Day 325: No Betty

Nobody I know

So many lovely new people in my life yesterday. Too many to mention. One thing to say, though, I genuinely love corporate acting. I get to dress up smart, which I love. I get to pretend to be someone else, which I love. Even better when I get to be a few different people. I get to work on things like communication skills and personal awareness with people who, for the most part, are engaged and interested. I adore that. And most of it's improvised. You can't plan it because you don't know what they're going to say. 

I often get to choose what I say and do to reach the outcome that's been agreed, so it's creative, which I love. AND I get to work alongside people who are often open, funny and apt to laugh. Most of them quite like, or actively love, the work they're doing. All of them (so far) are passionate about something, whether it's what they're doing the day I meet them or some other project they're on. And I can be guaranteed of a really good laugh while we do our job well. I really do love it. 

Not Betty

Someone asked me last night if I mind working for 'evil companies'. The answer has to be no. If I worked with a company where the people I dealt with were routinely horrible to me or each other, I wouldn't do that job again. It's only happened once, and they made the choice for me (though I did say to myself - and one person on the acting team - that I didn't think that, if offered, I would work for this client again. The next day, they took me off the job.) And it is fair that if I really disagree with what a company does in every way, I won't work for them. I turned down a job for BAE Systems because of their trade, it's true. However, every company is made up of people and people are fundamentally pretty ace, I think. 

I'm a fucking wanker sometimes, and I deserve to be here, nevertheless. When we go in, most of the time we're training people how to communicate more effectively with the people they work with. As mentioned, I often get quite a lot of leeway about exactly what I do or say to achieve that goal. I'm not interesting in solving work-specific problems - I'm interested in giving real people tools that will help them in whatever they do, and in getting them to be themselves rather than playing a role that's not them (as so many people feel they need to). I think that's a good thing. A very good thing. And it's massive fun to do, whoever those people are. 

Not Betty. Or a fucking wanker.

I'm sure BAE systems has lovely, interesting people working for them. People whose values are different to mine on certain fronts, and on fronts that are important to me. That doesn't make them all bastards, though. That makes them people who have different values to me and who are doing their best at doing their lives. 

This morning didn't go to plan and it was brilliant. I planned to swim, but I got home at on the way to midnight and I was knackered, so I nursed my Trumpton-spitting phone for an hour before getting up. Then off I went on my bike to Stoke Newington to meet Sarah, a dog-owning theatre producer who I was considering moving in with (though I hadn't yet met her) a few months ago. She's moved out of London now, and finally we met. She fucking ROCKS! 

A book. Not a dog.

What a meeting! We didn't walk the dog (Betty). Betty was being walked by someone else. I'm sorry I didn't get to meet her, but she'd only have distracted me and made me say odd noises. I have seen this brilliant woman before, though I don't know where. I can't even say all the things that were exciting, but I feel just so fuelled up about it. I'm already tweaking and delving and finding things I really want to do. Generative Trance? Yes TF Please!

I had a personal styling session today. For a job. It was really good. I've been clothed in things I wouldn't have chosen myself - and that's the point. I enjoyed it very much. I hope I get to keep the shoes as well, even though they have holes in (mannequin shoes). All the clothes are very nice and I was delighted by the experience. If I ever get married (?) or have an occasion I'd like to celebrate, perhaps I'll have a similar session for myself. Where someone can look at my body/shape/colouring and say 'this will suit you' and be right. A great skill. 

Another skill that I'd like more of is sleeping. God, I need to get better at that.