Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lindsay Ross . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Lindsay, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
It’s funny because it took me a while to see that see that side of myself. Someone a few years back said, “it’s just not the same without you. You bring so much light and energy to the room.” One, I was shocked by this compliment! It’s not the first time I’ve heard something like that, but I thought, “what? I didn’t think it’d matter. Don’t they know I’m having a difficult time right now?” I battle with anxiety and depression, and I have made a journey from being an angst filled teen to being a confused twenty-something, to the woman I am today. While I have a long way to go, I’m a work in progress. Mental health is a struggle, but I’ve always managed to push through despite the darkness surrounding me. I heard this quote that’s stuck with me, “be your own anchor.” Yes, it came from Teen Wolf, but it’s true. I’m learning how to be my own anchor, but also Abba is my ultimate anchor.
My optimism ultimately comes from my faith! Abba is my anchor. He’s been there with me through my darkest times, through my joys. He was there with me when I had life-changing surgery a year ago! To which I am still struggling, but I never lose hope that the sun will always rise. Sunsets are a reminder that tomorrow is another day! But He has also placed people into my life to help pull me out, and love me. I am nothing without Abba and my community!
I also get my optimism from my grandparents. My grandma was a resident Pollyanna, she always saw life through rose colored glasses. She saw how the world could be and always believed in the power of joy and kindness. My grandpa, on the other hand is more pragmatic. But he’s still one of the most kind men I know. Full of knowledge and integrity, he’s incredible. All four of my grandparents were unbelievably gracious and carried that love and compassion everywhere. My mom is unbelievably generous and kind as well! It’s my goal to always approach life with a belief of hope, and kindness, and a little bit of faith.
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?
So I moved to NYC in late August of 2020 and did a year at Stella Adler Actor’s Studio. Currently, I live in Brooklyn working as an ABA therapist and auditioning. I just closed my first one woman show at the Chain One Act Theatre Festival. So currently, I will be working on the edits for that! I am also working on a few scripts at the moment and am in the works of co-producing a play with my best friend, Angry Fags by Topher Payne.
Originally, I am from Northwest Ohio. My roots are from a small town called, Ansonia. but i attended senior year at Bradford High School. Find Dayton on the map go forty minutes northwest and that’s it! You’ll also find a plethora of corn fields! I grew up in the land of tractors, country music, county fairs, and football.
Growing up in a place like Northwest Ohio the arts seemed out of reach. You won’t find a lot of the arts! Yes, we had community theatre, and traveling shows. But I have no idea what theater was until I saw Broadway production of Wicked at the Schuster Center. I was mesmerized by the Orchestra, the plush on the seats, the smell of the theater, and just the way the actors commanded the stage. That’s when I definitely knew I wanted to do something like that!
I come from a line of Evangelical Christians, and my uncle is even a pastor. I’m the middle child of three kids, and my parents are divorced. My family led the church, and my whole life was being there when the doors were open. In high school I was in band and choir. But outside of that, I was a part of our drama team for church! I led youth group, the kids, lead worship, and even thought I would be a pastor at one point. I loved performing so much! I always felt different from my peers. I fell in love with acting when I saw a VHS of Fiddler on the Roof, and said, “whatever that is I want to do that!” Every time we went for a field trip to see people perform, and when we went to go see Wicked as a drama club that ignited a spark within me!
But I still couldn’t admit, acting was my passion! I attended college in 2011 and started out as a music major and thought I was going to be a worship leader. After a long conversation with a friend of mine during one of our long days, he took me aside and told me I should pursue acting. But it seemed impractical to me! It wasn’t until three years later, some major heartbreak, and meeting my mentor and now colleague that I did transfer to Cleveland State and pursued acting with a focus on performance. It was there that I got a piece of advice that would change my life, “ if you can do anything else at all, anything in the world do that. Acting takes drive and passion!”
I made sure that even when I wasn’t performing on the stage, I was behind the scenes. Oh yes, my first love is performing, but I also founr a love within the technical side of theater. Our college made us well-rounded artists! It has and will come in handy as I continue to pursue my own work. In college I was often overlooked!. I’m a plus size actress and I didn’t fit the mold, but I could work hard.
