Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sarah Cleveland. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Sarah, so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?
Self care for me is time with friends. It is the time when I get to be myself, and only myself. I am not worrying about what to make for dinner, or which project is due. I am not concerned over embarrassing anyone by being too weird or too quiet. I am not worried about work deadlines or what I need to do to prep for the next project…it is just me, my girlfriends, and fun. The women I have surrounded myself with are loving, caring, and beautiful souls who allow me to just be. They are the ones who see me laugh the loudest, cry the hardest, and the ones who know more about me than anyone That is my self care and I could not be more grateful for them.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
There are so many things that I am focused on right now. My first and always main focus is my family; they will always come first. In terms of career, I have recently signed on to direct my first feature, and am also producing my own feature (script was just completed)!! I have been writing with friends/colleagues, and am still very much active as an actor on set. I have been enjoying all aspects of being creative and collaborating with other amazingly talented humans and so grateful to them, as well as my wonderfully supportive agency, Hero Artists. These next few months are going to be quite busy between work and premieres of projects I have worked on. I am excited to share these with friends and family!
Aside from the above, which is all very exciting, I am working on the planning and prep for another year as Festival Director of the Eye2Eye Intl Film Festival. This year we have so many more wonderful volunteers, more days, more films, more guests, and even more awards. Our Festival is thrilled to be able to offer opportunities to emerging filmmakers and watch them move forward in their next phase of their career.
More information on this can be found on our website https://www.filmaccessnorthumberland.ca/
Filmmakers can submit until April 12th on Film Freeway https://filmfreeway.com/Eye2EyeInternationalFilmFestival
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
A skill I have acquired (which has become a quality) is my ability to pivot. Life has thrown some major curveballs my way, and I can say with certainty that this skill has allowed me to never stop trying and has given me the chance to find other ways to make things happen.
With that has come positivity. I try to always find the positive in things, especially when they are extra challenging. Whether it be something small such as ‘Well, at least I tried’ to larger things such as ‘that may have been awful, but I now have this amazing person in my life because of it’, there is always something positive if you look for it.
Lastly, paying attention. This is helpful in classes, in public settings, with children, etc. When you pay attention to your surroundings and the people in your life, you learn so much more. When you pay attention in classes, you absorb more information. When you pay attention to your children, you catch important things you may have otherwise missed.
Don’t get me wrong, I still miss things, cues, moments, but when I really try to pay attention, I learn so much more and am more fulfilled.
Life is busy and sometimes downright difficult. We are always so hard on ourselves and don’t necessarily allow time for ourselves to reset. Taking time for yourself gives you that opportunity to take the time to look for the positives, and while you are doing that, making plans for ways to pivot. And, once you have refreshed, you can have more time to pay attention because your mind is more open and clear.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
I think a lot of us are in the same boat when it comes to being raised in a home without a lot of the material things or restaurant meals. I didn’t have the name brand clothing or the spring break/march break vacations, but I will tell you this, my parents worked hard for everything we had.
My parents both worked full time; my dad out of the house, my mom in the house. They taught me that if you want to get somewhere if life, you have to work hard. ‘Above and Beyond’ was a very common phrase.
I started working at the age of 12, not because I needed to but because I wanted to. I wanted to make money and buy things for myself. I wanted to be busy after school and on weekends. I wanted to be independent and make something of myself. And when my parents had a dream to open a store, I worked there almost every day. I watched my Dad make fancy signs by hand for the store (in the most frugal way they could). I watched my Mom use her charisma with customers. We were taught to work hard, and appreciate the things we had, big or small. And so the most impactful thing they did for me was show me what hard work looks like and how to not give up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sarah-cleveland.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahcleveland
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ActorSarahCleveland/
Image Credits
Megan Vincent
