Metabolising life

Living my life-long dream as an actor continues to lead me to myself; this is my way of processing and archiving the unfolding of my life as an artist.

“The object isn't to make art, it's to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable.” - Robert Henri

There’s something I’ve always connected to when it comes to cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead. Not only was she a dedicated researcher of human nature (just like an actor is), but she would lug her bulky typewriter to remote communities in places like New Guinea and document her experiences through what became known as Letters from the Field. It was her way of archiving and reflecting on the human condition.

She was one of my first role models who rumbled a desire in me.

I love human behaviour; I love replicating and expressing human behaviour; I love the game aspect of living it so committedly, that you forget you’re pretending. AND I LOVE DOCUMENTING IT.

Brazil in its newness, vibrancy, open-hearted and tropical warmth of spirit, has been my New Guinea. An unfamiliar world in which I’m utterly charmed and enraptured by. It somehow fulfils a primal yearning in me: to always be on an adventure, connecting with people from all walks of life, speaking in another language and noticing the idiosyncrasies - and luckily surrounded by people I absolutely adore.

One day Mum, you’re going to see what I mean <3 (I know she’ll be reading this)

Whilst I’m there, my levels of excitement, wonder and awe require a distillation and digestion process. To metabolise my joy, I create Home Videos with my Grandad’s hand-me-down camcorder or I scrapbook. I get a plain notebook (London Graphic Centre is my go-to stationers, a must-know for all crafty folk alike), and prepare my tools (watercolours, crayons, pencils, pen, double-sided sticky tape, glue, scissors and a solid black Sharpie).

Plain paper, no plan. Just letting the journey present itself as it happens; a thought that occured to you at a restaurant whilst you wait for your friend to arrive, the fresh self-reflection that comes from feeling a foreign fish in a tropical pond, the strangers who become friends, the recipes you come into contact with, the words of wisdom from old souls you can only hope to meet again). Just living and archiving it.

It’s what I did during our summer school holidays as a child.

It’s what I did when I was a teen moving to Hamburg acquiring the “life experience” that Guildhall Drama School earnestly encouraged me to seek.

And it’s what appears to be what I’m doing now I’m an adult, as I pursue my life-long dreams as an actress in London.

This substack is my ongoing series of Letters from the Field City.

Honest, earnest and straight from my inner world to yours.

Thank you for being on the journey with me.

Until the next update,

Louise