We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rachael N. Blackwell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rachael N. below.
Rachael N., so great to have you on the platform and excited to have you share your wisdom with our community today. Communication skills often play a powerful role in our ability to be effective and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your communication skills.
I can vividly remember a few different moments in my life where I internally decided at that moment I wanted to become a more efficient communicator.
The first time was at a young age- eleven years old, just graduating from fifth grade and heading to middle school in the fall. I was fine as a student from K-5, did well in my classes and tried hard. That being said, a recurring note from my teachers on my report cards was always something along the lines of “Rachael is a great student, but likes to talk a lot.” I don’t know where my chattiness came from- my mother is quite reserved, but I would talk to anybody and everybody at school. My teachers would move me to other desks and I would just make new friends. We had a “silent lunch table” where students who had gotten three strikes for whatever during the day had to sit as a form of discipline. I earned a few silent lunches during my elementary years, but they were never silent when I was there. LOL
In addition, but not related to, my chattiness from K-5, I used to cry at the drop of a hat. Now don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing wrong with having feelings and showing your emotions- it’s important to one’s mental and emotional health. And as a kid, I don’t think I minded it because it was a kid thing to do, but something shifted once I graduated from fifth grade. I remember saying to myself “You’re going to middle school now. New school, new people- a chance to do something different. I don’t want to be a crybaby. And I don’t want to be the ‘talkative’ student anymore, either.” And so I wasn’t. From then on, I tried to listen more than I spoke. Sometimes that didn’t happen but even now in my adult years, I still strive to listen more than I speak. Effective listening has taught me more about communicating effectively than any other class or general practice. You learn so much by listening. You can learn how others communicate (because people learn and take in/disseminate information many different ways), and how they understand and perceive the world around them.
The next pivotal moment in my life around effective communication was during my freshman year of undergrad. I attended The Alabama State University and majored in Theatre Arts. After I declared myself a Theatre major and had been to the theatre a few times for class, I had a strong desire to further establish myself in the department and join the Leila Barlow (our building’s name) family. So one day after my Intro to Theatre class, I walked to the scene shop and asked our TD if I could do anything to help with the upcoming show. I worked on the run crew for a few shows before being promoted to the Crew Chief for our production of The Color Purple, where I was responsible for effectively communicating all of the scene transitions to our new run crew. From then on, I was launched into a world full of extroverted actors and dancers who taught me in their own ways how to effectively communicate, both personally and professionally.
Fast forward to 2024 and I am now working as the Lighting & Projections Director at the Alliance Theatre, where my position is 90% communicating and doing it effectively. I’ll be entering my fourth season with the Alliance in the Fall and I am still constantly fine tuning my communication skills in order to better serve my department, the designers and the other department heads. Last year, I participated in a program called Pathbuilders Percepta, which helps women in middle management positions further sharpen their leadership skills and leverage their influence in their current positions and in the future.
The ability to effectively communicate is a skill that requires time, attention and dedication. I don’t think it’s anything that can ever be perfected, but it is a skill that can always be improved upon (which are the best ones.)
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a Lighting Designer by trade but an artist and creative by nature.
I am a Lighting Designer, a Lighting Director/Supervisor, Lighting Programmer, and Producer. I particularly enjoy collaborating with other artists on new and original works, and works written for/by women and African Americans. I’ll be designing lights for a new musical called “Hot Jambalaya” at Dad’s Garage in the spring, which is a murder mystery set on a riverboat in New Orleans and I’m really excited about it. Additionally, I’m interested in strengthening my connection with the Atlanta arts community and other BIPOC artists to produce a small arts festival sometime soon with a few different mixed media elements, similar to my first produced work entitled “Four Women & An Artist” (2020.)
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?
The three qualities, skills or areas of knowledge that have been most impactful in my journey are: active listening, empathy and drive. Everything else can be taught or learned, either through experience and/or training. Everything.
It’s the qualities that make us human that matter both in our personal and professional lives. Who you are as a person and the way you treat people will go much further than any one thing you can create or produce. As for drive, it’s not something everyone inherently has, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be another muscle that you use daily and sharpen along with your effective communication. If you’re serious about your craft and you have dreams and a plan for your future, the drive will come and it will only grow as that dream comes into focus. I always say “you gotta have drive to supplement the dream”- it’s my constant reminder that I can’t just wish and hope for the best. I have to put the work in on my end, too.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I would love to collaborate with other Atlanta artists- musicians, writers and playwrights, singers, producers, dancers and actors . I am a queer, black woman and I’m interested in promoting stories and projects centered around any and all marginalized groups. You can reach me on IG @therealbnrlight or by email: [email protected]
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bnrlight.com
- Instagram: @therealbnrlight
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaelnblackwell
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3fWyvwGQTI&t=3s
Image Credits
Traveling Lemur Productions
Nicole Page-Blackwell
Casey Gardner Ford
SJR Photography
Daniel Pope
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
