Meet Chris Wells

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chris Wells a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Chris, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
It’s a bit of a Catch-22. Creativity comes from somewhere we can’t really know. But, we find it when we are engaged creatively. As Picasso said, “Inspiration will find you. But it will only find you working.” I have found that the more I dedicate myself to my creative practice–whether that’s acting or writing or making music–the more creative I become. It’s one of the beautiful things about creativity, you can’t use it up. The only way to lose touch with creativity is to stop using it. It’s like love.

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?
For the past seventeen years, I’ve run The Secret City, a secular church of art. We hold live events that are part spectacle, part salon, part happening with a healthy thread of the ecstatic woven through. My husband, painter Robert Lucy, and I founded the organization in NYC in 2007, as a place for artists to come and be inspired. Our mission also aims to promote the arts as fundamental to society. The events resemble a typical church service–choir, band, a template that we follow–but all of the content is art. The events are joyful and celebratory, and unlike any other live event you have ever witnessed. Over the years, we’ve expanded to serve LA and the Hudson Valley. Our motto is “We’re Connected.” Our next gathering will be Sunday, March 5th at 1pm at Philosophical Research Society in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. All are welcome.

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?
My greatest gift is my curiosity. This is what has led me forward in life, seeking new ways of being in the world, and giving me the ability to learn and to make connections of all kinds. The next is my work ethic–I am hard working and I enjoy working. It makes me feel alive and has allowed me to be build the organization I now run. Lastly, my ability to adapt. Things might not look exactly the way you want them to, especially in the beginning of an endeavor, but tenacity and the ability to adapt will go far in continuing forward.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
The best thing I learned in building our organization was to ask for help. I looked for people who are smarter and more experienced in whatever department, and I asked them to help. I learned to be very gracious, to thank people. When in doubt, thank people. And, don’t be afraid to not be an expert, be a beginner.

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Image Credits
All photo courtesy of The Secret City.

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