Hello! Welcome back to another Female Filmmaker Friday where we talk about The Industry. My name is Kate Hackett and I’m an actor/writer/producer here in LA. If you are new, please subscribe & consider becoming a patron!
Today we’re going to talk about having a life BEYOND your creative endeavor, which I think is probably the number one most important thing you can do for both your career and your own mental health. I have been to events where the only thing people talk about is what they’re working on and let me tell you: I find this EXHAUSTING. It’s not how you make connections.
Be a person first, an artist second. It makes you a better creator — actor or writer or whatever else — to surround yourself with life experience. Without a world beyond the industry or the art, you have fewer things to draw on, which means you have less to add to your portrayal of that character or your understanding of a character. Experience enriches the work, whether that be volunteering or falling in love; you learn to access different pieces of yourself, which goes into the art.
And that’s to say nothing of just being a better person. You know the type — someone who can’t talk about ANYTHING but the job is exhausting to be around and, very likely, brings nothing to contribute to the relationship or conversation. How many times do you need, or want, to hear about what class someone is in? Unless you specifically ask for recommendations, probably never. What IS interesting is what book someone is reading or what hike she went on, just as an example. You want to bring inspiration to a conversation; talking about yourself and what you’re doing is not inspiring. Sharing experiences… is!
There’s a myth that surrounds the artist: you have to live, breathe, and die this art. You don’t. You can’t. That’s not what art is and you shouldn’t be in a state of constant struggle; finding ways to experience peace and bliss beyond our little corner of the world make you a better person. They make you a whole person. Embrace them!