Carley Lovito’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

We recently had the chance to connect with Carley Lovito and have shared our conversation below.

Carley, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: Have you ever been glad you didn’t act fast?
I’ve been actually working on acting a bit slower. As a resident YES woman, I’ve always been quick to the bait. I act on both excitement and a tendency to people please, which makes me act quite fast, which more often results in overcommitting in the name of productivity. It’s a practice to move more slowly, to feel what genuinely feels aligned before responding. I hope to get better at it.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello hello! My name is Carley Lovito and I am a New York based writer, director, actor and producer. I create and uplift stories that center female and queer perspectives while cultivating creative communities. Some of my recent work includes “Everything I Never Told You” (out now on FilmShortage), “The Nursery” by Clifford Odets, “Can’t You See I’m Trying” which will be releasing in 2026!

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
My mom is a theatre maker. I remember picking up a script she was analyzing when I was a kid and asking a million questions about the scribbled notes all over the pages (it was “The Rabbit Hole”, which looking back now is super depressing actually). I’ve watched and analyzed the way she and my other directors hold themselves in a room. How they collaborate, how they put their mark on a story or honor the text. Most importantly, I have the honor of watching her work with her actors. She is the greatest collaborator and the most uplifting leader. She is a massive inspiration to me.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I’d tell baby carl – I call my younger self baby carl – that her sensitivity is a super power. I think I was quite hard on myself as a girl for how big my feelings were (and are) – I experience the world quite deeply and can feel all of the energy in any space – shoutout to my fellow triple water placements. I’d hide my sensitivity behind a hard shell of not caring and playing it cool, though I’ve come to learn that it’s incredibly brave to be someone who cares. I think my sensitivity began to come out in my writing when I was younger because I didn’t know how else to process what I was feeling. I think our hands can understand things for us before our mind’s can catch up. Writing music, poetry, journaling, became a space for me to get to know myself, and a space to dream.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Right now I think the industry is experiencing a major shift in where we source creativity from. I hope that we can work together to create a much more equitable conversation around the use of AI. It’s harmful for us as artists that entertainment is encouraging a “lean in” to the idea that it can replace essential storytellers, or base code on their ideas without compensation. We are a constantly shifting industry and will continue to grow and adapt, but I think we’ve continuously come up against a lie that easier is better.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What will you regret not doing? 
It is proven that one of the greatest ways we can improve our confidence and overall mental health is by keeping the promises we make to ourselves. I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason, so I hope to continue to not regret anything – only to continue setting goals that are deeply aligned with my mission as a storyteller, woman and lil human being.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carleylovito.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/carleylovitooo
• Other: https://carleylovito.substack.com

Image Credits
Camryn Lipman, Evan Miller DP