We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Karen Hall. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Karen below.
Hi Karen, so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?
I am a big believer in vacations! I love to travel experience other cultures and places in the world. Since I typically keep to the academic calendar when in Los Angeles, I make sure to take every break I have from classes to take a vacation outside of Los Angeles.
I used to use this time to try and take other work but I found it kept me committed to a scarcity mindset. Budgeting and planning for a break kept my finances and mental health on track and allowed me to enjoy my work with better results and more joy in my dedication to creativite arts in both performance and education.
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?
I’m a cellist and a clown working in performance and education. Basically I spend most of my life either trying to be seven or hanging out with seven year olds. I’m fortunate that during the academic year I stay busy as a Strings Program Director at a private school and a Teaching Artist in Residency at The Music Center Los Angeles. Having a stable foundation with two part-time positions I love allows me to dedicate the rest of my time to my busy performance schedule as a cellist and a clown and, frequently, the two together.
I just returned from a successful summer touring my solo cello recital meets a clown show, “Delusions and Grandeur” to several festivals. At the San Diego International Fringe Festival I won the “Tour Ready Cultural Ambassador Award”, which will send me fully funded to the Sydney Fringe Festival in Australia next year. Everything now is focused on building a tour down under.
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?
1. Never be afraid of having a “real” job to create financial stability. 2. Take time to learn and study the fundamentals.
3. Make sure to let go of your training and show your emotional and artistic self to connect to others.
If you’re early in your journey save money. Live with roommates, avoid credit card debt, invest in experiences and your craft over things. Remember that anyone can be a great technician if they put in the time and effort but not everyone will be a great artist. You have to show a piece of yourself to connect to others whether teaching, performing, or any sort of creating.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
“Why We Sleep” by Dr. Matthew Walker forever changed me. I always get my eight hours of sleep and I plan my life and schedule around this need. It builds memory retention, regulates emotions and body temperature, keeps me looking young (I know…), keeps me energized, improves focus. Basically my whole life changed for the better when I started prioritizing my sleep.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.inforthelonghall.com
- Instagram: @inforthelonghall
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inforthelonghall/
Image Credits
Jeremy David Creative, Prine Photography, Jackie Langelier
