We recently connected with L.A. Sweeney and have shared our conversation below.

L.A., appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

I must have been around 7 years young at the time, and riding the train with my dad, the first time I can remember cashing in on my Artistry. The subway cars at the time had these poles in the centre of every seated section which I imagine were meant for commuters to cluster around and hang on for dear life as the car rattled over the tracks. To a 7 year old who enjoyed singing her sentences and had an indifference for using things for their intended use, these poles became the centre of a grand stage where I could whip myself around and let the endless thoughts shake from inside my mind and assemble into a melody that would become the forced entertainment for the riders of the yellow transit line that I frequented. On the historical and trajectory setting day when I first became a paid artist, I was just bringing to a close the final note of my spontaneous original song of the day while circling the pole with one arm outstretched wide, when a woman, gentle in her movements and quiet in voice, leaned in to me and placed a two dollar coin in the palm of my hand, smiled and said “Don’t ever stop”. This was spectacular for many reasons, the first being that a two dollar coin (known better as the ‘toonie’ here in the north), had just recently been introduced into circulation, so seeing one was still exciting. The second, and probably more influential reason, was that a stranger, someone who had no reason to indulge my performance, had validated me as an Artist. This thing I was doing, was worth something to someone, so much so that they were willing to pay me for it. It’s been a few years, to say the least, since that day, and fortunately many paycheques in return for my Artistry since, and yet, I am still waiting for the dollar I will be paid that will top that one. There’s something very special about someone’s belief in you, especially when the stage they find you on happens to be in the centre of a humble subway car, ripping up and down the yellow line.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Defining myself is something I will forever be carving away at, while also adding onto, and at other times I find myself trying to will myself away from any definition of self because, well, the impermanence of one’s state of being frequently occurs me. In digging for a less existential answer however, and as it relates to my creativity, I am an Actor. I have worn many other creative hats, and some of them are still in rotation, but at this current time my passion as an Actor is leading the charge of my artistry. I found my way into Acting later than the masses do, but also it was the earliest time I would have ever been ready to truly say yes to this art form, and that happened to be around the time I first became a Mother. My husband, who had discovered all my silent desires, signed me up for my first acting class ever. I joyfully dabbled in that for only a moment before life whisked me away into my greatest joy, pride, passion, priority and forever purpose, Motherhood. I promise you, there is not enough time or space in all the corners of the internet for me to take you on that very active and present journey, so for the sake of us navigating back to the plot of how I became an Actor, I will fast forward and summarize with this- The pandemic was a heck of a plot twist for us all, and personally, I was fortunate in that the loss of employment that resulted from the dark times, pivoted me into picking back up where I had so briefly left off with my introduction to acting. I hoped into classes, tossed myself into monologue competitions (all online at the time), landed myself an agent who quickly felt more like a friend, had more incredible babies, auditioned a bunch (mostly in the wee hours of the night, because…babies!!), booked some really exciting roles early out of the gates, and have just been on the choo choo train of learning and growing and becoming and discovering and elevating in this craft ever since. To name a couple of career highlights since stepping into the craft (brace for a shameless boast), I have led two feature length films, one of which I received a nomination for best actress. I was invited to New York to compete in the New York vs. Toronto International Championship Monologue Slam, and I won. However my proudest highlight of the journey so far since becoming an Actor has been being able to radically transform the lifestyle of my family with this career. My husband and I don’t work traditional office jobs anymore (he also pivoted into his creative vocation to better compliment our family’s schedule), which means we have very late work nights and odd work days, but ultimately we’re able to spend so much more time actively raising our children, which leaves me with the peace of mind I need, to then pour myself into acting the way I do. As far as edges go, if there are any, that’s what I would label as mine. Having the stability of all that which makes me whole, has allowed me to dive boldly with no hesitation into the imaginary. My aim as I continue on as a storyteller at this current time is to unite. That possibly sounds like a sweet idea, but it’s much more than that. It’s a solution to so many plagues the world suffers. I can’t detail it for you right now, but I can only confirm that I have felt the unity storytelling can create and I believe that I can contribute to that, in some way.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Support children in their curiosity and stop telling them that their imagination is wrong. Disclaimer: I am not a licensed educator nor have I conducted any studies myself that would measure or test my theory. That being said, I am a mother of three, an older sister to some and an aunt to even more than that. I have coached leagues of toddlers in sport, and guided schools of youth through travel. In all these various settings I have noticed a consistent and resilient truth. The longer I allowed a child to explore a thought, or slowed down and granted them time in their effort, the more space I gave them to play without instruction, and answer without interruption, the more they found clarity for themselves. They better articulated their discoveries to me, and to top the list, they did it all with a larger smile and broader shoulders. It’s sometimes the answers that we try to force upon children, and the confined space and time in which we try to get them to swallow our answers, that kills their creativity. Whats worse is it feels like what you take from them in those moments can sometimes never be returned. If we crave originality, if we want innovation, if we hope for a tomorrow world where people know how to be themselves, and critically think for themselves, then I would lobby that we support children in their curiosity and stop telling them that their imagination is wrong.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I continue to unlearn, yes continue, like peeling back layers of a rotten onion it just won’t end, is that overthinking is not in fact doing one’s due diligence, instead, it is mind gnawing limbo. I taught myself for years how to plan, plan for the plan, plan for the backup plan, then cross reference that neither of the plans conflict with the ultimate plan and cheese and crackers I am exhausted from it. Plans are great outlines and I may never break up with planning completely because having some sort of direction can be quite helpful when trying to get yourself from point A to point B. The problem? Plans just aren’t all that reliable once life enters the picture. Yet somehow, we keep making it to our next destination in life despite all these plans giving out on us. The logical conclusion that i’m forced to accept is that plans aren’t divine law and so we needn’t obsess over them the way I may have done so…once upon a time…which I no longer do…because I am actively, and consciously unlearning that plans, are really a crapshoot.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lasweeney.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereforeimom/

Image Credits
Caged Photos