We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michole Biancosino a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Michole , appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
Creativity is a practice. You have to practice being creative in order to become bolder in listening to your creative impulses. For me, creativity is nourished by listening to my best inner voices, the most positive, child-like, curious parts of myself. The part of me that thinks, “What if….” or “Maybe this could be something.” I follow those lines of inquiry and try to steer clear of the negative thoughts that might interrupt a journey towards something new. Creativity is messy sometimes, and I am purposefully messy in my process. I am never, not ever, going for some version of perfect. I’m going towards the direction of what is of interest to me right now, in this moment, today.
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 the co-founding Artistic Director of Project Y Theatre Company. With this 25+ year old indie theatre company, I’ve also produced 10 years (what???) of the annual Women in Theater Festival in NYC. Other venues include Tiny Barn, a little theatre experimental space in VT. I also co-create, direct, and perform in lots of weird art with incredible collaborators. I love being in the rehearsal room and I look for the funny in any situation.
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?
My love of reading and writing are the most essential skills I have. I can read and understand things clearly, I can communicate with lots of different people in different situations. I’m also aware, through these skills, of the variety of people and experiences in the world, and that there is more to any person than meets the eye. I’m open to that and I’m open to learning more about others or about the world.
I also think that preparation is important. I think that early on I knew that being on time, prepared, well=researched, and humble was important. You have to be ready for your opportunity when you’re working your way up, but your position doesn’t always allow you to speak your ideas freely. But I did find that if I was ready for that moment when it did occur, I was able to be recognized as ready for a new and better position or task.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My parents let me study the arts. Or…. they didn’t make it too much of a barrier for me to study theatre — as long as I majored in something else too (English!). This gave me a lifelong sense of freedom to follow my own passions, and to feel that my own innate sense of who I am is in my control. I am not looking for other’s to give me permission. I am not looking for outside validation. I create my own set of standards and I’ve been able to choose the path that is right for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.womenintheater.org
- Instagram: micholepy
- Facebook: projectytheatre
- Linkedin: Michole Biancosino
- Youtube: projectytheatre
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
