We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Julie Craig. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Julie below.
Hi Julie, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My roots! Working in film/tv, I am always grateful for my theatre roots because of the work ethic innately required. There are no shortcuts. There’s a ton of preparation to create a role even before you step into rehearsal. The collaborative rehearsal process is a lot of time and energy exploring and trying things with the director and other actors. When the show opens, the 8-shows-a-week schedule is not easy! It’s nights and weekends. Two show days. It takes dedication. You have to arrive on that stage ready to give a fresh, dialed in performance. Every time. Theatre is so special because it’s a once in a lifetime moment that those people in that audience will see that performance. You have to rise to the occasion even when you’re exhausted. You can’t edit around a theatre performance and you can’t do another take. I see more preparation for film/tv in actors who have theatre training. Both mediums are grueling in different ways. But you can’t get around how hard a theatre schedule is from the moment you book the role to the curtain call of the final performance. It makes you dig deep. NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts (where I did my undergrad in acting) did a great job making sure that my work to prepare a role is thorough, starting with a lot of research and script work. Also, living in New York City will give you a work ethic like none other. That is not a city you can coast in. I was based there for many years and still go back and forth for work. I love the energy of the city for that reason.
In addition, when I think back to my childhood, my older brother seemed to excel in everything he did, which was great for my own motivation to keep up with him. He really set a great example. It didn’t come naturally though. In order to do well in International Baccalaureate classes in my high school, I just had to work harder than everyone else. I just kept up with sheer grit and effort. I have always been grateful to my brother for setting the bar so high. His success really pushed me to become the best version of myself. My parents are a wonderful example of this as well. I come from a small-ish town (Erie, PA), and a working class family. I saw how hard my parents had to work to give us a nice life. And it had an impact on me. I never expect things to fall into my lap because nothing was ever just handed to me like that. I know I have to get out there and create the things I want or go get them myself.
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?
It’s funny how the more things I do, the less I feel I am allowed to own them. When people ask what I do, I hesitate to reduce it to simply – artist – but I also hesitate to list all the hyphenates. The truth is, I love creating, and I cherish the many outlets my creativity has taken in my life. I will say that after watching the ILM documentary recently, I was inspired by the people behind Star Wars and so many other iconic films…those creators were just the same. It made me feel that my jack of all trades quality might not be such a bad thing.
I’ve been an actress and a singer since I could walk and talk. I started dancing at age 3 and continued for about 25 years. Tap was my favorite. I did over 50 plays growing up in my small town thanks to the robust community theatre scene. Vocally, I trained classically, studying opera. Then I leapt with no net into a creative professional life when I decided to study acting at NYU. I did theatre in New York City and traveled the world singing. When I started to book commercials and network TV shows in New York, I moved to Los Angeles. From there, I did more TV and films as an actress, but also as a producer making my own short films. At some point, I missed singing, so I raised money on Indiegogo and independently produced and recorded my own classical crossover album with a 48 piece orchestra in Budapest. Recently I have begun to take writing very seriously and just finished my first feature film. All the while I paint and tap dance, for fun.
I don’t think anyone should ever be put into a box, especially artists. Do what moves you. Follow the fun. Find a way to make money if you can, doing the things that light you up. The things you’d do for free. That is a well-lived life to me. I love a quote that Cheryl Strayed’s mother said to her: “There’s always a sunrise and always a sunset and it’s up to you to choose to be there for it. Put yourself in the way of beauty.” That’s what creating feels like to me. Putting myself in the way of beauty. And I want to do it as much as possible for as long as I can.
You can find my acting work on my IMDb page and watch those credits where available. I plan to be back on a stage in New York, hopefully soon. I have a film circulating the film festivals right now that I produced and acted in called “Fanatic”. We just played our 10th festival! Check out my social media for when it might be screening next. And I can’t yet say much about my latest writing projects, but you can follow me on Instagram for news there. My album “From Here” is available wherever you stream music. My next goal is to take it on the road as a guest artist with a symphony near you!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Belief in self – to create the resilience needed to push through rejection. Find a self care practice. Make a list of things that feel nurturing. For me, it looks like taking a bath, journaling, meditating, buying flowers, going for a walk in nature, etc. Self love can be a tough one. At least it has been for me. It’s a journey and one I’ve had to work hard at. Celebrating my small wins is helpful. It could be something as small as writing one email that I had resistance to. Taking the moment to say good job, keep going. And just noticing the things about yourself that are awesome. The things that no one can take from you like your strength, your diligence, your kind heart. Do the work. Keep showing up, for you. And your belief in yourself will naturally follow.
Honesty – with yourself and having the ability to communicate honestly with others. I think honesty with yourself is the trickiest one. You have to be very quiet and still sometimes to hear the pangs of your heart. It’s very easy to confuse fear with intuition. Being honest with yourself about who you are and what you want in life might be the most important thing you ever do. It can change by the way, and it will. But checking in with yourself and who are you becoming along the way is really important. Honesty with others isn’t always just about telling the truth. It’s about speaking up for your truth even when it’s difficult. For example. saying no is hard when you don’t want to let someone down. Most of the time, your honest truth is what’s best for everyone, even if the gratification isn’t instant. This will keep you aligned with your purpose and help you develop real and true relationships. Have hard, honest conversations and do it from a place of love. You’ll never regret them. It’s uncomfortable, but I think the best things come out of getting out of your comfort zone (that’d be my number four).
Flexibility – letting go of your control and how it’s all going to come together. I tend to want things with a fervor. I have strong feelings about everything! So when I have a goal or a dream, I get excited and I think I know how it’s going to happen. But I never do. And letting go of my control is so hard when I want something badly. I want to muscle it into existence! I have learned through experience, that when things don’t pan out my way and I get all spun out about it, usually the alternative is way better than what I could have imagined. So instead I try to remember to take my hands off the wheel and say, “what’s the best that could happen?” Continue to take action in the direction of your goal, but stay open to the twists and turns. Don’t let them bend you all out of shape. I like to say “plot twist!” which makes me smile and loosen my grip. Keep trying things, but find the peace in not knowing how. It’s actually very freeing.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Oh wow, that’s awesome. I have been looking to develop my music career further! I released my first album “From Here” (mentioned above) right before the pandemic, which presented some challenges. I had a couple meetings with music agents but everyone had to prioritize their current clients and strategize for a very uncertain future. Now that tours and concerts are possible again, I am looking for music representation to take this show on the road. I have the charts for 7 songs from my album for a full orchestra. I’d be an ideal guest artist. I did this once recently with the Santa Rosa Symphony, and it was a dream come true. There are a lot of international sopranos doing this, but I haven’t seen many American female classical crossover singers like me who have made a significant career out of it. I’d love to carve this path for myself. If anyone has a connection to music reps who might be interested, or relationships with symphonies, I’d love to send them my album and start the conversation. I’m looking to build that network. My big dream is to perform in an amphitheater in Italy, with a full orchestra, in a huge dress, and sing a duet with the great Andrea Bocelli. Let’s make it happen! Thank you in advance to this amazing community.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://imdb.me/juliecraig
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliecraig_/
- Other: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/juliecraig/from-here
Image Credits
Ericka Kreutz, Gerard Sandoval, Transcendence Theatre Company, Marjorie LeWitt
