We recently connected with Helena Geraci and have shared our conversation below.
Helena, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
For me creativity is a dynamic process, essential for personal growth and problem-solving across various aspects of life. Some of the steps I take to keep my creativity alive are related to:
Embrace Curiosity: Asking questions and doing research on topics that are important to me help me embrace the world and its different aspects. Explore new topics, and delve into areas I know little about. A curious mind is often a creative one.
Expose myself to new experiences. Travel, try new foods, meet people from different cultures, or engage in activities outside my comfort zone. The more you experience, the more you have to draw from when being creative.
Read and Learn: Regularly read books, articles, and watch documentaries or educational videos. Learning new information give me a new perspective that can spark innovative ideas and solutions.
Nature: Spend time in nature to reconnect with the simple cycle of the world and clear my mind. Especially walking in nature help me reflect and come up with original ideas.
Creative Habits: Have at least one ore few creative habits during the week to help maintain my creative momentum. Either going to an acting class or rehearsing for a play or film, doing an audition or writing an article or journal.
Physical Activity: Exercises boosts physical health but also clears my mind and help me find new solutions and creative ideas. I often come up with great ideas after a workout, a walk or a yoga class!
Being Flexible: Be willing to adapt and change my creative direction as new information becomes available.
By incorporating these practices into my life, I try to keep my creativity alive and thriving, enabling myself to approach challenges and opportunities with fresh and innovative perspectives.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m a professional actress originally from Catania, Italy, with a background in Marketing and Brand Management. My journey has been a diverse one, spanning over 8 years, during which I worked in both corporate and creative agencies across Europe and the United States.
My life took a significant turn in 2018 when I decided to relocate to Los Angeles to explore a career in Project Management. While immersed in that field, I felt the embers of my long-dormant passion for acting rekindle. In my early ’20s I took some acting classes in Italy, I was performing in theater for about 2 years and I fell in love with it! I trained with great professional acting coaches in Sicily and I was really passioned about the craft. At the time though, I decided to take a more secure path by studying marketing and working in that field for the following decade.
However, my arrival in Los Angeles reawakened that artistic calling, and I decided to dive deeper into the world of acting. I’m grateful for having answered that call.
In 2020, I achieved a Certificate in Acting from UCLA Extension and expanded my skills through studies at various prestigious institutions, including The Actor’s Lab and Ivana Chubbuck. Presently, I am a member of the Anthony Gilardi Acting Studio, an amazing community where I constantly refine and improve my acting skills. Since 2020, I’ve been actively engaged in the independent film industry, featuring in leading roles in various independent and short films under the direction of acclaimed filmmakers. Additionally, I have successfully established representation both in the United States and in Italy. This is now becoming a reality.
What fills me with the most pride today is the relentless effort I’ve invested to reach this point, especially considering my origin in a different country. I take immense pride in carrying four languages in my arsenal – French, Spanish, English, and Italian – along with a theater background that has laid a robust foundation. My journey has not been without its share of challenges, from acting in a second language to navigating immigration complexities, and essentially starting a new life across the ocean.
The endeavor of building fresh personal and professional connections from scratch was no small feat. Nevertheless, I’ve embraced the art of conquering obstacles, and it has yielded remarkable results.
In 2021, I established ‘L.A. Creative Circle,’ a community devoted to empowering and supporting artists on their creative paths. Our regular gatherings take place at various locations in Los Angeles. Furthermore, I initiated a monthly webinar series featuring guest speakers who share invaluable insights on an array of topics relevant to navigating the entertainment industry, such as self-tapes, auditions, goal-setting, mindfulness, branding, and financial management. I have already collaborated with remarkable names in the “business coaching for actors” field am thrilled to announce an exciting lineup of guests for 2024!
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?
The three skills that have defined me the most are resiliance, communication and leadership.
Resilience: I have always been a strong person, thinking outside of the box, coming up with creative and diverse solutions and always creating my own path, different from what my peers were following. I have always been the one looking for the challenge, the obstace to overcome, the adventure to jump into. Routine, simplicity and comfort have never been my first choice. Throughout the years I decided to explore different paths and careers, different cities and countries to live, different lifestyles. I really wanted to find my own way to live the life I wanted, without following a path that was designed for me when I came out of high school or university. Resilience helped me many times to go back on my feet and try again, to standup and change direction, to say, “ok let’s’ try one more time” or “let’s try this other thing instead” when a door closed or a NO was the answer.
Communication: I am glad that I graduated in international communication when I was in university, as it really helped me design the framework of communication patterns I use everyday with people. From how to write an email in a professional and successful way to how to network effectivly to how to mantain long-lasting connections.
Leadership: friends and collegues come to me for business, career and personal advice. I inspire others by reaching my goals with determination and ambition, without changing my behaviours towards the people I love and care about. People appreciate me staying humble and real, no matter what I achieve in my professiona life and they find in me a solid and trustworthy companion who will always be there for them.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I would love to produce my next film, possibly a feature. I would love to collaborate with other producers, sponsors and creative teams who are willing to create an unique and high quality product for international distribution. I already have several stories ready to be hear and I would love to shoot in Italy, where I have a crew ready to shoot at any time and access to amazing locations!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.helenageraci.com/portfolio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helenofsicily
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helena.geraci
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenageraci/
- Other: imdb.me/helenageraci
Image Credits
Jackson Davis Photography
