Acting is something that I have always wanted to try but never got the guts to... until this past semester. I signed up for Acting 1 at my school and I was amazed by what I learned about myself and my acting skills. I'm here to tell you first hand that if you've ever wanted to try acting, now is the time.

When I started my class, I basically had no idea what to expect. Sure I expected to play some games and have to memorize some things but I had no idea what I would learn about myself. I learned that I am not the best at expressing my emotions in front of people. I also learned to let go of everything I thought I knew and just trust my mind and body. Being on that stage for 4 1/2 hours every week showed me that I can conquer anything I set my mind to.

I made an entirely new group of friends who came with me to shows, lent support in auditions, and helped memorize lines for class. I also learned how to have a higher work ethic. Acting whips your butt if you aren't prepared. Most people come into it thinking how easy it may be, and how they won't need to work hard, but they couldn't be more wrong.

The amount of work I put into acting is more than I have for anything else in my life before (Well... except Marching Band in High School). This new work ethic and attitude helped me in my academic classes to just push through and get the work done.

I think that everyone should try out an acting class, no matter what their skill level is. Even if you have very little interest in theatre, these classes will help you to become more familiar with your body and movement, greatly improve your memory, and help your communication and people skills. You may find out that you REALLY like it!

Some of the ways you can get involved in acting classes or your local theatre are:

* Look and see if your local community college has an acting class

* Join a Facebook Group for local Auditions! The Triangle of North Carolina has one called Triangle Auditions.

* If you are in High School, join your local theatre program!

* Check out your Cities Parks and Recreation program to see if they offer classes.

* A simple Google search can be the most effective tool!

Acting is something that more people need to experience and appreciate. I am so thankful that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and took that first step to get involved. It has changed my life for the better!