I like to tell stories of the underdog, issues of mental health, people facing adversity, and sexual assault. Stories that tug at your heartstrings! I like to find work I can sink my teeth into, and makes me ask questions. While yes, I believe there’s a place for light and joy, for me the stories that bring up both the issues and land on hope, are the ones I find most endearing. I believe artists should also be humanitarians. So that’s why one of goals is to start volunteering again! I always knew there were big plans for me, and I want to experience different people from different walks of life. Also you get to meet the most interesting people!
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?
1. “Can’t died in a cornfield!”
The saying sounds so midwest, but it has informed my life. The saying is something my grandma used to say, in fact, I can still hear her voice saying “can’t die in the cornfield.” which is one of those weird Midwestern sayings meaning stop saying you can’t and try. Throughout my life, the saying has followed me because I would give up so easily. Every time I try something new, I remind myself stop saying you can’t do something and try. Some of the skills I now know because I didn’t give up and I learned them. Now there are some things where I know I full well cannot do. Living by the saying has also kept me away from a lot of negativity. There have been times in my life where I have leaned into that negativity, but saying you can’t is not helpful. You at least should try, you might surprise yourself!
- Don’t do things in order to prove someone wrong.
I am very stubborn and I don’t like to be told I can’t. I also don’t like to be told to give up or quit. After all, it’s my choice, right? There have been several times where I’ve been told to quit or I didn’t have what it takes or it wasn’t smart enough. Instead of doing what makes me happy and listening to the people that matter, I have let negative comments get to me. There are several instances where I have done things just because I wanted to prove someone wrong. Now, if you want to do those things and someone’s opinion is negative and pushing you down go for it. You don’t need that negativity! But if your heart doesn’t want to pursue that thing or you don’t feel the passion then don’t do it. Life is not about exploring the things that give you fire and passion! You’ll be happier for it.
- Lean into the people that matter!
Within the past year, I’ve had some really hard things happened to me. From that I have solid people! I am an extrovert- introvert. I know a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean that I’m friends with a lot of people! I was also bullied in school, so I didn’t really have a lot of friends. I also learned a great deal of independence! By high school I had a pretty good set of friends. But I didn’t really go to parties, and then by college I had three circles of friends. Nowadays, I have two circles of friends! Those who are really close to me and like family, and those that are friends. But I still know a lot of people, and sometimes I don’t know how! I’ve come to learn that knowing a lot of people is useful, in fact, I need to get to know more. But staying close to those circles and friends is way more valuable than having a ton of people you are close to. Especially in this industry, make connections, meet people, and sometimes your circles will change. Mine have overtime, but there are a few solid people that stuck with me in my life. This industry is full of people trying to get something out of you, it can be grueling and tiring. So it is very important to be loyal and have a support system.
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 have two, and they have remained my favorites. They were my first books I read by myself as a kid, and they hold so much wisdom. A Wrinkle in Time and Harry Potter. Number 5 and 7 were my favorites, but as a whole series they are so important to me.
So a Wrinkle in Time is a much older book and it was written about a A girl who is bullied in search of her dad. This girl is very smart. The nugget of wisdom I’ve carried with me from it is it’s okay to be different! You could also argue it’s about the value of family, but I also think that it’s about leaning on others for help. I tend to be very independent and don’t wanna bother people when I need help. I have had to learn that it’s okay to ask for help!
Harry Potter is near and dear to my heart and I smile when talking about it. It was the first chapter book. My mom being religious, let me read on my own. It offered me lessons of friendship and bravery. It also taught me a lot about love! Well, I know the author is problematic, you cannot deny that the work is beautiful. I cry every time, and I cannot put the books down. Even to this day, I have read every book and I revisit this world! The other nugget of wisdom that I’ve gained from this series is the value of chosen family. Harry Potter doesn’t really have a family, but it’s in his friends that he finds community. I have found that in my own life, It also taught me a lot about losing those we love and how they can stay with us even after they’re gone.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: linds_ross28
Image Credits
Elio Trevisan Kaitlyn Dundorf
