I just took WECAs online wellbeing course and I have to say that the content was helpful, timely, informative and powerful. I have found in the past that learning about mental health can be taxing, but this was different. I found it meaningful, useful, and clear in purpose.
I recently took WECA's Wellbeing Essentials Course and found it to be very informative. Growing up as an actor, I was often led to believe that basic accommodations were impractical or unrealistic. A lot of things I learned here feel so relatable, relevant, and applicable to my work. This felt very inspiring.
It’s important to me to be involved in the kind of work WECA is doing because as an actor I've definitely had experiences of mental health stress in training programs and preparation timelines, the demands of being on sets and stages, as well as the adrenaline rush of being behind the camera with preparation timelines going over schedules and hours. I’ve also witnessed the demands placed on students that I'm currently teaching in the classroom and the training programs that I now work with, and I actively work to ensure mental health is discussed openly as much as possible.
I moved to Los Angeles in 2013 and have been adjacent to the entertainment industry since that time. I have witnessed the ways in which the industry has failed to respond appropriately to mental health needs. I have heard stories of burnout, psychosis, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, depression, and debilitating performance anxiety. I have heard stories of discrimination, racism, long work hours, financial uncertainty, botched auditions, and unreasonable expectations. I can unequivocally say that this industry desperately needs an overhaul - one that supports mental health, wellbeing, diversity and equity initiatives, and trauma-informed approaches. I am so excited about the work that WECA is doing to revolutionize this industry.
The Entertainment industry is chaotic at best, and keeping that chaos from infecting your wellbeing is challenging to say the least. This is an issue I’ve faced almost every day as a stagehand. I’ve worked on multiple shows where the needs of a moving light were taken more seriously than the needs of the crew. Even a basic show gets maintenance time to keep it running. Check all the gear, tighten the cables, clean the lenses… but us? Our “maintenance” like laundry and sleep are luxuries that someone else is willing to work without. Collaboration is the keystone of entertainment and WECA is working to bring us all together towards positive change.