Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Stephen Gillikin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Stephen, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
Not to say that altruism is an illusion, but I find the more I can serve others, the more improved my own life is. In the short term, nothing soothes anxiety or any kind of racing mind better than taking the focus out from myself and onto others. And in the longer term, I’ve found that the more people I can support or help, the more people there are to offer me opportunities. I guess it’s sort of like effective networking. When I was younger, I hated networking and actively tried to avoid it. But I also had the misconception that networking was about asking for favors or asking for help — trying to get access or something I need from someone who has it. But successful networking is about me having something to offer someone and finding that middle area where my resources and their’s can align to achieve mutual goals.
All of that sounds transactional, I know, and I mention it from that angle because I’ve met people who believe kindness is a weakness or that it’s a tool used by those who lack intelligence. But I truly do believe kindness takes and provides incredible strength and that it’s the most logical path to an improved life. We’re all connected, and to believe or deny that life and people aren’t is the even greater illusion of ego.
And I know all of that sounds maybe too spiritual or psychedelic. So I’ll end with something more personal to me. My dad was a very generous person, and yeah, he helped people in a myriad of large ways, but on the daily scale, he’d always offer food, snacks, comfort. He was his own individual but also a consummate host. I think he was happiest when the people around him were happy. And his mother was the same way.
So the short answer to your question, “family.” My generosity comes from my family.
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?
Probably the simplest throughline for my story as an artist is some sort of theme of collaboration or unity or wholeness. I was always very creative as a child, for instance, often recording fake radio shows onto cassette tapes with my sister and even occasionally getting my brother or neighbor kids involved. The first art I ever formally practiced was music, starting in middle school. Whether as a drummer in a line or a percussionist in an orchestra, it was always magic to me how we all just played our individual parts but that collectively it created this unified piece greater than any single one of us. I was privileged enough to go to college to study film, and I still think cinema is the most multi-disciplinary and thus collaborative of any art form. Even as a screen actor in a world of hierarchies and “above the line”/”below the line”, I still philosophically view an actor as just another component of the crew, just another individual piece that carries out their art along with everyone else to create something bigger than any of us. Of course in the theater world, we’d just call that perspective “ensemble”.
Ultimately I landed into improv as my primary form, which suits me well. The mechanics of it require a functional relationship between myself and my partner/ensemble, as well as a functional relationship between us and the audience. ‘How can we all have this shared artistic experience together?’ But even the content of improv, at least in longform, is all about unity. ‘How can we connect these disparate ideas into something greater?’ ‘How can we unify that which seems inherently separate?’ And longform improv at its best, isn’t even about creating unity; it’s about discovering how everything was always unified all the long. I don’t play two steps ahead of the audience; we’re all discovering the same new information together in real time.
Currently, I run Community Improv (communityimprov.org), a mostly virtual workshop I started in 2020 that persists beyond the pandemic era that birthed it. It’s a space for any adult, creatives and non-creatives, to be able to play and explore together.
I also co-host/co-produce a monthly show with my on & off stage partner, Wendy Natividad, at the Ledge Theatre (ledgetheatre.org), a wonderful space owned and operated by the equally wonderful Shaun Landry. It’s a non-profit theater with a socially conscious mission and a commitment to bringing diverse voices and experiences to the stage.
And while not specifically art related, I also work with Every Day Action (youreverydayaction.org), which takes unused meals and food from film/tv sets and reallocates it to those in need. Beyond the help it provides both sustainability departments and vulnerable populations, it also provides me a way to connect with both my industry as well as my community of fellow Angelenos. A big shout out to Hillary Cohen and Sam Luu for their tireless efforts founding and maintaining it.
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?
First and foremost, curiosity. Be curious, stay curious. Especially with adults, but at any age people can get caught up with their ego and not want to learn new information. Perhaps they get too stuck on the idea of having to admit ignorance. But even if that’s you, like in all things, focus on the positive actions not the negative circumstances. A good learning mindset isn’t so much about admitting ignorance, it’s more about being curious.
Second, passion. Passion makes life worth living and it also is an essential fuel to our curiosity. As a professional Teaching Artist, I don’t see students as bad or blame them for being disengaged. Part of my responsibility in working with learners is to make the lesson engaging and that often means having to learn what it is they are into and then how I can relate that into the material of the lesson. But if you’re looking to help yourself, find what does interest you. It doesn’t matter if your passions are popular or if you think your interests are stupid, it’s what you’re into; play the hand you’re dealt.
Which leads to the third quality I’ll mention, non-judgement. The only judgements that need be concerned with are assessing what you’re passionate about and if that thing is healthy to you and those around you. Whether something is cool or lucrative or clever or whatever is subjective and fluid. Chasing trends only leads to more chasing and rarely ever to catching anything; it’s also not sustainable.
Find something you like, make sure it’s not harmful to you and others, and use your passion’s energy to learn, engage and pursue that thing.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’m always looking for collaboration. And sometimes things don’t align or the timing isn’t right, but I’m also always open to offer support when applicable. As an actor, as an organizer, as a writer, as a filmmaker, as an educator, as a professional creative who also holds creative hobbies, I need other folks. Even if somehow I were to write/produce/promote/
As a writer, I appreciate receiving feedback, and I also have no issue giving it and/or helping mentor young writers and artists.
As an actor, I’m either looking to be cast and/or looking for collaborators to help launch my own independent projects. As the host and producer of a monthly improv/theater show, I need folks to book and bring on stage.
As a community organizer, I’m always incredibly appreciative when folks step up to take on leadership or tasks.
As has been mentioned in other ways already in this interview, I’m interested in working with people who are curious, passionate, kind and looking to better themselves and the world around them.
The easiest way to connect and embody commitment is to physically show up. Come to an Indy Night at the Ledge Theatre or to any of the weekly virtual workshops or monthly in-person jams at Community Improv. And if you have social anxiety or fatigue or just don’t like going out, it’s okay, I’m a person too and I feel the same ways sometimes. And that just makes it all the more impressive that someone does come out. I feel this probably shouldn’t need to be said, but come out to a social or public event. Please don’t show up to someone’s personal door. Please don’t show up to mine.
Regardless of all that, if you’re not local or if soft networking really is the best fit and you want a more direct connection than social media, send an email to CommunityImprovLA@gmail.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stephengillikin.com/
- Instagram: @gillikis
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-gillikin/
- Other: http://communityimprov.org/ https://ledgetheatre.org/ https://www.youreverydayaction.org/
Image Credits
Hans Summers PS Arts Wendy Natividad
