Guest Blog Sessions: That important life decision, with Kirsty Peacock

This week, our Guest Blog Session is brought to us by a creative known for her energy and unstoppable enthusiasm. It is of course, the amazing Kirsty Peacock.

Sarah-Beth and I first met Kirsty when we began our creative journey many years ago. I have had the distinct pleasure of seeing her grow not only as an actor but more so as a human being. I

In Kirsty, you find the capacity to love & support, no matter what has happened. If you have the chance to get to know her, I recommend you jump at it.

I predict an amazing career for Kirsty and I will be proud to say that I was lucky enough to a part of her journey.

ACTOR BRAND INSIGHT:

5+ years experience at Local & National Brand level. Branded headshots completed Currently on Spotlight Currently sans-footage on Spotlight Seeking representation Currently focusing on: training as a GFi Junior Coach and extending professional presence amongst national casting directors

So I have been asked to write a blog for GFi and believe me I have never been so terrified of a task in my life .

Most of you all know me well enough, I can chit chat for hours but writing anything scares me as I struggle with my words, in written format. I’ve always been the same.

My head can host many conversations at once and triggers off very easily to the point of distraction for all. Which makes writing coherently amusing! That’s just the way I’m made and it’s definitely an interesting brain in there.

One thing that the box Rev and Gfi family have shown me, is that you’re never alone and you can face your fears as you have the support there. So my topic is just that…

Facing my fears: How I faced mine by giving up my job of over twenty years and seeking to be a more creative person.

Now I worked in my job for over 20years.

It had been a huge part of my life.

I was the General Manager of one of the busiest and longest running clubs in Glasgow.

I started from the bottom and within a few years, at a young age, was part of the management team.

I was ambitious, hardworking, quirky and just knew the industry and my job like a glove .

I always pushed myself to be the perfect manager and licencee and it worked for a while .

Many years in fact.

I won the club numerous awards over the years with myself winning licencee of the year out if 120 venues.

But there was always something missing.

A part of me that felt suffocated.

I gave up my amateur dramatics when I started working in the club, thinking it was a schoolgirl dream and this is what I wanted. As the years went by I realised I missed being creative so i started back studying at a private acting studio. I took improv classes and before long I was performing in Improv groups and filming short films. I then went into business with a colleague to start our own self funded tv series “Boundless”.

Now you’d think that would have been enough to pacify my creative yearning but it in fact done the complete opposite. It made me realise that all this time I had pretended to be someone I wasn’t .

I was being this perfect manager to please my bosses, to please other people but never to please me.

I wasn’t happy in my job anymore and my bosses could see this and it started affecting my work procedures.

So after coaching advice from Tom and Sb, I shared my deepest thoughts and we talked out pros and cons of leaving and if I was indeed ready for the shift and I came to realise that my moment of happiness in my job would never be found again.

I needed to be creative.

I needed to as they say “follow my dreams”.

I needed to try!

And if I failed... well I had transferable skills and I can get a job anywhere.

So I set up a year plan goal and started saving up so I could leave. That was the moment that I decided I was facing my most ultimate fear. I was Giving up security and stability to follow a dream in the sky. I was giving up everything I’d knew and worked hard to get.

My very reputation, my life that I had been living up until then.

But in that moment I also knew it was something I just had to do otherwise I’d live with regret for the rest of my life.

Don’t get me wrong I’ve had some ups and downs on my journey during the build up to leaving and now I’ve left .

it wasn’t an easy transition. I’ve only left 3 months which isn’t a long period of time. I’ve had self doubts and I’m still really trying to work it all out what I’m going to do. What creative path I’m choosing or how many creative paths I can juggle.

I’m lucky to be accepted as junior trainee coach at Gfi, which has been beyond amazing so far. I’m continuing with my acting and my Improv performing and I’ve even started to write a Sci fi thang with creative writing coaching from Tom.

Which, for the record, I never knew I had it in me to do. This brain now has an output for all the stories that lurk in there.

But all I know is: I’m a new me!

I’ve opened up a new happier version of myself that I didn’t know existed. I faced my fears and I’ve never been happier. I have missed out on so much by trying to suffocate my creativity. And now I’m free and a brand new Kirsty.

And I couldn’t have done it without Tom, Sarah Beth, and all you GFi family.

Knowing that you’re all there supporting and sharing problems has been a great strength to me this last year.

So Thank-you everyone.

Thank-you from the bottom of my heart.