Meet Clayton Guiltner

We were lucky to catch up with Clayton Guiltner recently and have shared our conversation below.

Clayton , thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

Maintaining a constant state of creativity is both challenging and, at times, counterproductive. Creativity thrives not by forcing ideas but by giving them the space to evolve naturally. For me, creativity is not something I can simply turn on or off—it’s an organic process that weaves itself into my daily life.

The real challenge arises when creativity becomes a career, where there’s a constant demand for output under tight deadlines. Over time, I’ve realized that the best way to keep creativity alive is to occasionally let it rest. By stepping back and allowing the mind and soul to recharge, creativity often returns with greater strength.

I approach this in two key ways. First, I step away from creative work and fully engage in everyday life. Simple tasks like fixing things, cleaning, or spending time with family provide a much-needed contrast to the intensity of creative work. Second, I distract my mind with non-fiction reading, which helps avoid reigniting creativity when I need to take a mental break.

While I believe in temporarily suspending creativity, it’s impossible to completely separate life from the creative process. Everyday moments inevitably shape our perspective, and for me, life itself fuels creativity. Observing and engaging with the world provides the inspiration that keeps my creative energy fresh.

Additionally, I draw inspiration from other art forms—dance, opera, music, paintings, sculpture, and beyond. Immersing myself in various artistic disciplines has significantly informed my creativity, though there’s a delicate balance between consuming these art forms and making sure it doesn’t feel like work.

So, my advice? Take a walk on the beach, go for a hike, wash some dishes, see a live play, visit a museum, or attend a church service. These real-life experiences can do wonders to keep your creativity alive and thriving.

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

From an early age, I was a storyteller and “showman,” charging a dime for my family to watch my homemade puppet shows and recruiting neighborhood kids for mini-productions. As a teenager, I moved to video, once again enlisting family and friends to support my film productions. Naturally, this passion led me to pursue a career in the arts, and today, I work as a writer, director, and producer in both theatre and film. Something that has become an important part of my work has been mentoring and training the next generation of producers and storytellers. I have been fortunate to find a balance between the world of content creation and teaching. I spent the first part of my professional career as an actor, touring and performing in live productions in the U.S. But I began to hear a little voice on my shoulder whispering in my ear that I could be saying my lines “better” or that the stage movements could be improved. I stood back and began to realize that the voice was my director’s perspective trying to get out. So, I set out to do more directing. This, I found, was a good fit for me, and it opened me up to developing leadership skills and enhancing my innate abilities. I was surprised to realize that directing and teaching, for me, were very closely aligned. So, I began doing both. Now, all these years later, I have settled into this career rhythm of teaching and directing.

Back in high school, I was determined to learn how to act professionally. This led me to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, which taught me so much more than acting. Years later, after having worked in the entertainment industry, I felt a deficiency in my understanding of the business side of the industry. This led me to pursue a Master of Arts in Organizational Business Leadership. This shored up my leadership skills and challenged my way of communicating and building teams. It was a chance for me to sharpen my skills and apply them to my work as a director. Eventually, I went back to school for a third time and earned a Master of Fine Arts in Directing. Over the years, I’ve developed a balance of skills in both the creative and business sides of the industry, blending both in my career. In 2016, I was invited to join the Actors Studio and became a lifetime member of the director’s unit, where I was mentored by Lou Antonio and the late Martin Landau. This past decade has been an artistic journey for me, transitioning my work from live theater to film and television. Recently, I wrote, directed, and produced a holiday feature film, Hope’s Hollywood Christmas, continuing to grow my passion for storytelling on the screen. To this end, my company, GC Films LLC, based out of Hollywood, California, is a development and production company that aims to entertain audiences through our stories. We’re an award-winning entertainment development and production company jet-setting throughout the industry with feature films, original television shows, and live theatrical productions.

Through my journey, I’ve learned that creativity and business can coexist harmoniously when you’re willing to embrace both. My advice to anyone pursuing their own creative passions? Keep telling your story—whether through puppets, a camera lens, or the stage. Surround yourself with those who believe in you, keep refining your skills, and never stop evolving. Creativity is a lifelong pursuit, and with perseverance, it will always find its way into your work.

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

Throughout my career, a willingness to take risks—some calculated, others less so—has proven to be one of the most important qualities for finding success. Growing up in a region where the arts were valued for community enrichment but not seen as viable career paths, I knew I didn’t want to be the proverbial big fish in a small pond. Eventually, I realized I needed to immerse myself in a larger, more competitive environment to truly grow and open doors of opportunity. I went to New York City to interview for a directing job, equipped with my master’s degree in directing. In my home state, that was a specialty degree that didn’t exist on many resumes, but it also was not in demand. In New York, though there were more jobs, it was common to meet people with those degrees. The truth is, I would have never gotten the interview in New York without that resume bullet point. Later, after moving to Los Angeles, I discovered that many people had multiple degrees and lengthy resumes of professional experience. My resume was no longer unique—in fact, in many cases, it was inferior. But this was right where I needed to be: in an environment that required me to be competitive, where I was required to step up my game. Nothing would be handed to me; I’d have to work hard for it while competing against some giant fish in a very large pond.

Another key quality I’ve had to develop is my ability to network, which has become crucial to advancing my work. Though as an introvert, it’s sometimes been a difficult aspect for me, it’s been incredibly rewarding to meet others who, like me, have taken the plunge and gone after their dreams. I draw a lot of inspiration and encouragement from the people I meet and work alongside. If I weren’t networking, I’d never find work—but more importantly, I’d become stagnant as a storyteller.

My advice to those building a career in entertainment: find a mentor, never stop learning, and seek connections within the industry. Growth often requires stepping out of your comfort zone. For me, that meant moving to a larger market, immersing myself in competition, and forcing myself to level up. This scary proposition required both personal and financial sacrifice.

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 is truly a combination of both. I strongly advocate for beginning with the areas that align with your passions—those aspects of the work that genuinely engage you. When we pursue what we are passionate about and develop expertise in these areas, we are likely to make the greatest contributions to our field.

That said, I must acknowledge a paradox I’ve encountered in my own journey: while I have been fortunate to pursue my passions, I have also often found it necessary to expand my knowledge into other areas. What I’m realizing at this stage of my career is that it is impossible to master everything. There are moments when it becomes essential to delegate tasks to those who are more specialized and skilled in their respective fields.

As a director and producer, I believe it is crucial to be well-rounded, which I define as having a foundational understanding of the various areas we oversee. However, being well-rounded does not require expertise in every discipline; true mastery can be reserved for our areas of passion.

For example, early in my career, after earning my Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, I deliberately sought out experiences in all aspects of theatre production, immersing myself in as much knowledge as possible. Today, that foundational understanding allows me to be a more capable artistic leader and an effective communicator with my team. It also fosters a greater sense of empathy and appreciation for the challenges that others face in their roles.

As technology continues to advance, I find myself less familiar with the latest developments in lighting or sound, for instance, but that initial base of experience still equips me with the confidence to engage in discussions and make informed decisions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.guiltnercreative.com
• Instagram: claytonguiltner
• Facebook: clay guiltner
• Linkedin: clayton guiltner
• Other: IG @actorpro_tips

Image Credits

Photo Credit: Haley Earls Photography