The Little Mermaid and Convicted Felons.

 

Hi. My name is Layne Wilson and I’m an applicant to the 2009 Play summer internship. As I considered what I could blog about that might be interesting or out of the ordinary, it occurred to me that the last six months of my life (my first semester at the VCU Brandcenter) have been anything but ordinary. I thought I could share what I’ve found to be valuable not only as I consider my career, but also in how I approach life in general.

 

Since August 2008, I’ve done more things than I can count that have absolutely scared me to death. Had someone told me that when I went back to school to get my graduate degree that my curriculum would include 1) performing a live stand-up comedy routine about The Little Mermaid in front of fifty people and a camera, 2) telling ghost stories on Halloween using my dog (dressed as a convicted felon) as a prop, or 3) read out loud to the class my most vulnerable self in the form of a love poem, I would have said they were downright out of their mind.

 

But as it turns out, all of these seemingly irrelevant activities have taught me one of my most valuable lessons in all of my education thus far. Not only has it taught me to look at the ordinary from a less common point of view, but more importantly, I have conquered some of my biggest fears and insecurities time and time again as a result of learning to put my ideas and myself out there. Half the battle in taking a risk is learning to leave that fear behind you and trust yourself, your instincts, and your hard work. It’s been the most terrifying, exhilarating and rewarding experience of my life.