Meet Kym Priess

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kym Priess. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kym, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
 What I’ve learned recently is taking breaks is IMPERATIVE. I used to be of the mentality that I needed to earn my breaks but c’mon. Gotta live life, have adventures, take pauses to be inspired. Yes – I’m diligent, I clock in regularly at my studio to create but breaks, breaks, breaks. And dedication to a morning ritual composed of writing, meditating and yoga. AND seeing other people’s work!!! AND nature! And most importantly, not taking yourself so seriously!

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?

Hey there – thanks for the invitation here.

I am a performer/creator/singer/writer – hands-down. Sure you can call me an actor as well but my main excitement is devising work and letting there be a major element of freedom in improvisation that comes up in that wild moment w. the audience.

I find myself constantly volleying between bizarro physical, alternative comedy / clown / performance art and rock n’ roll. Not just generic rock ‘n roll, mind you. I’m particularly interested in heavier, progressive sounds interweaved w. weird synths and dynamic vocals.

I’m always strategizing how to mingle the bizarro comedy and the rock without the comedy losing its vulnerability and the rock losing its cool.

The last five years I’ve been very focused on my conceptual-rock project STUNTDRIVER. I had the amazing opportunity to open for one of my idols, Peaches, last year on her 20th anniversary tour with this project. Currently, writing new songs. Doing some tour dates w/Thelma and the Sleaze in December. Next LA show: 9/30 – Harvard and Stone.

Now to the comedy. I was first introduced to the art of the clowning in the 90s in NYU’s Experimental Theatre Wing from Chris Bayes and it forever changed my work – continuing on in whatever performance realm it was in – bands, performance art, standup, bizarro comedic bits, solo shows. The last couple years, I had taken a bit of a hiatus from making single comedic bits but I returned to it this last year and to be quite honest, it has felt like a bit of rebirth – not being bound to one particular project/concept and letting the ideas ebb and flow again.  But OF COURSE, everything is related in some form or another so the goal is to string the bits into a solo show that I will tour with next year.   I’ve been performing/workshopping the bits around LA at different variety shows and there’s a great community here. Next comedy show is 9/29 at The Clubhouse in LA.

I’m also working on launching a new variety show in this fall in LA that will be in true late-night variety show form.

To check in, I daily ask myself: what makes me feel alive and energized?

All these things excite me because we have so many different brushes to paint with as artists. One week, I can work on comedy; the next, I’m mixing audio files on a computer. The next I’m doing it all simultaneously 🙂

Fun facts: Sang on William Shatner’s record, love tubing down a river more than most things, can read faster than the Micromachines guy (if you’re old enough to remember that commercial.)

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. Perseverance 2. Dedication
3. Self-care and boundaries

Don’t let any fear, failure, or rejection slow you down

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
 I would LOVE to make a new project with people who think outside of the box, love comedic bizarro, abstract performance, and also do other mediums like music, burlesque, magic etc. And are open to flow but yet have drive and most importantly, are fun to be around!

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Abby Linne, Francine Natale, Edson Ochoa, Bright Light DA, Self

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