Advice — susan merson

The truth of the matter is that actors and writers have to be their own best friend. After the delight of discovering that one is indeed an artist, the real work of survival sets in. There is financial survival. Waiting tables, waiting in general, cleaning apartments, being a carpenter, babysitter, assistant -- finding the most flexible and dignified day job that can be stomached. There is artistic survival. Like, "why did I choose this life and what truly sustains me?" In Los Angeles, one might get more than a few smirks if one actually talks about the artistic aspects of...