This is the first OFFICIAL blog entry after the launch of www.thenicolepatrick.com this weekend. Thank you to all of you who have checked this out. Any ideas or feed-back about it would be greatly appreciated.

Well, hope everyone is doing well. I'm keeping busy as much as possible. I've realized that living outside of home and trying to support myself can be difficult at times.....well, more often then not. I knew way back when I was applying for college (that's right...I just applied to Montclair hoping I would get in...probably not the smartest move but at least I got in) that I would be majoring in theatre. I knew it wouldn't be an easy road. As time was winding down and graduation at Montclair was in reach, I STILL knew then that things wouldn't be easy. After graduating and moving back home, I was lucky enough to audition for and book a tour with Winceyco. The shows that were being performed were all over New Jersey. It was a great experience and kept me going, knowing that I was able to get some work out there. While still living at home, I was fortunate to do a short film (something I've never done before and was SO GLAD I did) and also be part of an AMAZING benefit show "Psycho Beach Party" (I was the "psycho" Chicklet- it was just HILARIOUS!!!). All-the-while I was working 5 nights a week and, when I knew that I'd be moving to New York, saving up as much as I can.

Now being on my own and having the responsibilities of paying rent, the bills, and food, I've felt myself stray a little from pursuing what I want to do- which is act and sing. The current job I have right now is (financially) not enough. On a good night I'll be lucky to make $80 with a minimum of $60. No one can live on that. So I decided to go to a temp agency to find some more work. There have been a couple calls from them but, unfortunately, not much. And then, out of the blue, I get a call from a bar that I had submitted my resume to back in July asking if I would be interested in bartending. I couldn't believe it. I met with the owner this weekend and I went in thinking that if things look and sound well I'll be working here and saying "Bye Bye" to my other job. It seemed like I had the job before the owner had even met me. Amazing. And one question that I always ask is "If I have an upcoming audition, how flexible are you with that?" I've been fortunate enough to have owners/managers say, "Not a problem." But my only problem is finding out about auditions and going on them.

To someone just reading this, maybe it doesn't seem that bad. But it weighs heavily on you. You think about it often, you do what you can, you're trying to survive and keep afloat and at the same time you're working crazy hours during the night, living off of tips, and trying to pursue what you really want to do. It's not as easy as one may think. So if any other actors are out there wondering if they're the only ones feeling this way....You're not alone. You've got one right here.