Wednesday, August 17, 2011

To love or to wove

Traveling Adventures of a Resilient Entertainer; To love or to wove... 

Being an entertainer is hard on one's soul. Even harder on those around you. Your skin has to be thick enough to take on every attack from people that most likely will be gone from your life. People in the media will point out your worst qualities despite any good you may have accomplished. 

For me it has been dealing with people in my life. Rather I should say not in my life. I have dedicated my purpose to making things happen to make things happen. I only get one life to make my soul smile. Do I want a person to help my soul smile? No, I want someone in my life that adds to my already smiling being. I am a hard person to deal with since I live logically... well, logically in my mind. It's hard for me to express my feelings all the time. Though I've also had a hard time keeping up with needs of others.

Relationships with friends, loved ones and even enemies take a lot out of a person. It is almost too much to deal with on a daily bases. I can say one thing is true, I have lost three people in the last two months that have meant a world of life to me. They'll never know what has been added to my life because of them. How much they meant or the thanks I have for them giving me a great many beautiful memories...

One was a great love that I'm sure will never come to me again. She is gone, mostly on me, I am a hard person to deal with. But that story is more complicated than a few words could ever explain. I do miss her dearly. But she is better off without my lagging existence. We were just two strong souls fighting for something in our lives. I couldn't give her what she wanted, not even just me. And I know she couldn't keep up with my ever changing life. I'll always miss her, and I wish I could say sorry and mend everything, but I can not...

Another was a friend that really brought art into my purpose. She has her own life now and will surely do great things. She's a fantastic artist, and creator. There will never be enough nice things I could say about her, but I can't keep defending my actions and words. I just don't know how to, nor have the energy to do so. I wish her a beautiful peace... 

And finally my best friend and cousin. I am a douche, that's all I can say on that. He has his life now which I wish him well. I just don't have a censor on my brain that says, “Sir, shut up, you are about to upset someone.”. Some master of TAC I am. This next chapter of his life will be glorious I am sure. He is happy, and that's all I care about. 

So the life of an entertainer starts with yourself, being able to move your life as the business needs you to. To find people who can move along with that change, or deal with how busy the Traveling Adventures of a Resilient Entertainer can be. If you are ready to sacrifice those in your life than maybe you are ready for this adventure. If you are not, I seriously recommend you get out of this business and do it as a hobby. There are a select few people who've left my life that make me think I am not ready for this life, but that's not up to me anymore. I've been in this life for so long, I know nothing else.

You are the only one guaranteed to be on your death bed at the end of your life, but I know the few that will be in my thoughts in that last moment. Goodbye my Queen...

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Make things happen, by making things happen!!!


I set out to act more this year, and in doing so, I've auditioned for 6 parts, I got three of them. A Shakespeare play "Romeo and Juliet" and two original plays from this horror production company called "Twitch Twitch Productions".

The "Romeo" play gave me an opportunity to network among wonderful actors, news people and the director. In doing so, I was asked to perform in "Much Ado About Nothing" without even auditioning. All in all, 6 auditions and 4 roles. That's 66%. Not bad.

What amazes me is what I've seen and done. I'm always using my 3 needs to success; Networking, Marketing, and Practice, but it shocks me when others don't and then get mad at the lack of chances they missed. They complain or attack others for their success.

During "Romeo and Juliet" a news person showed up. And one of the actors just kept complaining that they missed filming him on stage. And he was pissed. I told him and a few of the actors backstage "How to say it, when to say it and why to say it...". No one took my advice, or a chance, so I did. I got an interview that aired on TV, it was a close up of my face, and I promote this show, the venue we were at and future shows for the company I was acting for. It led to the director really liking what I did, but some actors were mad at me.

The next show, "Much Ado About Nothing", brought new faces to me, people I call friends now, and another opportunity that I saw people pass up. This time I just sprung into action so as "not to offend anyone with advice". It turned out the photographer was from another news company. We talked, exchanged cards, and went on our way. I was the only one who thought to go up to this person.

Make things happen by making things happen... I made some goals to act more this year, and I did. I made goals to do comedy more, and I am... I made goals to record my second Album of music and I am. I made goals to push my company BBR Productions to the next level and I did. Don't complain, find solutions to make your life happen. And if you don't understand something or what's going on, then ask questions!

Peace in harmony....

Friday, August 5, 2011



Everyday is just too much for one person to be working their butt off. That’s the life we as entertainers chosen. It’s a beautiful life when everything works out and not so much when it just seems like it is taking forever. Little by little chipping away our will to continue on…
Don’t give up. It takes on average 10 years to succeed. Look at all the evidence out there and don’t be discouraged. Just keep at the 3 needs for success; Networking, Marketing and Practice. With this as your guide, don’t look away from your goals.
It took about 10 years for my first band “TENEbRAE” to even get into negotiations for label representation. 5 years for us to realize we were doing it wrong, 3 years to perfect ourselves as a product, and 2 more years to align our opportunities.
As a comedian, I took what I had learned in “TENEbRAE” (a progressive doom metal band), and applied that to my goals. In less than 1 year I was on TV, big named stages such as Gotham Comedy Club and Caroline’s NY, etc.
I did this all by having goals and setting course for those goals. While continuing to master the 3 needs for success. Today, I have successfully opened up an office for my production company “BBR Productions” which was designed to help people get into the business. I have an Acting, Stand-Up Comedy, Writing career and all the while a new band called “Altayon” that I can do with the freedom of my production company “BBR Productions”.
Twas not easy, it took hard work, the 3 needs for success and goals. For the last 15 years, I’ve been pushing myself to be involved in entertainment. AND HERE I AM… come follow me, there is always room for more people.
~ Thomas J Bellezza

Thursday, August 4, 2011

You have the cutest nose



Our lives fill each day with dreams. We may not remember the dreams we have at night, but we’ll always remember the dreams we have when walking around and hoping for the next great thing to happen in our lives.
Some of us want to be actors, others scientists and even teachers of this world. What keeps us from fulfilling that dream? It may be a mixture of no motivation, lack of direction and just seeing the long road as something you wish you could skip.
I say forget those things and pass your life up no longer. Become your dream by setting yourself in the right direction with the correct people. Slowly but surely you will come to realize you get one life to live and nothing after that. Make your dreams come to life…
I have a dream means a lot more to people nowadays, and it can mean more to you if you let it. There is nothing ever holding you back besides your own detaining self. Be resilient in your dreams by setting up those goals, practicing what you want and get out there people.
Let no one hold you back, let nothing stop you, for there are no walls only solutions. A great thing I learned in this business of entertainment is networking helps in wondrous ways. Befriend everyone you can with an open smile. You are NOT the greatest thing since slice bread, especially if no one likes you being around.
In closing, open the door to your adventure through doing one thing a day to make your life happen. If you don’t like where you are in life, change it, make the moves to see your dreams come to life. I have faith in you, and you should too… and I don’t even know you. Hell, I may not even like you, but I still think you deserve a chance at being the best of what you want to be!