Casting and Collaboration: How to Find Your Fellow Storytellers

Isn't it great when you find those people you truly love working with? Join us as we talk with veteran actor and founder of Casting About, Blair Hickey, as we discuss what casting directors really want, how to find your actor's type, what it means to be a unique storyteller and more! If you are feeling a little dis-empowered, like you're just waiting to be "picked" then this episode will shift how you look at your career, casting, collaboration and help you discover: what kind of storyteller are you?

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Blair Hickey has been a working actor for over twenty years. He graduated with a degree in Theatre Arts from Brown University, started his career in New York working on stage and with recurring roles on daytime soaps. Since moving to Los Angeles, Blair’s worked primarily in television, appearing in such shows as NCIS:LA, TOUCH, HARRY'S LAW, HEROES, MEDIUM, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, GHOST WHISPERER, ALLY MCBEAL, THE PRACTICE and CHICAGO HOPE. In 2004, Blair co-created CastingAbout, the online casting and production guide. In 2009, CastingAbout was acquired by Breakdown Services, where Blair continues to serve as a developer and consultant. Blair is also a proud husband, a daddy of two beautiful girls, and a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan. Learn more at http://www.castingabout.com

Holly Shaw, CHT  is a performance coach, creativity researcher and stand up comedian.  Growing up in Indianapolis, IN she convinced her parents she needed to go to Chicago to get her own agent when she was 14 years old and has spent a lifetime in film, T.V. and on professional stages all over the world as an actor, dancer, and director.

Now she shares her passion for the problems that artists face as a Creativity Coach and a Certified Hypnotherapist and has helped hundreds of artists, from Emmy award winning and Grammy nominated artists to world class choreographers overcome their anxiety, stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create original work and totally kill it onstage again and again without feeling like they're selling out or losing their sanity.

In 2016, Shaw wrote and released her book, The Creative Formula: Compose, Choreograph, and Capture Your Masterpiece  which has become an Amazon bestseller.  In 2018 she launched the Performers & Creators Lab podcast which was named one of 2019's most outstanding podcasts by Databird Research. She teaches regularly at the SAG/AFTRA offices in L.A. and SF and runs creative laboratory workshops like the Comedy Lab Open Mic once a month at Monaghan's on the Hill in Oakland. Follow her on Instagram @hollyshawspritely