Happy Tuesday, guys and girls!  

A new interview with awesome casting director Darya Balyura has been posted to the "Interview" section here on Behind The Sign!  Here's the link!  

Have a fantastic day, 

Jesse x 

Happy Monday evening, guys and girls!  

I'm currently sitting here on my balcony overlooking Los Angeles, and this is quite a beautiful sight to see.  I can actually still see everything because it's staying lighter longer - which means summer is right around the corner!! Wooooo!!  (I have multiple "Endless Summer" posters on the wall of my little apartment!)  

As I look out over this view, I feel really grateful.  I'm grateful for this moment.  (Ok, yes again I'm making a reference to my most recent YouTube video where I sang a cover of Katy Perry's "This Moment!"  But I really do think you should check it out if you have a minute! Here's the link to my YouTube haha.)  

Anyway, yes, I feel really happy in this moment.  And remember friends, feeling happy is a choice.  It's a choice to see the positives of all circumstances, and that's not always easy to do when you're going through something challenging in your life!  I'm not going to lie to you - work-wise, things have been a bit slow lately, and that can feel scary sometimes.  It can even feel frustrating.  I have written countless articles at acting.about.com regarding the challenges that actors and artists face when work and auditions become hard to come by.  After pursuing an acting and writing career for the past 7 years, I've certainly been here before.

But I've come to realize that in times when work is slower, rather than becoming nervous or frustrated about where the next job is coming from, it's important to simply take everything day by day, work on my own projects and appreciate everything that I have in my life right now.  And my gosh, there are SO many people and things to feel happy and grateful about.  I am honestly such a lucky guy!  (That includes feeling fortunate because of all of you, my awesome readers, who take the time to come and visit my blog.  Thank you!!)

Today, I had some time today to go on a hike.  I walked up into the hills behind my apartment and looked out over the view of L.A.  I haven't walked that high up in what seems to be forever.  I suppose that's because I'm constantly running around and being busy.  Busy is good, yes, but it's equally important to take a look around once in a while and take in all of the beauty around us!

A friend of mine who lives by the coast posted a photo of the ocean to her Instagram account recently.  She captioned the photo with an explanation of how important it is to truly appreciate something that we become "used" to seeing or doing.  I really loved reading that.  In her example, she was referring to being at the beach.  For me today, I was reminded - yet again - of just how amazing it is to live in a place like Southern California, to see the sun almost every single day!  I never take that for granted, but being constantly aware of things like this helps to keep the mind focused on how truly awesome everything around us is. 

And you know, being so high up and looking down at the city is always awe inspiring.  So much happening in the massive city, so many awesome people, yet everything looked very small - even the huge buildings of DTLA. All I could hear were birds and the brush rustling around me!  It was honestly so beautiful.  By changing my perspective, I totally forgot about feeling nervous about work/auditions.  I was fully present in the moment, surrounded by so much beauty.   

Reader friends, in all of our lives there is so much to be thankful for.  Take a bit of time to devote to fully appreciating all the beauty around you.  Life is not always going to be easy, but we're only here for a (relatively) short amount of time.  So, live it up as much as possible, even on the days that might be challenging!      

Finally, in addition to recognizing the beauty around you, don't forget to recognize your own beauty, too.  There is only one of you out there, and you have so much potential!!

Thanks for reading,.  Lots of love everyone!

Jesse x 

Happy Saturday, Friends!  Thanks for stopping by "Behind The Sign."

It's another beautiful day here in Hollywood, and I hope it's beautiful where you are, too!
 
I just got back to my apartment after grabbing some Starbucks coffee, and I've got to say, often times something as seemingly "routine" as enjoying a cup of coffee can make you feel really happy, if you choose to really appreciate that moment!  Learning to appreciate all moments is something that I strive to do every single day.  It can be challenging - especially during times of difficulty and uncertainty - however it is certainly possible to do.  

Here's a suggestion to help you to learn to make the most of each moment:  Be thankful.

Cliche statement?  Well, possibly, but when we are truly thankful for the moment that we have and for all of the blessings that are a part of that moment, life overall becomes much more enjoyable.    

I posted a new song cover onto my YouTube today.  The song I chose to cover for this video was, "This Moment" by Katy Perry.  (You can check out the cover here!)
When you check out the cover, I explain a bit more about why I believe it's important to enjoy this moment, right now!  

