Ready Player One

By Laura Powers: Celebrity Psychic, Writer, and host of Behind the Scenes Podcast.

The newest movie by Steven Spielberg, based on the book by Ernest Cline, is set in 2045 in Columbus, Ohio. The story centers around a virtual world that game maker James Halliday created named OASIS. In this dystopian reality, many people spend most of their waking hours in OASIS (I don’t think we are that far off from this possible reality). Lead character Wade Watts, played by Tye Sheridan, is known as Parzival in OASIS. We follow his adventures as he attempts to win a big prize which includes a big chunk of cash and administrative rights to the game.

There is, of course, a love interest, Art3mis in the gaming world, and Samantha in real life, played by Olivia Cooke. There is also a fun side-kick Aech, played by Lena Waithe, and other crew members Sho and Daito.

In order to win the prize, players must find the Easter Eggs (hidden clues within the game) to win 3 keys. Whoever gets all three keys first, wins the money, control of the game, and of course mega-fame. There is an evil villain who wants to control the game with plans to sell up to 80 percent of players’ screens with advertising. Though the plot doesn’t get huge points for originality, the film is very fun to watch and is visually stunning and unique. The shots in OASIS are stylized and sleek and there is plenty to enjoy in the film whether you are a gamer or not. If you are a fan of 80s culture then you will love this film as many of the pop-culture references from games, films, and television are from the 80s. There is a particularly fantastic film-within-a-film recreation of The Shining.

Overall, Ready Player One is a great way to spend time and it was one of the rare CGI movies in which I didn’t find the artificial world distracting. I do wish the love story had been a little less cliqued. At one point, Art3mis states that she doesn’t want to meet Parzival in real life and hints that he might be disappointed in her appearance despite the fact that she is gorgeous but has a minor birth mark. Still, I liked that Art3mis was a force to be reckoned with in her own right.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and I think that there is something in the film for most people. When I scanned the theater, I was impressed with the diversity of the audience. I also appreciated that Steven Spielberg made a fun, light-hearted action movie. He is great at making serious movies, and while this movie was thought-provoking, it was a lot of fun too.

The film was made by Warner Brothers on a budget of $175 million and marketing costs running $150 million so this was big-budget though it’s not surprising with all the effects. There is a talk of a sequel and Cline is working on the book now. No reports yet on whether Steven Spielberg would be attached though at SXSW he said of his experience working on the film, “Ready Player One was the ‘the greatest anxiety attack I ever had,’” so he may not be jumping to get on the sequel if it happens.

Sources

IMDB

Indiewire

Ready Player One Wikia

Wikipedia – Ready Player One

Wikipedia – Ready Player One (film)

Perseverance Pays Off - Don't Give Up!

There are so many exciting things happening, many of which have been many years in the making for me. I wrote this blog post because the message I am getting over, and over again, is the importance of persevering in your dreams or goals. When we see people, who have reached massive success, it is tempting to think that it just came easily to them when in fact, just the opposite is often the case. Walt Disney declared bankruptcy before achieving massive success and world-wide recognition. He’s not he only uber successful man to declare bankruptcy before achieving success and financial freedom. Milton Hershey (of Hershey chocolates, H. J Heinz (ketchup anyone?) and Henry Ford, all declared bankruptcy and struggled for a long time before achieving success.

Of course, there are many different kinds of struggles that successful people have overcome. I was listening to the Tony Robbins podcast and he was interviewing one of the founders of Airbnb about their struggles getting the company off-the-ground. At one point, the company founders talked with 10 different Silicon Valley investors who all said no. Thankfully they didn’t let that stop them from continuing to move forward – btw they are now a $30 billion company. It’s totally possible to get rejected by experts and have them be wrong. 

Other examples include J.K Rowling’s infamous rejection by multiple publishers for her Harry Potter transcript – don’t you bet those publishers are regretting that choice! Thankfully for her and for us, she persevered and did eventually get that book deal and the rest is history. She is now worth a $1 billion herself and her famous book series become a movie series, and there is even a theme-park based on the books.

There are so many of these kinds of examples so whatever you are hoping to achieve – success often comes after it seems elusive so don’t give up! If you want something, and you work at it long enough, it can be yours.

If you hit a wall and feel like you want to give up, here are some tips to help you move through the frustration and continue to move towards your vision for a better life:

·        Baby Steps: take small action steps, even 15 minutes a day on task for something you want can make a huge difference.

·        Break: If you are feeling burnt out, do something fun that you enjoy. We all need a mental break sometime.

·        Inspire: Do something that inspires you and surround yourself by inspiring people. They will rub off on you!

·        Body: Get moving literally! When we feel stuck, physical movement can help the energy flow and release endorphins so our outlook on just about everything improves.

