Meet Nicolette Page

We recently connected with Nicolette Page and have shared our conversation below.

Nicolette, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I grew up in Everett, MA, a city 10 minutes north of Boston, mainly consisting of blue-collar workers and some of the highest poverty rates in the state. The arts were underfunded and often pushed aside, most kids did not pursue higher education and there was no guidance on life after your high-school graduation.
I was raised by a single mother who worked full-time with a degenerative spine disease to help me pursue my interests. She would always prioritize me and my whims, from guitar lessons to driving me to acting class. As I got older and got my first job as a cashier in my local grocery store, I realized what kind of sacrifices my mom made so that I could play pretend and make art. It was hard to make a living, never mind supporting a whole other human being on her own.
She has always taught me the importance of working hard for the things you love. If I want to make art, I can. The lack of art education in my school district, the daunting cost of gear and equipment, and the nay-sayers cannot stop you from telling your story. These experiences gave me the grit that I find so valuable in being a filmmaker.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a filmmaker and recent alum of NYU Tisch. I am currently in the finishing stages of post-production on my thesis film “Mix Matched Socks”, a story about a single mother coming to terms with her only daughter leaving for college. During my time in New York, I have worked with indie film powerhouses like Cinetic Media, Stay Gold Features, and Women in Film LA. i am passionate about telling female stories with punk influences as I am currently in development on my feature “Cherry Bomb”, a Washington tale about the resurgence of the Riot Grrrl movement. I will be taking this feature to the Reykjavik International Film Festival Talent Lab later this year.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I have found that community is one of the most impactful aspects of life as an artist. Working with a team that you feel aligned with can spark things in you that otherwise would never come to the surface, The friendships and relationships that I have gained during my time in NYC have forever altered the way I make art for the better.
I learned that is not something that you can expect instantly, the people that are meant to be will come when the time is right.
As a financially independent filmmaker in NYC, balance is something that I am still honing to this day. Making sure you are taking care of yourself, making a living, and telling stories can feel overwhelming. There are days where you are more focused on one more than the other and there can be a sense of guilt for not spending enough on your art. This is where I believe that patience and trusting the timing of your life really come into play. Spending time with your community can refresh and inspire you, working your day job will give you the resources you need, and endurance will help you keep going.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

When I was in 8th grade, I wrote a book report on “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane” by Kate DiCamillo. Something about this little porcelain play rabbit being handed off from person to person really touched me for years to come.
Whenever I feel like I am entering a chapter in my life, like moving to a new state or graduating college, I think of Edward. He always found beauty in the journey even when things hit rock bottom and the most important part of his story were the people that he met along the way.
The one thing we can count on in life is change. The sooner I found peace in this, the better I felt about my work and career. Nothing is forever and when you find comfort in the fact that things come and go, you can take more risks.

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