We were lucky to catch up with Ivory Kellogg recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ivory, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Overcoming imposter syndrome was especially challenging for me. Over time after consistently doing the work for a few years and training consistently I finally started to feel like “ok” “I’m a real actor” & once I was able to accept that creative part of myself everything followed. I have always done music & as a teenager primarily focused on doing music however there was a lot of trauma I needed to overcome surrounding music before I could really allow myself to do it fully. I started a mental health community/ blog called Resident Granola Girl. It has been a place for me to write out my feelings and find my own creative voice. It’s nice to connect with other creatives and also hear about their struggles with imposter syndrome. Ultimately I think what matters is that you choose who and what you are regardless of what everyone else might think. I’m an actor, character improvisor, musician and mental health advocate. I’m very proud to be all of those things.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I primarily consider myself to be an actor but through studying and working on my craft I have developed and discovered other capabilities within myself such as writing and comedy. I think what is most unique about me and what I have to offer is that I really just want to create and share my own perspective with the world and inspire others to do the same. It’s very easy to feel like your voice or take on something might not matter but I believe the opposite. I think everyone who feels compelled to share their stories, voice, or creativity with this beautiful world absolutely must do so to be fulfilled. I recently launched my blog residentgranolagirl.com to share my thoughts and hopefully grow it into a community of creatives expressing and finding their freedom through encouraging and inspiring one another. I like what I’m doing and that’s good enough for me.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Well the very first thing I would suggest to anyone starting an acting career is train. Train, train, train, with professionals in the industry and find careers that you admire and parallel yours. Don’t waste money on classes with coaches who are not actually in the industry themselves or who are abusive mentally. As an actor starting out you are vulnerable because it’s your dream and you are naturally willing to do anything for it when you are starting out, but it’s important to protect your career/ resources and think long term. I’ve seen a lot of scams in this industry and it’s devastating when people lose their hard earned money on them. There is no over night success and if someone is promising that to you, I would just be cautious. Find people you are inspired by and build a supportive community. Go to classes that have a good reputation and work with instructors who have solid resumes ( Imdb is a necessary resource). From there everything will follow ( headshots, resume, agents, casting directors) it just takes time and consistency. Baby steps are your friend:)
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
I just recently read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and I absolutely loved it. In many ways it gave me the courage to keep going with my creative path. Some other people who have played an important role in my development are psychologists like Gabor Mate and Edith Eger. Comedians like Lucille Ball and Gilda Radner, and my immediate circle of creative friends. All are people who have taught me to endure the long haul, love myself, express what I have to offer and find happiness in the process.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ivorykellogg.com/
- Instagram: ivorykelloggg
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ivory-kellogg
- Other: https://www.residentgranolagirl.com/
Image Credits
@parada.photography for the headshot
