Meet Ty

We recently connected with Ty and have shared our conversation below.

Ty, 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?

The dictionary definition of the word resilient means “able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.” Being an artist, i truly don’t have the option to not be resilient. It’s in my dna. Life for all of us can be a whirlwind of highs and lows. Some of those highs are incredibly high, and some of those lows are dramatically low. But it isn’t those moments of despair and deprivation that define our lives and our character, but rather it is the way we go about handling and overcoming said moments of feeling, “Down Bad” (as Gen-Z would call it). I tend to handle life and all of the adversity with an air of grace and optimism these days. I think this comes from the fact that Ive heard “no” so many times, seen so many doors closed, and hit my version of rock bottom more than I’d hope to, and yet here I am! I’m still standing strong, and feeling better than I’ve ever felt thus far, and experiencing the most career opportunities I’ve ever seen as an actor and artist. All of these things are happening because I have chosen, and am actively choosing -even in the midst of all the noise and the chaos- to be resilient. I have a dream and a vision that goes even beyond me. In order for me to get there, well… Resilience is most definitely required.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

For the past 14 years I have centered my life around acting. It started on the stage where I studied theatre and performed in a number of plays and musicals. I then went on to study film and television acing at “The New York Conservatory For dramatic Arts”(NYCDA) in Manhattan, New York. Upon graduating I began acting in short films.Now I utilize my time as a creative and actor by writing, and auditioning for broadway, regional theatre, National tours, film, and television . I recently wrapped on my first short film that I wrote, starred in, and produced alongside one of my best friends/collaborators here in Atlanta. I am more than excited to release it to the masses this summer! It’s titled “Self”.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. “It’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know”. For a while I walked around wearing my professional acting training as a badge of honor. As if it were some exclusive “thing” that guaranteed me acting opportunity. The reality is: My training and my degree is barely HALF the battle. In this industry it’s about WHO you know, and WHO you’ve built healthy working relationships with. Thaaat is how we “get our foot in the door”.

2. “People want YOU”! No one wants replica of someone else. No one wants a manufactured and fictitious version of you. We want the real, raw, and organic you! Those off-beat idiosyncrasies that we tend to hide from the world? Yeah, those are the very things that the world needs and wants from you the most! Don’t deprive the world of your uniqueness. To quote one of my favorite musicals, “Let your freak flag fly!!!”

3.”BE FEARLESS” ! I believe that Fear is the root of failure. Be fearless in every way! Be bold! Be audacious! The minute I started living this way, doors began to fully swing open for me!

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

To this day my parents believe in me in ways i have never seen! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten their hopes up high after calling them with false hope all because of a really good audition or callback! To my surprise, they still get just as excited each time! It’s been that way since i performed in my first play in middle school. The support and love from them is enough to make me never want to give up!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Tyravenelofficial
• Youtube: Ty Ravenel

Image Credits

Brill Adium & Ty Ravenel