"Educate. Engage. Empower"
By Diane Villegas / SAG-AFTRA New Mexico Local Board Member
"Just over a year ago, I (finally!)
earned my SAG-AFTRA card and, like many actors in New Mexico, I felt
like I had achieved a special actor status or somehow had been
invited to be a part of the “cool kids’” club. It was almost
like I had been legitimized in pursuing my passion for acting. It was
a great feeling and I am sure that most of you had a similar feeling
when you became members."
"There seems to be this myth that when
you become a SAG-AFTRA member, you suddenly have tons more auditions
and bookings and much larger paychecks. If that happened for you,
fantastic! For the majority of us, this isn’t the case. So, it
really struck me that so many New Mexico actors are focused on
getting their card and I wonder if they really know what it means to
be a union member?"
"Honestly, I fell into this group as
well, so I felt compelled to learn more. I decided to attend a local
SAG-AFTRA meeting and through a series of
being-at-the-right-place-at-the-right-time events, I was fortunate
enough to attend the SAG-AFTRA National Convention in Los Angeles
this past October. In one word, it was awesome!"
"Imagine spending three days with a few
hundred people that share the same passion as you; people from all
areas of the industry, some who have built lifelong careers in
acting; people that are driven to make the profession better for all
actors; people that are really working to make a difference in this
industry. Yeah, I found my tribe — it was that amazing. Not only
did I leave LA with great new friendships, a ton of information and a
deep sense of pride in being a SAG-AFTRA member, I left with a deep
desire to bring the passion and drive I felt at that convention back
to New Mexico."
"My original intention in going to the
convention was to learn more and share all my new knowledge with
other New Mexico actors. Now, I think what I learned was how much I
need to learn. The theme of the convention was “Educate, Engage,
Empower” and it could not have been more appropriate. Not just for
newbies like me, but with the merger of SAG and AFTRA and the changes
associated with that, the theme applies to the veterans as well."
"Needless to say, attending the
convention was a massive eye-opener and game-changer for me. My
personal goal for 2016 is right in line with the convention theme. I
will strive to educate myself on the issues our union is dealing with
for us and share the information as widely as possible. I will become
more engaged in becoming part of the movement and working toward
solutions."
"Our New Mexico local has a fantastic
group of people on the board and I hope to contribute to all of their
efforts. But above all, I ask you to join me in my 2016 efforts to
become more educated and engaged, for through these efforts, we all
become more empowered. Attend a meeting, join a committee or simply
share your thoughts with the board members. This union is for you and
together we have the power to make the changes that really matter. - Have a great 2016!"
No comments:
Post a Comment