I'm excited to read some of your comments on the video :)

Live it Up, 

​Jesse x

Happy Friday, guys and girls! 

As the title of this posting suggests, "Behind The Sign" is back and - thanks to my friend Mike - the site looks better than ever!  Now, in actuality, this blog never "went" anywhere for it to to "back," but my attention to it certainly became a bit sidetracked.  Hence, my attention and full commitment to my blog is back!!  

As I pointed out in my previous blog post below, "Behind The Sign" will be updated regularly, and I'm excited to share my experiences as an actor in Hollywood with you. I'm also excited to share other life experiences and travelling experiences with you, including sharing my personal my thoughts with you here.  I hope that you can learn something from me through my writing, through my life experiences and through the amazing individuals I am fortunate enough to meet.  

Similarly, I hope to learn from all of you, too. 

This blog can be an interactive "novel," except we're living it together, one day at a time.  I encourage you to leave a comment, a thought or even simply introduce yourself below!

Enjoy your Friday, friends!  I'm currently working on my next song cover for my YouTube channel, and I'm excited to hear your thoughts about it!  

Welcome (back) to "Behind The Sign."  

Jesse x

Guys and girls!  Happy Wednesday!    

So most of you know this about me already:  I have a lot of energy.  I mean like, all of the time! And you know what?  I think might be kind of overwhelming to my friends, family and even my YouTube subscribers sometimes haha.  But also, my crazy amount of energy is a part of who I am, and that is actually pretty awesome.  In general, being who you are is always pretty awesome.
 
Through my experience so far in life and specifically through my experience here in Hollywood, I've recognized that it is extremely important to be exactly who you are.  As many of you - my awesome readers - see on my blogs and vlogs often, being you is probably the most important aspect to the career path of an actor.  (More on this here.)  

Be Yourself and Own It!

I believe that embracing individuality is also probably one of the most important aspects of life in general.  In order to be who you are, it's important to strive to live in the moment, to let your individuality shine and to not worry about what other people think about you.    

Sure, this can be easier said than done.  Many of us have spent years wanting to "fit in" with our peers and desiring to be "wanted" and loved.  Hence, often times we aim to please others.  While being pleasant and sharing kindness is amazing, it's important to not get too caught up in doing things simply in order to attain the approval or praise of other people.  Be you.  Your true friends will love you for exactly who you are, not for who they want you to be.      

Back to my example of having a lot of energy - it can be overwhelming at times!  I never stop - talking, having fun, wanting to enjoy the company of those who I care about, and I never stop moving.  However rather than ever thinking that this energy and passion for life (and love) is "annoying" to others, I choose to embrace it about myself and hopefully use it to help make a lot of people smile!    

Once you understand how incredible you are as an individual, you'll begin to care less about "approval" from others.  Focus on what makes you different, and go with that in your life.

You're awesome, reader friend.  

Have a great day and I'll catch you here soon and on my YouTube channel!  

Jesse x   

Guys and girls!!  Happy early Sunday morning!

How are all of you?  I realized that I haven't updated "Behind The Sign" in a while; in practically a month!!  That is going to change.  And it's going to change starting right now.  

"Behind The Sign" blog is where everything began for me.  It's where I started my writing career, and it is the reason why I was offered a position with About.com for nearly 2 1/2 years.  Now that I'm going on my 4th year with "Behind The Sign," I will be posting regularly to my personal blog from now on, and I hope that you will continue to check out some awesome interviews, articles and some inspiration here!  :)

Today's "Daley" Topic -  Finding Your Happiness

Here on "Behind The Sign" as well as at acting.about.com, and also on my YouTube channel, I aim to inspire you to be who you are and to be happy.  It is so incredibly important to be happy with your life and to find what (and who) makes you truly happy.  How do we go about doing this?

Simply put, I believe that finding happiness has to do with fully embracing who we are.  
Your passions,your desires, your dreams, they are all unique to you.  Go with those desires in your life and run with them.  There's only one of you out there.

Finding and maintaining happiness through the ups and the downs of life involves staying true to who you are.  Don't get distracted by things in life that truly don't matter.  Focus on the time that you have today; live in the present.    

Friends, regardless of what hardships you might be facing today, remind yourself that you are extremely strong and resilient, and nothing can stop you from achieving your dreams.  Happiness is a choice.  Choose to live your life in the most grateful manner possible.

xx  

​Jesse