We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lily Shaw. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lily below.
Hi Lily, so great to have you on the platform. There’s so much we want to ask you, but let’s start with the topic of self-care. Do you do anything for self-care and if so, do you think it’s had a meaningful impact on your effectiveness?
Thank you so much for having me here. Yes, I’m a huge proponent of self-care. For me, it makes all the difference in how impactfully I show up in the world. I have a morning routine that I swear by! It’s based on the law of attraction manifesting techniques – and includes activities like meditation, yoga, pranayama, journaling, and visualizing. I believe that we all create the world that we live in – for ourselves, by ourselves. These activities allow me to connect to my heart-centered authenticity and empower me to face with world from my own true place and not from a place of fear and reactivity. Any time, I feel lost and scared, reconnecting to my truth infuses me with a sense of purpose and positivity.
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?
Of course! I’m a born creative, driven to express myself with passion and integrity! I’m definitely one of those multi-hyphenates: actress, speaker, writer, and a dancer on the side, for fun! My journey as an actress started at the age of 7 when I was captivated and enamored by the magical world of movies. I’m the first woman in my family to break away from tradition and pursue a creative career… I wanted to do nothing but be on the big screen! I love seeing the world through the lens of a camera!
During the Covid lockdown, I branched out and discovered the power of writing. Since then, I’ve become a nationally featured writer, writing for Backstage, ThriveGlobal, and Medium.
My work as an actor also put me in touch with my empowerment journey. As the work I did deepend, I also realized that my struggles, trials, and tribulations as a woman of color in Hollywood and in America – and the steps I took to overcome them so I could keep moving forward on my path -can uniquely inspire other people like myself. And now as an Empowerment Speaker, I strive to lead by example and empower audiences to use their voice and own their gifts so they can authentically become who they are born to be.
Work-wise, obviously things have been slower since the SAG-AFTRA strike. As actors, we hope to create a deal with the producers that allows us to earn a living while doing what we love! In the meantime, I’ve been staying busy with voiceover dubbing work and commercials, as allowed by our union.
I’m currently in rehearsals for a play titled ‘Conversations bout the girls’ which focuses on having positive conversations about breasts. The play will perform at Hollywood Binge Festival on Nov. 5th.
A short film called ‘Loitering with Intent’ that I did narration for, just won ‘Best Documentary Film’ in The Grand Pixel International Film Festival 2023.
I’m also writing my first short film, tentatively titled ‘Clickbait’ which explores whether idealism can survive in today’s world, through the lens of the journalistic world!
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?
I would say what’s kept me going the most is my absolute refusal to take ‘no’ for an answer… I’ve been pretty stubborn and laser-focused in going after my goals. As much as the losses and the rejections have hurt me and broken my heart, I’ve picked myself back up and continued along my path. I can’t say, for sure, if this is the best option for everybody, but it has certainly been a huge component of my journey.
I also learned to not take things personally. This was a huge lesson that I learned rather late in the game, but it’s a humdinger of a game changer. You’ll run into people who will be triggered by you, who won’t like you, who will put you down, and who will diminish you. It’s very important to not let their judgment and perceptions about you, become your reality. You have to build such a strong foundation, complete with self-love and self-trust, within yourself that the outside world can’t rattle you, or distract you away from your path.
Last but not least, having people around you who uplift, inspire, and support you is very important. Our world is increasingly based on the principle of competition and lack. Poverty consciousness and fear have run amok. In these circumstances, having a supportive, honest, and loving environment can make the difference between rising and quitting. The caveat here is to not abandon yourself and your values, just to fit in. But to find a group of people with whom you can be yourself- share your vulnerability without feeling attacked. While also being a shoulder of support for them.
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?
As a budding actorpreneur, I’m looking for a collaborator who can do the more nuts and bolts aspects of running a business! Someone who handles the technical and the management side of things. It’s very important for me to work with somebody who has a growth mindset, and who can invest their time and energy for the long haul. I’m definitely expanding and would love to have somebody I can run ideas by, and how to bring them to life! Somebody who is transactional and operates on a tit-for-tat basis won’t be a right fit for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.iamlilyshaw.com
- Instagram: @iamlilyshaw
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamlilyshaw/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-shaw-losangeles/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@iamlilyshaw?si=Sva3-WtnTlQ7wZ1u
Image Credits
@JGV Photography @Stephanie Girard Photography @Bella Saville Photography @ Lily Shaw
