Summertime Tips

Well, maybe and maybe not! For your acting career, summertime should be viewed as changing gears, not necessarily slowing down your activity for your career - but paying attention to different areas.
Industry-wise, things do slow down a little. This gives you a perfectly good opportunity to fine-tune your career and get it in shape before the fall activity gears up.
Here's a laundry list of items you should have in place by the fall:
1. Are my headshots up to date? Do I have enough for mailings through the fall? You can get appointments with headshot photographers now much quicker than in the fall.
2. Are my picture postcards up to date? Do I have enough for mailings through the fall? Do I have picture post cards? What are picture post cards?
3. Is my wardrobe in good shape? What should be added or thrown away so I always look current.
4. Classes. Summertime is a best time to take that class you've been wanting to take. Get your training under your belt, now, before the fall, so you'll be ready to take advantage of the increased work in the fall. It can be counter-cyclical to wait until the fall, see that there's all this activity around, then rush out to get your training. By the time you get finished with your training, the holidays may be approaching and with that, slowdown. So time everything in advance, not after the fact!
5. Assess your look. Hair style. Make-up. You're not in a time-warp are you? If you're planning to make a change, this is the best time of the year to do it. For clothing, see #3 above.
6. Has my body betrayed me? Seek revenge by hitting the gym, the jogging track, a better diet, more sleep, and we won't talk about any "recreationals" but they aren't good for you.
7. Review your relationships you have (or think you have) with agents and casting directors. Who should you be concentrating on? Who has slid into the inactive file? Should they be revived? Tighten up your mailing list.
8. Stay in touch! Sure it's the summer, but that doesn't mean we stop living! Continue to postcard your mailing list once a month. Remember:
"they" like hearing what you've been doing to be pro-active in your career.
The "Happy Summer!!!" scrawled across a postcard is a kiss of death. It sends out the signal you're an out-of-work actor. Do they need to be reminded of that?
9. Want to write off that trip to see Mom and Dad? While you're in Muncie or Boise, why not look for work there? You might be pleasantly surprised.
Those out in the hinterlands really thing New York-trained actors are hot stuff. (As opposed to the treatment you generally get here.) As always, consult your tax advisor on how to handle any tax deductions.
10. "Professional Research." Now is the good time to catch up on movies and plays and yes, even TV. (You want to be on TV, don't you?) It is tax deductable.
11. See agents and casting directors. Doing "the rounds" is not as prevalent as it once was. But in the summer and its slowdown, agents, for example, may have more time to grant you an appointment/audition than in other times of the year. Make this work for you. Remember, they are getting ready for the fall, too.
12. Get (or keep) yourself normal. Yes, that's right. Do normal things, normal activities that "civilians" do to keep yourself centered and balanced and a positive outlook on life. The "acting is my life" can sometimes be a little scary. And your best friends won't tell you that you're getting a little..