hand that this is true because of  losing my Mom from cancer, I know that for a fact. This quote comes from my heart and I hope it supplies you with healing. My friend is a singer, so she said she liked it so much that it sounds like a good song title. Thanks girl for the encouragement. May it continue to live in others as truth.

xoxo yvette

"No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again." -Buddha

"Don't be pushed by your problems; be led by your dreams." -Unknown

Street art by Mark Jenkins

Silverlake: Hipsterville, USA

"In an anxiety stricken panic, the unusually tall, thin Silverlake hipster dashed across the busy Sunset blvd road in black ultra skinny jeans and a red and blue striped tee, with sweat pouring down across his cheek finding a resting place in his neatly tied multi-colored scarf. Finally arriving safely at his destinationn, he let out a huge sigh of relief. "I'm home." he thought, American Apparel. Hipster Haven."

This is a true story. I wrote this later on facebook back in May because it had such a strong impression on. I laughed my ass off all the way to work.

In that moment I realized where I lived. I was in the middle of it,

Silverlake: Hipsterville USA.

Ahh the Hipsters. Silverlake, CA. The Mecca of home-spun hipsters. Whether it's fashion or food, being "hipster" is a lifestyle. Young, rich and homeless chic clothing are often identifying clues. Hipsters are rising in popularity. Apparently though, there are many thoughts about how the term "hipster" was even coined:

"The name itself was coined after the jazz age, when hip arose to describe aficionados of the growing scene. Although the word's exact origins are disputed, some say it was a derivative of "hop," a slang term for opium, while others believe it comes from the West African word "hipi", meaning "to open one's eyes". Nevertheless, it gradually morphed over time into a noun, and "hipster" was born."

 

( Dan Fletcher (2009-07-29). "Hipsters". time.com. http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1913220,00.html. Retrieved 2009-11-01.)

Regardless of hipster origin, it has been exploding all over my hood. I have even heard of the new Craigslist reality show about Silverlake hipsters in the making...brilliant. There is also this funny book that describes hipsterdom at it's best that I recommend if you want to become one. It's by Robert Lanham.

 "Every culture has its rules. For hipsters there is one cardinal rule: never admit that you are a hipster.

"Below is an excerpt from The Hipster Handbook (Anchor Books), by Robert Lanham.



Clues You Are a Hipster:

» You graduated from a liberal arts school whose football team hasn't won a game since the Reagan administration.

» You frequently use the term "post-modern" (or its commonly used variation "PoMo") as an adjective, noun, and verb.

» You carry a shoulder-strap messenger bag and have at one time or another worn a pair of horn-rimmed or Elvis Costello-style glasses.

» You have one Republican friend who you always describe as being your "one Republican friend."

» Your hair looks best unwashed and you position your head on your pillow at night in a way that will really maximize your cowlicks.

I personally don't mind the hipsters. I like the freedom of expression that these kids have. It's ironic though that the very "freedom and individuality they seek lumps them all under the same label...,  the very thing they are trying to escape. But isn't this true of all groups? We all want to feel special and unique. Whether it's Beverly Hills socialites, Compton ghetto thugs, Mexican gangs, Nerds, film geeks, West Hollywood gays, wannabe actors,  . . .Hollywood itself?

We all want to feel important. It doesn't matter your race, age sex or class. It's true for all of us.



One of my best friends Adam, always jokes with me about how I am a cultural Octopus. I stretch my hands in all different part of culture and sub-cultures and feel really comfortable in all of them. Yes, I was a cheerleader in high school. Yes I hung out with "The preps", but I also had geek , nerd and hip-hop friends. I hung out with the whites the Blacks, the Asians, Indians and the Latinos. I did get a lot of slack because of it. No one understood why I was hanging out with their groups' nemisis. I remember some blacks would say, "You think you white, hangin out with whites and talkin like white" (I am African-American). Uh...yeah, whatever! I hang out with my friends. People that I get along with, no matter who they are...Period!

The secret is that I found that no one was truly any different from anybody else. I liked who I liked and connected with people one individual at a time. I believe that is true individuality. Loving who you are and own who you are everyday, regardless of how people try to label you. I hate labels so much that I often peel them off of water, juice and soda bottles. Maybe I'm a hipster?  Maybe not. I'll never admit it.

So I say Hipster out you hipity- hipstery hipsters! Be retro, be chic, be conceited, be ironic, but be YOU!

 I will be seeing you in the hood at the corner thrift store/vegan cafe/cheese shop on an orange retro 10 speed bike or something.

xoxo yvette

The War of Art

"It is one thing to study war
and another to live the life of a warrior"

--Telamonof Arcadia
Mercenary of the fifth century B.C.

While I have been counting the hours in bed until I recover from my cold, I have been reading this amazing book called "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. He is known for his novel turned movie, "The Legend of Bagger Vance". In it he explores all of the hidden obstacles that an artist faces in their journey. He explains how we have "Resistance" (born out of ego) that is continually trying to keep us away from our dreams and artistic freedom. "Ego hates artists because they are the pathfinders and bearers of the future..." Pressfield even speaks of Angels and muses that are not seen, but have a powerful force within our creative abilities. "As resistance works to keep us from becoming who we were born to be, equal and opposite powers are counter-poise against it. These are our allies and angels." All you have to do is listen. There are many examples of ancient Greek mythology and the Gods and their muses that are very interested in our material existence. They whisper in our ear a seed of artistic genius.

Before you run off thinking that this book is "too far out", just wait! He offers practical steps about how to become a professional artist. He explains in numerous chapters how "A professional does not accept excuses, does not hesitate to ask for help or does not take success or failure personally." I love his own personal stories as a writer struggling to conquer and forge ahead regardless of how strong the resistance is. His story about the making of "The Legend of Bagger Vance" is so funny and inspiring!

If you are truly an artist, whether, singer, dancer, painter actor, writer, this book will give you the kick in the butt you've needed. In fact, after reading the book I started this blog. I've always been told that I should continue writing and that I had a special way of relating to the audience. But after my Mom's death and the many tragic experiences I've endured in my life within the past 5 years, I silenced that voice. I am grateful for this book. I believe that my angels or muse used my sickness as an opportunity to get me back on track and on my destiny by whispering . . ."write on, child, write..."     xoxo Yvette

Yvette the Brit?

Yay it's ME! At the Brit week fashion show in May 2010. I actually got a bit of a style spot blurb about my "Bold" necklace choice.Really? It's so vain, but sorry people, Hollywood demands it of me...enjoy!

xoxo Yvette



http://www.stylebistro.com/lookbook/Silver+Statement+Necklace/iHTkjdp2-pD

The L.A. sun mocks!

Ho hum I am sick! It is torture when one has to stay in bed helpless. I had a health scare with heart pulpitations the other day. I went to the hospital and had an EKG done. I guess it concerned the Doctor, so they want to do further tests. But I already know that with the loss of my brother Roy, and the large amount of pressure I have been under in the last few months to keep everything together doesn't help. I don't need a test to prove that. I am very intuned with my body and I know that stress is the cause.

Stress is a real culprit. It doesn't help that the beautiful sun shiny sun in Los Angeles mocks you when you are sick. It's like L.A. is a constant dream. Trapped in the illusion of happiness because the sun is so pretty. Oh well...better get some rest. I have a big week coming up. Go Go Go!

xoxo
Yvette