Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Charlotte Erikson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Charlotte, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Where I found my purpose came from simply doing shows with my friends, since some of the greatest communities I’ve ever been a part of came from theatre. Also, getting to talk to people who saw something I was in & seeing how my performance impacted them gave me an even greater sense of purpose. Hearing someone say that they resonated with my character, or perhaps a certain scene or song I was in, makes me remember how wonderful it is to bring my emotional truth to performing. I realize I can help other people experience that same kind of emotion that we all hold inside ourselves each day. It’s such a wonderful feeling to see yourself in a character, and I hope to be that outlet for people to experience joy, or perhaps catharsis. I think that is my purpose.
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?
What I’m focused on professionally is growing as an actress, and finding the right shows for me. I love being in plays, musicals, and basically anything under the sun that involves becoming a character. My absolute dream is to perform for the stage one day and for that to be my main source of living. However, I’ve come to realize that money should never be the sole reason to perform, and you have to love it first. And so, that’s really what my professional life is right now–just putting myself out there in whatever ways I can, and trying not to focus so hard on the direct results. I’m also picking up piano as a side interest, since it’s a whole other world than performing, and I find it’s a nice outlet for my emotions every once in a while. I have seen such raw and beautiful performances on the piano, which has inspired me to start practicing it myself.
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?
Patience- You have to have patience not just with the world, but with yourself. I have learned simply by existing that there is so much growth that happens over time for you to be excited about, and that it’s okay to not know yourself fully yet.
Kindness- It’s such a simple thing but I think it still should be said that everyone is deserving of kindness, despite how different than you they might be. Always assume other people have the best intentions.
Uniqueness- The main thing I have learned over time is that me being different from other people does not have to be a bad thing. In fact, I think it’s much more interesting to bring a certain flair that no one has ever seen before, and maybe not everyone will love it, but there are people who will think it’s the best thing in the world, and I’m certain of that.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
I think definitely the biggest obstacle I’m facing right now is the realization that not all theatre is made for everybody. Not every producer or every theater company is going to understand what it takes to welcome queer or trans actors into their space, especially in an often cis/heteronormative industry. It’s a problem I often find for myself, and it can make it feel discouraging to seek out new opportunities. However, my lovely trans and queer friends make me remember that we are building this community with each other. All I can do is keep putting myself out there–which is what I’ve done, and as a result, I get to keep learning about what works for me & where I excel the most. More importantly, I allow myself to breathe and know that the art I make is for me, and no one else has to understand it right now.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: charlotte.erikson
- Other: email: [email protected]
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