We recently connected with Kate Downey and have shared our conversation below.
Kate, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
For a long time, I didn’t really know what my purpose was. I was working in live theater, at operas, off-broadway theaters, tiny living room productions, and I was really just trying to survive, have fun, and get the next gig. When I started working for a startup that did unusual museum tours, I started to understand what really lit a fire under me. For these tours at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I would go into the museum, find an object, and research it. Based on what I found, I’d find an exciting and unexpected way to tell the (true) story of this object to an audience that had never really felt like the museum was a place they could be delighted or feel connected to. I realized that what I had been doing in live theater in college and my early career – putting on Shakespeare shows or operas that aren’t always easy for audiences to connect with, and finding ways to put on those shows that would connect with audiences in an unexpected and relatable way – was the same as what I was doing on these museum tours, just a different format. My work’s purpose, no matter whether thats in live theater, museum tours, science comedy, or podcast productions, is to make you fall in love with something you thought was boring. That’s what excites me and makes me curious, energized, and willing to figure out a way past any obstacle – the transformation of a topic or a story from something that feels far away and “not-for-me” to delighted discovery and empowerment.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I do deep dives into topics that most people find boring or “not for them”, and make them interesting, relevant, and even pretty fun. I work in many different formats – from podcasts to articles to live shows to museum tours, but I’m always essentially doing the same thing. Here’s some examples: “Why Your Train is F*cked” – a live comedy show in NYC about the history of the MTA and public transit
“Badass B*tches of the Met” – a tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that revealed stories of female artists, women portrayed in the art, and the many ways women have been removed from the world of fine art
“Doctors Without Boundaries” – A live comedy show featuring medical stories, with ER Doctor hosts
“Nerd Search” – a livestream competition game show where contestants try to get the audience and judges to be obsessed with the topic they are the most nerdy about
I’ve worked with shows like Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell and Wondery’s Scamfluencers to bring their podcasts to the stage for live shows. And I’ve produced podcasts like Diss and Tell at Wondery, and Glamorous Trash with Chelsea Devantez.
To me there’s nothing more exciting than finding a new question or topic I’m curious about. Diving into the research, sorting out the complicated contexts and different takes, all to be able to find a cohesive explanation to an audience – it’s an adventure every time.
I’m currently working on a big project – a 10 episode podcast series called CRAMPED, where I try to solve the mystery of my own severe period pain, and along the way learn about centuries of medical misogyny, the cutting edge research being done today, and why the NIH employed more veterinarians than gynecologists until the 1990s. The podcast will be released in the fall, and in the meantime I’m sharing some of my research and stories in a newsletter. More info here: https://www.katehelendowney.com/cramped
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?
ADAPTABILITY: I studied theater and psychology in college, and loved directing and producing – but after working in theater in NYC for a few years, I wasn’t feeling excited about it. Being open to using my skills in other areas, and experiment with my career going a totally different direction led to more interesting and fulfilling professional experiences than I ever could have imagined for myself. It’s important to have goals and direction for your work, but sometimes those can become rigid and hold you back more than they help you. Staying flexible and open-minded about how you use your skills and ideas always pays off. Especially in the world of arts and entertainment, where the baseline is constantly in flux.
CURIOSITY:
If you have a question that fascinates you, its probably one other people have too! Leading with curiosity and a desire to learn more will take you very interesting places. It’s also important to react to setbacks with more curiosity than disappointment – sure, something didn’t go your way, but WHY? If you follow that curiosity, you’ll find something that works.
LETTING GO:
No matter how good or bad an experience, a professional situation, or a project has been, there will always be a time to let it go. It’s hard to tell when to push through the difficult times and when its time to just let it go. I’ve seen people be sapped of all their creative energy, all their goodwill, and all their hope by refusing to let go of a job or a project. We’re told to stick with it and never give up, but you have to let something go to make room for the next good thing. Therapy helps!
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
I often feel overwhelmed! I get very excited about a new project or idea, and immerse myself in working on it, and suddenly I feel like I’m underwater, I’ve made too many promises to too many people, I’ve committed myself to too many things. At those times, I’ve learned to do two opposite but equally important things: Take a break, and get organized.
Too often I work myself into the ground. When I get overwhelmed, I try to remember to step away – take a deep breath, go for a run without headphones, take a nap, eat a meal – basically just get grounded in my physical body and give it what its probably been asking for for a while and I haven’t been listening. A lot of the time, that takes my overwhelm from a 10 to a 4, and I can function a bit again.
Once I’m not panicking, I get organized. The early excited frenzy of a project is important, but its just the first phase. And that phase becomes unsustainable pretty quick. Overwhelm is a good signal that its time to make lists, set priorities, and maybe even bring on someone else to help. It always helps me at this phase to imagine what this project will look like when its finished – the parts I can see clearly, its easy to plan the process of building those parts. The parts I can’t see clearly are the parts I need to pay attention to in the next phase. I try to zoom out and have these overviews at least once a month.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katehelendowney.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katehelendowney/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-helen-downey/
- Twitter: https://x.com/katehelendowney
