We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anna East a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Anna, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
When I was 19, I moved to Japan to work for and perform with Tokyo Disneyland. This, to me, was an easy but huge risk. I was moving to a place I knew little about, leaving my family home, and risking losing my connections and years of entertainment work I had built in LA. Friends of mine who were in a similar position in the acting/dancing world have gone on to do very cool things within the Film & TV world. I knew that if I stepped away, I might lose those connections I tirelessly built with casting offices, directors, and beyond. However, after strolling into the audition with no expectations and being offered a full-time performance job in an amazing country, I felt a deep, intuitive ‘YES.’
To me, this risk paid off. I have not become a film actor, but I had my mind blasted wide open with a bigger worldview. Living in Japan for four years led me to move to Shanghai and Hong Kong and begin a life of bravely traveling to new places, taking risks on new jobs, and having creative experiences. Between my time overseas, I went to film school to create my OWN ideas. I don’t regret a thing, as my time living in different countries has shaped my perspective and made me much more aware, patient, observant, and inspired. It’s informed my choices as an artist and connected me with a web of artists and beautiful people across the planet. In retrospect, it had a butterfly effect. Taking a risk based on my intuition and wonder at 19 has led me to stay curious about life and change, leaning on the edge of “what if I trust this–what if it goes well?”
Anna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
As a multidisciplinary artist, I create based on which tools best express my vision. My journey to get here? I first trained as a dancer and actor and have performed professionally for 10+ years in Film, TV, commercials, and live events. I’ve had a concentrated amount of time performing for international Disney parks, and continue to grow with skills like historical fencing, stunts, and whatever aerial apparatus I can try. I began to write in college and found myself both screen and copywriting. I pursued a degree in film and found a love for cinematography and experimental film. After 2020, I found it hard to have the right words… so I began to paint. While in Hong Kong, I fell into a small painting business, creating commissions for the HK community and discovering a new way to express my soul.
Now, back in the US, I am interested in collaborating with other artists and organizations to create immersive and impactful art installations and events. As I dip my toes into this new world, I bring my toolbelt of filmmaking, dance and movement, storytelling, and visual art. I am proud that I am allowing myself to continuously evolve, and I am forever curious about how to create beautiful experiences for people around the world.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
It’s taken me a long time to unlearn the notion that I must prove myself to others. I would walk into an audition, an interview, or a conversation with a “Please like me/Please hire me” mindset and be so afraid of not being enough for the other person. Imposter syndrome? Yes. But I feel like it also comes from years of being in a dance studio and being taught to strive for perfection, yet never getting the chance to dance front and center. Perhaps time and experience have given me confidence, but I truly wonder what it would have been like if I had just walked into those conversations with a “take me or leave me” attitude. Now that I am much more self-assured and confident about my ideas, I try to approach interactions with the mindset, “This is who I am, and this is how I am. If it connects with you, cool, if it doesn’t, that’s okay too.” I now know that the right connections will happen, and I don’t need to waste my time trying to gain approval from someone who is not open to “me” in the first place. I am empowered to show up and know that they are lucky I am in the room, too.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Often, I feel that the choice of pursuing creative work is misunderstood. Many people may think that it is because creatives are not able to be analytical, academic, or whatever quality may be needed for a position that isn’t “creative.” (However, I think a lot of jobs are creative–they require problem-solving.) I have even been bullied by acquaintances for what they perceive to be my intelligence level.
I feel many peers of mine have not understood why I would choose to work in such different and non-typical ways. It oftentimes isn’t stable with income or seems frivolous. However, I am an artist whether or not I want to be. On my best days, creativity and visions pour out of me, begging to be heard and realized. On my worst, I escape into a better world I’ve imagined. I can’t ignore it and truly have so much more fun when I engage with it.
Overall, I’ve felt the reality of how fleeting life is. If I have this one lifespan, I’m spending it following the magic of my mind. Connecting with others, sharing in the excitement of open-heartedness and experiencing ourselves through art is the reason I have continued to pursue this creative life. Not because I am incapable of crunching numbers or analyzing data.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.anna-east.com
- Instagram: @anna_eatz_bananas
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-east-13704a48/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnnaEastActs
Image Credits
Intuitive Images