We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Katherine Mccrackin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Katherine, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
My purpose has always largely come from my personal challenges and how I ultimately overcame (or am still overcoming) them. As a disabled woman, I have always faced a variety of obstacles ranging from lack of diagnosis to misogyny in more systems than I can count. Each time, anger at these unnecessary obstacles has morphed into a determination to change the world around me. Though the topic and methods for change have evolved over the years, my desire to make a difference has remained steady, and it is the thing that has brought me back to myself when life has become too complicated to make sense of.
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 am an openly autistic and multiply disabled artist, specializing in acting, accessibility, and movement work. Several years ago, I first learned about several disabilities for the first time, some of which I have had since birth and some of which developed as a young adult. While I have always been interested in creating art that interweaves with advocacy, this gave me a clear path and topic forward. However, it also brought new challenges, with many theaters being inaccessible to disabled artists.
During this time, I have focused on making theatre that tells neurodivergent and disabled stories, highlighting voices that are often overlooked. In doing so, I have also come into many situations where I am advocating for my own access needs, often paving the way for other artists to ask for their needs as well. As I move forward, I hope to expand my movement work to make this branch of theatre more accessible to disabled artists.
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?
The qualities that have served me best are open-mindedness, determination, and a willingness to relearn what I thought I knew. When I was first diagnosed as autistic and physically disabled, my world turned upside down, and I was brought back to what felt like square one to learn about myself and my body. The entire experience was beyond humbling and drastically altered my relationship with the world. As I started relearning how I moved in the world, both literally and figuratively, I realized how many of my beliefs had been shaken by my experiences. Through both dismantling them and hearing from other people who had been through similar experiences, I was slowly able to rebuild myself and my relationship to the world. The process was often difficult and painful, requiring more than a little determination and a healthy dose of anger. It is ongoing, and I still regularly find old beliefs that need reexamination, or aspects of the world that I would like to alter.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Yes, I am always looking for people to collaborate with! I always want to meet more openly disabled artists and anyone bringing accessibility to theatre. I especially would love to chat with people who have brought accessibility to movement-based theatre!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @katherine.mccrackin
- Other: Podcast – Breaking Boundaries: Accessible Paths in Theatre for Disabled Artists
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/breaking-boundaries/id1734843207
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ui32INgN6sBZCdWt6ejBR?si=27dc833866124608
Image Credits
Milestones Studios – Jana Miles
Colleen Locke
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
