Why Acting Classes?

Payal
Payal
Jul 28, 2017 · 2 min read

I have an almost 5 year old. You know what’s really strange? I cannot remember my life before my son. I think its because I had no life. I mean it! I don’t think I had hobbies or goals or anything! I was married for 7 years before I finally decided having a baby was something I wanted for sure. But it was only after my son was born did I wake up to my life. Only then did I think to myself — it is not too late to pursue acting classes. I can still write. I’m only in my 30s!

The Force is strong in this mom!

Now, with even less time to spare, I have found time to take acting classes. They meet about 45 minutes away from where I live, once a week and I have to also find time to read and analyze plays, work on techniques at home and meet with scene partners to rehearse. I work full time, cook meals, and do the laundry once in a while too. On a separate note, one day I am going to wear uniforms. The same clothes every day. I am so sick of deciding clothing choices every day!

It has been tough. Balancing commuting into downtown NYC (which takes about 2 hours each way) and working from home and making sure I’m doing the things I need to be doing for my family. But the feeling I get after class — its like no other. It fills me up, I feel like I could go all night afterward. I get charged up by other people, I’ve always known that (call me an extrovert if you must). But the joy of working on something, crafting it, the journey of mastery and the small wins along the way, the understanding of why things ‘failed’ — I don’t think I’ve ever done anything where I’ve felt GOOD about all those things. I’ve never played a musical instrument (the recorder does not count), never really sang (beyond 5th grade), and stopped my karate lessons after 4th grade. As an adult this was the first time I worked on skill mastery and just LOVED IT.

So sometimes I want to quit, and it feels hard. But I push through and I come out the other side feeling amazing and ready to take on what the next day brings.

Payal

Written by

Payal

In no particular order: Mom, Indian American Daughter of Immigrants, All Around Fascinating Human Being

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