·        Brainstorm: Think about some possible solutions to any obstacles in your way or things you can do to move forward.

·        Envision: Visualize yourself having the life and success you desire. Don’t just see it, but feel what it will be like when you achieve this.

One day, if you try one of these things and it doesn’t help, try another. This also keeps you from focusing on the problem – feeling stuck, and keeps your energy focused on what you want.

Stay positive and strong and keep moving forward. As long as you don’t give up hope, your dreams can come true! I realize this all sound rather hokey so hopefully I don’t sound too much like Jiminy Cricket. But I will say it again, your dreams really can come true!

Laura On Air

I was recently interviewed on the Yo Love My Life Podcast, episode number 23 with Joseph Pham. You can listen to that podcast on itunes. This podcast which is about transforming your life was a lot of fun to record. We talked about my path, my work and angels and how anything is possible! 

I was also on the Perseverence Pays Off Podcast with Jay Houslander. You can listen here. On this interview, we talked about the importance of not giving up.

Modeling - Glamorous Mexico City Shoot

Earlier this year I was in Mexico City and had a fabulous photo shoot. I have started to get the photos back so I thought I would share. This shoot was with photographer Alfredo Cordero and stylist and hair and makeup by Adrian Piccone Estilista. They were fabulous to work with and I would love to work with them again! Find me on Model Mayem or Instagram. 

Focusing on What Brings Joy

Recently I have been realizing more and more how important it is to focus on what it is that brings us joy. It is so hard to do sometimes because society tells us not to and its not practical to do so but nothing could be more from the truth! There are a couple of articles that I have seen recently which really spoke to this.

We can make money and be successful doing what we love, it might take a little work but ultimately we can get there! If you are filled with faith and keep moving forward through your obstacles until you meet your goal but don't take my word for it!  JK Rowling said it so well in this video!

I also loved Jim Carrey's speech on choosing love versus fear which totally has application in terms of choosing to do what you love even if you fear failure or believe its not practical. Check out excerpts from a commencement speech he gave. Choose what you love!

Finding the courage to choose what you love may be the biggest challenge you face but the rewards can be better than you ever imagined!

This year has me focusing and expanding on more creative work and work that gives me joy and brings out my passion. While we may have to work for a bit to start making money, if you have faith and patience, it can reap you great rewards. Do more ofwhat you love and not only will you be happier but the world will be a better place for it to. The more happy each of us are as individuals, the better off the world is. 

Some exciting things are happening for me this month! I am about to start taking pre-orders for my new book, Archangels and Ascended Masters I have some new photos to share and some new podcasts I was featured on as well as ones I produced! 

I want to share this quote which helps me dream and think big:

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. ~ Les Brown

Back to Modeling

I modeled quite a bit as a child and its something that I got away from as I got older and focused on other more serious things but I love it so I've decided to do more and the opportunities keep coming my way. I am excited to do more!  I've been doing a lot more modeling in the last two years than I have in a long time and I have just updated my model mayhem account and instagram. You can connect with me on either!  I'd love to connect with you on either platform! Find me on Model Mayem or Instagram. I am available for hire if you need a model for fashion, commercial or other modeling work. This is where my background as an actress really pays off. I think of it as still acting. Its a fun opportunity to capture a persona, a feeling and a moment in a way that truly special. 

Laura on Camera

It has been a whirlwind year in terms of tv and media for me! In this last year, I was featured by Buzzfeed, had a documentary called Psychic made about me, and shot a tv pilot and another sizzle reel (a short trailer for a tv show). It's been a fun adventure and I look forward to seeing what develops! Here are links to a couple of the projects so far with Buzzfeed and the documentary. Pilot and sizzle reel are under wraps for the time being. Thanks to everyone for your support, its exciting and I am looking forward to whatever is to come!

What I have learned in the last two years

The last few years have been a whirlwind. I moved from my population of Lafayette, Colorado (population 27,000) to Denver to LA and learned so much along the way. Now I am focusing on a mobile lifestyle and am exploring and growing in whole new ways. In Lafayette taught me about the importance of community and connection. I tell people that Lafayette is like Mayberry but way more progressive. I have been personal friends with the last four mayors and the community is incredibly loving, open and friendly,  Denver showed helped me grow and figure out who I wanted to be and that I could make it in a big city. LA helped me get really clear on what I wanted and helped me to have a bigger vision for myself and to see just what was possible. In other words, LA helped me to level up and not just to accept what was coming to me. It's been an incredible journey and now I am working on expanding, refining and growing. It's an exciting time! Thanks for joining my email list and sharing this amazing experience with me. The adventure continues, or maybe, it's really just beginning!