Meet Corrie Legge

We recently connected with Corrie Legge and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Corrie, so excited to have you with us today, particularly to get your insight on a topic that comes up constantly in the community – overcoming creativity blocks. Any thoughts you can share with us?

Creative blocks can be so tricky. Sometimes they’re obvious…we stare at the blank page or canvas and feel link nothing will ever come again. We know we’re blocked. We can say we’re blocked.

Recognizing creative block is actually half the battle. Because sometimes, creative blocks can actually be really sneaky, to the point that we don’t even consciously realize we have them.

That’s what happened to me and my writing craft. All my life, from my earliest memories, I wanted to be a writer and an actor. I never wavered on my acting dreams, and have always introduced myself as an actor in my professional life. But writing? Writing I fell away from. For years I thought it was just a natural transition. A natural shift in the storytelling medium I favored. I would tell myself “sure I’m not a writer, but I’m still a storyteller. That’s really what I always wanted anyway.”

I didn’t even realize I was blocked.

Then, I picked up The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. In case you aren’t familiar, The Artist’s Way is a book that walks you through 12 weeks of self reflection, creative recovery, and playful exploration. I thought I was starting the program to advance my acting goals. Little did I know that I’d go on, 4 weeks later, to write what would become my directorial debut screenplay, after not writing anything creative in over a decade.

The Artist’s Way forced me to confront my deeply buried blocks, give them space and empathy, and then overcome them. I’m so incredibly grateful I was able to unearth all the buried, false beliefs I had about myself as a writer, so that I could become the multi-passionate creative and coach I am today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I help my fellow, multi-passionate actors create the creative career of their dreams on their own terms without sacrificing the full, unique life they deserve. Acting is not a linear profession. You can’t put in x and get out y. It doesn’t work that way. So, sometimes, that uncertainty can lead to the feeling that we have no control over our careers. But, I’m so happy to share that you DO. There’s so much autonomy that actors can reclaim in their careers, and it’s my mission to help them do that. To build the habits and routines so they can spend less time in the business of acting and more time actually acting, all while having the space for family, travel, and other passions that feed their creative soul.

I offer a variety of programs for creatives including guided group journeys through The Artist’s Way, private coaching, a planner designed just for actors, and many free resources. Subscribe to my newsletter to get creative inspiration sent directly into your inbox every week: https://creatingwithcorrie.ck.page/aed323b3bb

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

In no particular order, I think the qualities that really makes someone stand out in their acting career are: drive, self-confidence, and optimism. Before I dive into each of these, I want you to notice what word I didn’t say…talent. Here’s why. I don’t actually believe there are people who are talented and people who aren’t. Yes, maybe some of us have a natural inclination towards one skill over another, but if you’re pursuing a career in acting then you’re meant to be here. The craft can be learned. We should constantly be honing our skills, expanding our understanding, and working or creative muscles. Don’t let “talent” be the end all be all. It’s overrated. Far more important is a growth mindset and curiosity!

What you do need is drive. You need something deep within you keeping you moving forward even when the going gets tough. Because it will get tough. You’ll have booking droughts. Heck, you’ll have audition droughts. You need to have the drive to keep doing the work anyway.

You need self-confidence. You need to be able to make your own character choices. You need to be able to put yourself out there. You need to promote yourself. And to do all of these things, you need to have self-confidence. But don’t worry, it’s ok to fake it until you make it on this one 😉

And you need optimism. You need to be looking at the long game and believe you’ll be able to reach your goals. When you bring a positive energy to your work, it’s infectious and people take notice.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

Oh The Artist’s Way for sure! Because at my core, I’m definitely a multi-passionate creative. I love so many different crafts and experiences. But for a while, all the advice I was getting was that I had to be hyper focused. Be excellent at ONE thing. That never resonated with me, but I tried to follow the advice because I didn’t see an alternative.

Then I did The Artist’s Way. It not only brought writing back into my life, but it also lead to me exploring filmmaking. I’ve gone on to write and direct multiple award winning films. I can’t recommend this program enough. I believe in it so much that I’ve gone on to lead guided group journey’s through The Artist’s Way inside my program Embrace Your Artist’s Way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.actandcreatives.com
• Instagram: @actandcreatives
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/corrielegge
• Youtube: @actandcreatives

Image Credits

Brittany Severance, Coco Jourdana