For most of us, the struggles of the artist life are old news. Freelancing is not easy and the constant search for work can be extremely draining. But how about going through this path while having to face the challenges of being in a completely new environment?
In an attempt to help any actor who wants to or is in the process of taking their craft abroad, I want to share my experience and the reality of being a foreign artist living and working in the U.S. I’m hoping to alert you to what I think are some of the deepest obstacles you may face, while also inspiring those planning to move somewhere new.
In 2004, I moved to the U.K. from Portugal and was immediately tested in ways that would eventually shape me into the person and artist I am today. Thirteen years later (four of which have been spent in the U.S.), these struggles are no longer a novelty. Acquiring an artist visa to reside in the U.S. seemed like the ultimate achievement but as you come to realize, it’s just the beginning.
“I’m here! What now?”
Hopelessness and impossibility are the feelings that best describe the moment I first moved to both the U.K and later, the United States. The idea of having to start all over again,
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