#FFB BRANDON KALM answers "What's Creating You?"
When examining a life well-lived, so many of the amazing details that create who we are go unnoticed. The intention with the Be Way Capsule prompt and the question, "What's Creating You?" is to continue expanding our roundtable discussion about the practices, patterns and beliefs that shape an inspiring life. So rather than a list of favorite things (à la Julie Andrews), it's a deeper look at the "things" that show up day after day and chip away to shape us; mind, body and heart. Today we're hearing from Brandon Kalm. (fun fact: his voice is honey)
*curtain up*
Note from Brandon: Hi! I’m Brandon Kalm I’m an actor based out of New York City and I’m from Dallas, Texas. My career highlights include American Idiot, Shakespeare in the Park : The Tempest, American Psycho, and Waitress.
What’s Creating you? (Prompt)
Metamorphose. df: to change into a different physical form especially by supernatural means. synonyms: transform, develop, mature.
What’s creating you?
What is shaping your mind, body and spirit?
5 tangible, intangible, ideas, people, places, ideas, rituals, practices that are molding your mind, body, and spirit in this space and time.
Helpful guidelines:
List and describe the deeper layers of each.
Try and answer the when, why, and how of each “thing” shaping you.
Reference stories, unique experiences, memories that link with each “thing”
Examine your day to day routine and why you do what you do.
What are reoccurring things in your lifestyle practices
What are “things” that are so unique to you?
1. The idea and practice of faith in the intangible. Not necessarily from a religious perspective, but just a person’s ability to believe in something intangible so much that it has to be real to them. Your job security, your relationships with friends, your morals, your routine.. everyone has varying levels of faith, and with those levels high or low, what can you accomplish? What can you make a reality that you can’t quantify? For me, I translate it into acting or character. The idea that within me I have the capacity to truly believe that something is happening to me on stage, that this relationship is real, that we are who we say we are in this moment.. and with all these factors at play, I can evoke real emotion from myself, and in doing so, evoke real emotion from an audience. This is something I work to enhance and shape every day.
2. My Cat. I just got a kitten and having something that truly depends on me has given me a new type of responsibility that I really enjoy. Trust me parents out there, I’m not equating my cat Dad life to your real dad life ... I know yours is much more difficult in ways I can’t even imagine quite yet. That being said, I get to nurture and take care of a fragile little life. And that dependence on me has turned into trust, which has turned into love.
3. The Tallest Man on Earth has this cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” on YouTube that was released not too long ago and I watch it almost every day. I love that song so much.. it really hit me hard in my heart when I first heard it... Joni Mitchell’s depth of lyric is something I’ll never quite understand, and coupled with his ability to express emotion through guitar makes it one of the best covers i’ve ever heard. It’s simple and complex at the same time, which, makes no sense and makes perfect sense and that’s okay! It’s a perfect metaphor for how life feels most of the time. It is one of, if not the best song ever written, and his take on that tune is really lovely.
4. Cultivating authentic relationships. The people in my life are super important to me.. and that is everyone. Whether or not we see eye to eye with all that’s going on in the world right now or not. I try to empathize and understand. I’ve been trying to dig deeper.. trying to be more honest and real with people who I want the same thing from. I feel and see a lack of intimacy between people in general recently and have been feeling the pull of that myself. I’m consciously working against that desire to hide... to share just enough... to not make people uncomfortable by lying and telling them what I think they want to hear... I want to share and receive authenticity.
5. MoviePass. this seems silly but it’s changed the game for me. Film and the movie theater is what made me want to be an actor. Being transported in the Theater was so awesome when it didn’t cost the same as college tuition when I was younger. AND IT’S BACK (for now). 10 dollars a month for a movie every day if I want?! You’re kidding. I got my safe place back. It’s where I go to think, be alone, and get lost. Plus New York has so many amazing theaters it’s fun to explore different ones and see what’s playing.
www.brandonkalm.com | Instagram: @bkalm | Twitter: @brandonkalm
Photos & Interview by Jane Jourdan.
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