Meet Jamie Campbell

We recently connected with Jamie Campbell and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jamie, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
Imposter syndrome is something that plagues a lot of us at one time or another. I think the reason is that society tends to make people defend their right to exist within their chosen space.

When you work in the arts, people want you to quantify how good you are by how much money you make or whether or not you are famous. For example – when you tell people you are an actor, one of the first questions you’ll get is, “What have you been in?” You get the same types of questions as a writer – “Have you written anything I’ve seen?” As a comedian, people want to know where you’re performing or what big names you’ve worked alongside.

These questions are innocent enough. People want to know if they are in the midst of a celebrity sighting. But, what they are really doing is immediately calculating your success based on your proximity to fame. It’s a false narrative. If I told you I was a surgeon, you would immediately assume I was good at my job. You wouldn’t ask if I had performed any notable operations.

One of the best things that an artist can do is walk away from those conversations, and to stop asking for permission. Just creating is enough. Doing the work can fill your soul with creativity and freedom, and connect you to humanity in a way that helps you grow, heal, and prosper from the inside out. Everyone is allowed to do this work. You do not need permission.

One of the best ways I have found to help overcome imposter syndrome is to find a way to be of service to others. I’ve found that when I can lift up other comedians, writers, and actors in a way that is empowering to them, that makes them feel like they belong in the creative space, it heals some of my own doubts and shifts the focus in a way that is less ego-centric and more community driven.

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?
I am a multidisciplinary artist who works primarily as a nationally touring stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and actor. I am also an arts educator, teaching classes and workshops to fellow writers and performers.

I wear a lot of hats, but they all connect in a way that makes sense to me. My work focuses on humanity’s quest for joy, and all of the things we do in order to find what we believe will fulfill us. As a comedian, I try to center my work around connecting everyone in the room. The world of full of differences. We see it every day on the news. It’s a scary time to be alive, and there is a lot of anger and division out there. But, if we truly start to listen and see each other, I believe we’ll discover we also have a lot in common. My goal with my live performances is to have my audience walk out of one of my shows with a sense of hope.

As a screenwriter, my work often goes to darker places. I am interested in exploring the things people are willing to do in order to get what they want. How far are they willing to go? I think it’s important to understand the reasons people do terrible things. I’m interested in exploring the good intentions that can turn human beings into monsters. I believe that exploring these ideas is important, because history repeats itself, and we have to understand those villains to make sure we don’t become them.

As an actor, I get to experience humanity’s quest for joy by stepping into the shoes of people with perspectives and experiences that are different from my own. Oftentimes, my characters make choices that I wouldn’t personally make, and in doing this work, I gain a wider understanding of mankind. That helps me to grow my real-life perspective and has allowed me to develop a stronger sense of empathy and understanding.

As an educator, I believe I am doing my most important work, by lifting up others so they can know the joy of self-actualization. By believing in my students and helping them foster that same belief in themselves, I am helping an entirely new generation of creatives shine their light into a world that needs it more than ever.

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 journey is still going. I feel like my greatest chapter is yet to be written. It seems a little premature to look back when I’m still on the path forward. But, if I could go back to those early steps and give myself some advice, I’d tell them these three things:

1. There is not such thing as failure. You either succeed, or you survive. And, when you survive, you grow, and you get better. Both of those things are a gift.

2. Don’t worry about pleasing others. Do the work that feeds your soul. Tell the stories YOU want to tell. Tell the jokes that make YOU laugh. Say the line the way YOU want to say it. Your audience will find you.

3. Be kind. To others, and to yourself. That is more important than being on time. It is more important than having an aligned artistic vision or knowing your lines or returning an email. When your blood boils and everything is falling apart and being kind is the hardest thing you can do – that’s when you need to be kind the most. Being kind will get you farther in your career than honing your skills, than having a great publicity plan, than having the best material. Always. Be. Kind.

P.S. – When you’ve found you were unkind, say you were sorry. It’s amazing how far an apology will go.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I lay back and I breathe. I slow down. That can seem counterintuitive, but when the projects and deadlines are piling up, the creativity well has run dry, and I feel stuck and like things are falling apart, and the pressure is mounting . . .

I stop. And, I breathe. And I breathe again.

Then, I sit down and have an honest conversation with myself. I talk to myself in the same way that I would talk to a friend who is going through a similar situation. I compliment myself and talk logically and usually walk away from that feeling like everything is going to be alright.

Then, I make a list of the things I need to do. And, I focus on one task. I set everything else aside until that task is complete. Then, I go onto the next one. And the next. A wall is built one brick at a time. You do not have to build the entire wall. You just have to lay the next brick.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
1. Jacob Alan Clark 2. Jacob Alan Clark 3. Retrospec Films 4. Retrospec Films 5. Jamie Campbell 6. Manon Halliburton

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