
This is a quick post just to give you a quick heads up on the plan for the next few months. My treatment team continue all their good works in trying to keep me as stable and as comfortable as possible, to enable me to continue to grow in strength and capability day by day, while also ensuring that they spot any return of the tumour as quickly as possible to be able to deal with it as quickly as possible, and in a way designed to minimise further damage to the brain.
In the meantime I continued to press forward with my acting training at the Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow and the Acting Out Drama School in Edinburgh. That training has now completed and amazingly both sets of coaches were confident that now is the time to go and look for work. That I am ready and had what they were perhaps looking for. Allie has very kindly encouraged me and reassured me by reminding me that we are aware of my shortcomings like not being able to drive, drive power boats, use power tools, or work in a kitchen or supermarket safely, that we have identified and worked on my strengths to give me the best possible chance of success in finding employment. That while I cannot write the words within my constraint of a maximum of 40 minutes of concentration on any task at a desk before becoming overwhelmed and having my sight, speech, balance and motor function switched off by my damaged brain, I can indeed learn words and deliver them in a convincing and compelling way. So rather than bemoaning what I can’t do, I should grab at life today with both hands and let the future rest with God.

With 85% of professionally qualified actors being unemployed, and knowing that I am not even professionally qualified, statistically I am far more likely to succumb to the tumour rather than find employment as a professional actor on film. This isn’t just a long shot. It is a massive sling shot of greater proportion perhaps than wee David attempting to knock down great big Goliath. I am aware of that, but I am going to follow advice, grab at life with both hands and have a whole lot of fun trying, because, in the words of Seth Godin “But what if I fail? You will. A better question might be, ‘after I fail, what then?’ If you’ve chosen well, after you fail you will be one step closer to succeeding, you will be wiser and stronger and you almost certainly will be more respected by all of those that are afraid to try.”
Certainly today I was at the Post Electric Studio in Edinburgh to record my Voice Reel to start to look for work recording audio books for adults and children while also looking for work in radio plays, while building a road towards becoming an actor for film. They were delighted by what I was able to produce today. Perhaps the plum in my mouth, for a long time a curse, will become a charm.
Recently, with the most wonderful timing, the morning after an evening of being overwhelmed with Allie having to help me eat and get ready for bed, all because I tried to do too much in a day. So feeling discouraged, my dear friend Mirren Robertson managed to get an envelope with her much loved dose of inspiration and encouragement on a card to fall through my door, make me smile and help me to believe in myself.
Please encourage me to drive forward and succeed, to dare to fail, learn and try, try, try again until I either succeed or pass away, with your sponsorship for just £1 per month for the Disasters Emergency Committee. Because by so doing you are helping me to become a Somebody, a life saver, while encouraging me to keep fighting for life, a productive life.
https://www.beatthebeastchallenge.co.uk/index.php/sponsor-archie
Thank you
Yours aye
Archie
Deo Juvante
I will beat the beast ????