Meet Kate Bera

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

Hi Kate, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?

My generosity stems in part from a deep gratitude that I feel towards others. Receiving used to be really difficult for me, I tend to be pretty independent and would often lean more into self-reliance than on reaching out for support. I once read something though that talked about how neither giving or receiving is inherently better than the other, it’s like inhaling and exhaling, both are needed within relationships and throughout life. I am so grateful to those who have mentored me, supported me on my path, and have been there in times of need. A few years ago, while recovering from surgery, I was feeling anxious about accepting all of the care that was being given to me. I’ll never forget my good friend saying to me in that moment, you might not always be able to immediately reciprocate or give back to the person who gives something to you, but what matters more is that one day you will be able to pay it forward. I am consistently inspired by the kindness, generosity, and warm-heartedness of those around me, and I always try to pay kindness forward whenever possible. We can’t do this journey alone, and whether it’s giving or receiving, the opportunity for connection and collaboration is what fuels me the most.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Though my artistic career has continuously evolved over the years, the through-line of my passions and career journey has always been community and connection.
In addition to continuing to build out my photography and videography company Kate Alivia Media and performing regularly around LA with two all-women improv teams, I’ll be starting graduate studies in Clinical Psychology at Pepperdine University this fall. I’ve been passionate about studying mental health for several years and I look forward to now moving toward licensure.
My experiences working in the arts and entertainment industry have spread across multiple artistic disciplines, but what drew me to them all were the opportunities to connect more deeply with myself and with others. The way in which art allows us to discover and uncover parts of ourselves has always been important to me and I hope that through formal therapeutic education and work experience, I can provide a safe and supportive environment for others to connect and feel seen as themselves.
Having spent many years as a dancer, aerialist, and stunt performer I am particularly interested in body-based modalities, exploring how trauma is stored in the body and how its release can be supported through somatic therapy. I hope to lean into a relational approach and offer interventions that support one’s ability to reestablish trust in relationships and move out of the isolation that often results from interpersonal trauma. When someone reaches out, I want to be able to reach back and support them in their ability to connect, collaborate, and create community within their life.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Three qualities that have been impactful on my journey are my drive, my ability to pivot, and my strength in finding opportunity within the challenging moments. When I found myself needing five major surgeries within a six year time frame, staying open and optimistic during the recovery process really came down to finding new pathways forward while the old ones were on hold. Having spent the majority of my life pursuing movement-based careers, being sidelined with injuries was mentally challenging, but ultimately led me to earning additional degrees, licenses, and certifications. I always try to make the most of my time and, as Joy Woods sings in a current favorite song of mine, ‘feel proud of the way that I spend my days.’ Even though we don’t always have control over our circumstances, we do have control over where we place our attention.

For those early on in their journeys, I think it’s important to surround yourself with people whom you respect and who reinforce and reflect the skills and characteristics that you are strengthening within yourself. When life is challenging or I am processing the loss of something, I try to reframe and embrace what there is now space for that there wasn’t before. This perspective has led me down new pathways that I never would have discovered without the hardships and setbacks.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

It’s hard for me to say definitively whether it’s better to go all in on your strengths or to invest effort in multiple areas because I believe it varies person to person. I think what matters most when deciding where to invest your effort is identifying what fills you up in life. For me, I am passionate about learning, and love diving into multiple creative pursuits simultaneously. I take my goals quite seriously and always strive to bring new skillsets up to a professional level, I’m not the best at dabbling or doing things recreationally. However, because of this, in professional audition settings, it can be rare for me to be the top person in the room at one specific skill— instead, I’m more likely to be the one who’s able to cover multiple tracks of a show and step in wherever I’m needed. After only every hearing the first part of the famous adage, “A jack of all trades is a master of none,” I recently learned that the rest of the phrase is “but oftentimes is better than a master of one.” For me, following wherever my passions take me and growing out like a tree in multiple directions is the most fulfilling way to live life, but I will also always have deep admiration and respect for people who specialize and dominate within their niche.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://katealiviamedia.com
• Instagram: @Kate_bera and @katealiviamedia
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-bera

Image Credits

Personal headshot: Cathryn Farnsworth
Yoga and beach acro photos: Mazen Aziza
Mountain yoga photo: Ira Meyer
Baby/family photos and individual portraits: taken by me