Reflections on Module One focus session questions raised I

Following up on reading Adesola's blog and other on this session I write all my thoughts down in this post. I have tried to comment, but my comments are not saved/posts so I decided to combine all my comments in one post rather than spending hours frustrated trying to find out why this does not work (yet!).

All the questions Adesola asked really speak to me;
-what you have had to do because xyz, what other people have told you are rather than what you see your direction as, the restrictions of work or organizations?

Coming from a musical theatre/dance background where I wasn't allowed in the tap class without red lipstick on, I am now extra interested in what happens when you peel away the layers of 'show' and appearance.
After working at the premiere of 'A Star Is Born' and reading this article:
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/10/2/17929616/lady-gaga-a-star-is-born-no-makeup 
I started asking the question on my Instagram account (@lizavandersmissen) :
Do you think authenticity goes hand in hand with wearing no makeup?
43% said yes (mostly men interestingly enough!) and 57% said no (all women)
My thoughts on this are:
-Make up can be used as a way to (literally) wear a mask
-Some people are more authentic when they express themselves through the make-up they wear
-People who don't wear make up can be also inauthentic;
-Authenticity in a person extents beyond make up, and is being expressed by how you show up as an artist, in your day-to-day life and how you honour your truth
-Wearing make up is not linked with being an authentic person

We talked about how we are seeing your practice as fluid... changing as you find yourself in different situations, over time etc. We said practice is not just the title of the job you do, it is deeper including what you value..

 I read about this in many other blogs of fellow students. That our professional practise extends our job title. As an artist and creator I think no job title would do your practise justice. As it extends beyond 'a job that is being done'. Your professional practise is how you see the world, show up in the work, and how it occupies your mind. I think that Emma Gannon touches on it beautifully in her book: The Mult-Huyphen Method. It is more focused on having multiple businesses, but it challenges the status-quo of having an identity linked to just one job.
Having trained all my life as a professional dancer, to then leave the professional dance world behind to focus on acting, and since the beginning of 2018 also am producing films (that I co-write!) I find it difficult to describe in one job title what I do or who I am. I see myself as a creator, a creator of film, of characters and of text, and sometimes also of movement. Dance will always be a big part of me and my creative process, whether I do it professionally or not.