Meet Stephanie Kelley

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stephanie Kelley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Stephanie , appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I think the biggest way to keep creativity alive is not to try and keep it alive, to not dwell on it. If you focus so intently on anything in life, you become blind-sighted by it in my opinion. Creativity comes when you are able to step away from the thought of “having to be creative” or having “to create” and you just are. Just be you. Watch the breeze flow through the trees, watch the sun set over the ocean or a beautiful sun rise, notice a lizard jaunting along on your hike….I know it all sounds cheesy, but keeping creativity alive for me means allowing myself to take note of all the wonderful and beautiful things around me and that, in turn, draws creativity.
Having a glass of wine or a cup of tea and a great conversation with a friend prompts creativity within me. Taking part in a challenging yoga class or a deep meditation session makes me more creative. Cooking a new recipe, or even making up your own recipe based on what’s in your fridge and cupboard, makes me more creative.
Don’t try to “be” creative. “Be” yourself and allow the creativity to come to you.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I began acting on stage at the age of 5, doing commercials at 15 and film/tv at 18 years of age. I’m a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and have been for 20 years (I joined in 2003). Currently my union, along with our brothers and sisters at WGA, are on strike and it is a difficult but exhilarating time. Halting work and pay is always difficult, but it must be done at this juncture. We must stand up for our rights and expect fair wages and working conditions so that not only we can afford to continue in this career but so that we can also usher in a better life for those who will join the union in years to come. Acting is not a hobby and the CEO’s of major streamers and networks must stop paying the majority of us working actors as though it is. #sagaftrastrong

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three areas of knowledge and skills to develop that have been most impactful in my journey are: the business of show business, improv, and play. Here’s what I mean:

The Business of Show Business- I think it’s imperative that we remember that the entertainment industry is a business, first and foremost. It’s so very important to remember that. If you’re in school for acting or a creative field within the entertainment industry, you must take business classes as well. Know how to brand yourself. Know how to create a budget and stick to it (most actors also have to have part-time jobs or side hustles!). You are your own product and you have to know how to market and protect yourself.

Improv- Inevitably, at some point in your career, you will be asked to improv a scene. Maybe a film/tv director will ask you to riff with another character in the scene, or begin/end it with your own conversation. Maybe you’re doing a piece of theatre and your fellow actor on stage has forgotten their line(s). You have to know how to improv and help them and/or get the scene back on track. You must learn how to be comfortable in your own skin and how to work with others and I’ve found that improv is the best way to do that.

Play. Remember to play. Yes, although it sounds a bit contradictory to remembering that this industry is a business, we, as creatives, must also remember to play. Have fun. Always keep in your mind why you wanted to get into this business (hopefully it’s not just “to become famous” because if it is, you most likely have a big lesson to learn). If you can’t have fun at your career or your job, why do it?

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
Especially as an actor in this current climate, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or to not know what the future holds. When anxiety or stress builds up, and believe me it does, I literally stop and breathe. A technique knows as “box breathing” is something I do on a regular basis when life comes at me a little too fast. Box breathing is when you take a deep breath in for a count of 3 or 4, hold it for 3-4 counts and then slowly exhale for 3-4 counts. The key is to breath in, hold it & release on the same amount of counts or seconds. It literally calms and resets your nervous system.
Navy Seals are even trained in this technique! It helps to clear your mind (you’re focusing on counting instead of the stressor at hand), relax and allows you to refocus in a constructive way. You gotta try it!

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