Meet Gabrielle Scott

We recently connected with Gabrielle Scott and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabrielle, 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 comes from my understanding that it is our collective purpose as human beings to contribute to our community. It comes from witnessing my parents exercise extreme acts of generous giving all my life. Whether it was their time, a home cooked meal, an encouraging word or resources at their disposal. I come from a culture where collective progress is uplifted above individual gain. “Together we aspire, together we achieve” being the motto of my home country Trinidad and Tobago. As a storyteller, teaching artist and alexander technique teacher my very purpose is defined by giving. A storyteller shares their story and shines light on the stories of others. A teaching artist shares resources and techniques to uplift and better the craft of fellow storytellers. An alexander technique teacher shares tools and healing practices that can allow for better use of self so that one can give from a place of wholeness. My mission is to continue to curate creative spaces that allow artists to be replenished so that their gain is paid forward to their communities.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am a theater-maker: playwright, director, actor and vocalist. I am also a teaching artist: theater teacher, acting coach and Alexander Technique Teacher. I have been an artist all my life but my greatest love is directing. I simply love bringing together all the elements of theater as my team and I lift the story off the page. Whether it be scripted or devised work, the process of exploration of text from self, incorporating movement and the power of the spoken word is life-giving.

This past year I had the privilege of producing one of my original plays, Chicken Foot. It started as a Staged Reading and evolved into a full production. The play is set in Trinidad, brought to life by a Trinbagonian cast and crew; staged at The Tank theater, Manhattan, New York. Chicken Foot will be staged again in the near future and will continue to incorporate elements of playback theater as a means of drama therapy- collective reflection and community building. It is a work that will continue to evolve.

I have also recently launched my private practice as an Alexander Technique Teacher where I pair the technique with acting coaching and vocal coaching as a means of approaching the craft from a more holistic lens. It is also a tool for eliminating chronic pain, inviting ease and allowing access to autonomy of one’s own body.

My dream is to be able to create work and offer services across the globe. For now I am between Trinidad and New York City.
Stay tuned! There is more to come!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Faith/Imagination, Passion/Drive and Patience/Hope.
Faith: we have to envision what we want. We have have to see it, dream it and feel what it would be like to accomplish it. Write it down. Speak it into being.
Passion: We have to work our desires into reality. Every decision, every connection, every conversation must be a thread woven into the vision in your heart.
Hope: be not wearied by time, for every experience is a step in the right direction even when it feels like a set back. Even a loss is a win because it is a step taken, a lesson learned, a door closed so that a window could be opened.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

When I am overwhelmed I employ a number of techniques and see which one sticks for my current circumstance. Mindfulness and prayer being the front runners and from there it is revealed what I must do. Through Alexander mindful practices, I take meaningful breaths, sense the ground, release tension and listen to what my body needs. My prayer practice maybe be staring at the trees and listening for the voice of God or journaling and allowing Spirit to speak to me on the page. Either way when overwhelmed, the first thing to do is to re-establish a connection with mind, body and spirit that anxiety is severing without our consent. Come back to why you’re doing what you’re doing. Come back to self.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: sapphireprods & gscotty93
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-scott-4048826a/

Image Credits

Didi Zacks
Ted Ely
Daniel Crenshaw