Meet Chiara Angelicola

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chiara Angelicola. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Chiara , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

Confidence and self-esteem came to me later in life, to be honest. I was a very insecure kid, teenager, and young adult. I struggled a lot with the desire to fit in. As an artist, it took me a while to arrive at an earnest and integrated point of view. I think I needed to make some work that wasn’t genuine in order to really understand who I was and what kind of a story I was going to tell. I also think that when life happens and things get hard, you have no other choice but to face your truths. From that point forward, I really cared less about what people thought about my music and only wanted to tell my story from an embodied place. It’s only been 5 or 6 years that I’ve felt like the music I make and the songs I write are the most sincere. That sincerity is driven by a more confident version of myself.

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

For the past twenty years, I’ve lived a rather multi-disciplinary life as an artist and educator. I have a background in child development and have worked in the early education sector my entire adult life. In 2017, I founded the Silver Lake Center for Creativity Preschool (SLCC) in Los Angeles. We’ve been very lucky to have built a small yet thriving community of like-minded families who all believe in the science behind early learning. Naturally, we attract a rather creative community of parents who also happen to work in creative fields. Since 2017, SLCC has been at the forefront of research-driven, anti-bias early childhood education and innovative, educational parent roundtables. SLCC is known throughout Los Angeles as a place of thought leadership. We are a community of educators and parents committed to honoring children and childhood. We know that our values and understanding of young children inform and transform the way we teach and parent. At SLCC, children are seen as individuals, creative and competent thinkers, empathic collaborators, and citizens of the world.

This year, SLCC has much reason to celebrate: We will be expanding our mission and moving to a brand-new learning environment in 2025. This new space will amplify and bring the SLCC magic into the future and open doors to more families in need of our care. Since November of 2023, our parent-infant-toddler program has been open at The RIE Studio in Echo Park. We are pleased to be able to continue The RIE Studio programming at our new location next year.

I also released a new record, The Life is Extraordinary, this past October and will be playing some venues in the new year.

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?

I think the skill of compassion is extremely vital to any community-driven work. When you are providing services to families, you have to start from a place of understanding and empathy no matter how hard things get. Clients will always value how someone makes them feel, and that’s the feeling they tell other people about when talking about your business.

Saying no is also essential. Starting small was essential for me as a business owner to find my footing, establish a strong foundation, and develop my leadership skills. Taking on more than you can chew will always bite you in the ass. Say no when necessary. It makes you a respectable leader.

Put your team first. When you put your team first, you gain loyalty and you affect the culture of your business. You can’t incentivize employees without showing them that you actually care about them.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

I think one theme I will always end up revisiting as a female artist and business owner is that there will always be people who want to bring you down. It’s a hard fact. A friend once told me that when you are a lighthouse, even the darkness wants a piece of your light. I’ve learned that if I want to be a lighthouse I have to always act like one. Part of this also involves maintaining faith and trust in good things because it always works out. And I can’t sweat the small stuff or pay attention to darkness.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.silverlakecenterforcreativity.com
• Instagram: @chiaraangelicola
• Other: https://www.birdcallmusic.com

Image Credits

All images taken by Martín Yernazian 2024